Privileged Access Management (PAM)

What is Privileged Access Management?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) refers to the set of technologies, policies, and procedures designed to control and monitor access to privileged accounts and sensitive data within an organisation. PAM solutions aim to limit the risks associated with these accounts and data by providing strict controls over who can access them, how they can access them, and what they can do with them.

Privileged accounts are those that provide access to critical systems, applications, and data that are essential for the organisation's operations. These accounts typically have elevated permissions, allowing users to perform tasks that are beyond the scope of standard user accounts. However, the very same elevated permissions make these accounts highly valuable targets for attackers. If compromised, privileged accounts can be used to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data, tamper with critical systems, and execute malicious code.

PAM solutions use a variety of techniques to mitigate these risks. These include authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, to verify the identity of users before granting access to privileged accounts. Authorisation controls are also used to limit what users can do once they have access, such as restricting their ability to modify system configurations or access certain data.

PAM solutions also incorporate monitoring and auditing capabilities that allow administrators to track user activity within privileged accounts, detect anomalous behaviour, and generate alerts when potential threats are identified. Additionally, PAM solutions can automate the process of credential management, including the rotation and revocation of privileged account credentials to minimise the risk of compromise.