Privileged Access Management

Privileged Access Management (PAM) protects an organisation’s most sensitive assets by securing, managing, and monitoring privileged accounts and access. While Identity and Access Management (IAM) manages all digital identities, PAM specifically focuses on the highest-risk accounts — those with elevated permissions to critical systems, data, and infrastructure.

Privileged accounts are the most valuable target for attackers. The 2024 Verizon DBIR reports that privilege abuse was involved in 31% of breaches, and the Microsoft Digital Defense Report notes that 99% of identity attacks target privileged accounts. Effective PAM is not optional — it is a core requirement for any mature security program.

What Is PAM?

PAM encompasses the security strategies, technologies, and processes used to control, monitor, and audit access to critical systems by users with elevated privileges. These users include:

• IT administrators managing servers, networks, and databases
• Database administrators (DBAs) with direct data access
• Service accounts running automated processes
• Application identities authenticating between systems
• Cloud administrators managing cloud infrastructure
• Network engineers configuring firewalls and routers

Core PAM Capabilities

A comprehensive PAM program includes six interrelated capabilities:

Credential Vaulting

Privileged credentials (passwords, SSH keys, API tokens) are stored in a secure, encrypted vault. Users check out credentials on demand rather than knowing them permanently. The vault enforces:

• Password rotation — Automatically change credentials after each checkout
• Access workflows — Require approval for credential access
• Audit trail — Every credential access is logged and attributable

Session Management

Privileged sessions are recorded, monitored, and controlled in real time:

• Session Recording — Video playback of all privileged activity for forensic investigation
• Session Monitoring — Real-time oversight by security teams with alerting on suspicious commands
• Session Termination — Kill active sessions that violate policy
• Session Isolation — Proxy-based access prevents direct network connectivity to targets

Just-In-Time (JIT) Access

JIT elevates privileges only for the duration of a specific task. After the task completes, privileges are automatically removed. This eliminates standing administrative rights and reduces the attack surface.

Least Privilege Enforcement

The principle of least privilege ensures users and processes operate with the minimum permissions needed to perform their function. PAM enforces this at scale through:

• Application control (allowlisting approved software)
• Privilege elevation (temporary admin rights for specific tasks)
• User rights management (removing local admin rights from standard users)

Privileged Account Discovery

Before you can manage privileged accounts, you must find them. Discovery scans continuously identify:

• Local admin accounts on servers and workstations
• Domain admin and enterprise admin accounts
• Service accounts and their dependencies
• SSH keys and their usage
• Cloud IAM roles with elevated permissions

Governance and Compliance

PAM provides the controls and evidence required by compliance frameworks:

The PAM Threat Landscape

Understanding the threat landscape motivates PAM investment and informs architecture decisions:

Attack Path Progression:
Initial Access → Privilege Escalation → Lateral Movement → Privilege Escalation → Data Exfiltration
     │                                                      │
     │                                                      └── PAM controls here
     │                                                          (JIT, elevation approval)
     └── PAM controls here
         (credential vaulting, MFA)

Module Roadmap

This module progresses from PAM fundamentals through advanced architecture:

Key Takeaways

• PAM specifically secures privileged accounts — the highest-risk identities in any organisation — through credential vaulting, session management, JIT access, and least privilege enforcement
• Privileged accounts are involved in 31% of breaches and are the primary target in 99% of identity attacks
• A comprehensive PAM program spans six capabilities: credential vaulting, session management, JIT access, least privilege, discovery, and governance
• Compliance frameworks (SOX, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001) mandate PAM controls — PAM is both a security and compliance requirement
• Attack path progression typically involves privilege escalation as a key step — PAM controls at both the initial access and escalation stages are critical
• This module covers ten areas from PAM fundamentals through program maturity, providing a complete foundation for PAM architecture and operations — including hands-on labs for both CyberArk and HashiCorp Vault