The 10 features of a successful PAM solution

Many sophisticated cyberattacks target elevated privileges so that the attackers can access to even more sensitive data—creating a compounding effect that organizations must protect against at all costs. It’s no wonder that securing privileged access is a foundational element of cybersecurity.

For business users, privileged access typically gives them the ability to read and, if allowed, write to documents and data that are vital to the organization’s operations, strategy, and trade secrets.

But the kind of access granted to IT personnel can enable cybercriminals to cause far more damage than simply stealing or encrypting data. With the right privileges, attackers can make significant changes to the IT infrastructure and corporate data. Malicious external and internal actors with this level of access can cause catastrophic harm.

Privileged access management (PAM) is a security discipline that focuses on controlling access to elevated permissions and sensitive data. Businesses are facing challenges with PAM that stem primarily from the complexity and critical nature of privileged accounts.

For starters, IT environments are a constantly evolving, interdependent mix of on-premise, cloud, and hybrid systems. What’s more, the technology infrastructure and solutions are always changing, which requires constant updates to PAM strategies and solutions.

But the complexity doesn’t stop there. In many environments, individual users must manage dozens, even hundreds of privileged passwords, which can lead to poor password practices, such password sharing and the use of default passwords. Global businesses also face a complex web of changing regulatory standards they must meet regarding security and protection of sensitive personal data. Given this level of complexity, especially in large and diverse IT environments, it’s easy to lose track of all the different privileges.

Gaining visibility is necessary to control privileged access, but many organizations are at least partially flying blind.

To effectively manage these challenges, a PAM solution should have 10 fundamental capabilities:

• Password vaulting: Securely store privileged credentials in an encrypted vault to prevent unauthorized access.
• Automated password management: Enable the automatic generation, rotation, and workflow approval of passwords.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Provide an additional security layer to verify user identities.
• Access for remote employees and third parties: Ensure secure access for remote users without compromising security.
• Mobile access: Facilitate secure access from mobile devices.
• Session management: Monitor and record all privileged sessions for audit and compliance purposes.
• Real-time visibility and alerting: Detect and respond to threats in real-time.
• Disaster recovery: Ensure access to critical systems during network or system failures.
• Emergency access: Enable quick access in emergency situations while maintaining audit trails.
• Auditing and reporting: Provide detailed reports for compliance and forensics.

Delinea’s PAM solutions address these requirements effectively with a robust PAM strategy that includes both privileged account and session management (PASM) and privileged elevation and delegation management (PEDM). As a result, Delinea provides enhanced control over both access and, once someone has access, the actions they take during privileged sessions. Delinea integrates with identity and access management (IAM), supports compliance efforts, and works within cloud, on-premises, and hybrid systems. Plus, Delinea goes beyond the basics by enabling advanced capabilities such as password-less authentication and role-based access control.

PAM doesn’t have to be an impossible task for IT. With the right PAM solution, IT can secure privileged access effectively and efficiently.

Learn more about why Delinea has consistently been named a leader in PAM and how to get started on your own PAM journey.