Privileged
access management (PAM) is the administration of accounts that have access to
an organization's most critical information and resources. Privileged user
accounts are significant targets for attack because they have elevated
permissions and access to confidential information. If compromised, a large
amount of damage could be made to organizational operations.
In
many organizations, system administrators are the only ones who are granted
privileged access. PAM software aggregates credentials for privileged accounts
into a secure repository to isolate their use and log their activity. The
separation is intended to lower the risk of "admin" credentials being
stolen or misused.
PAM
software typically provides the following features:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrators.
- An access manager that stores permissions and privileged user information.
- Audit logging tools for compliance.
- Session tracking once privileged access is granted.
PAM
vs identity management
PAM
is often confused with identity and access management (IAM). While some overlap
exists, PAM is only focused on accounts with privileged or administrative
access, while identity management encompasses any user that requires access to
a system.
To
ensure the highest level of security and usability, companies should look into
implementing both privileged access and identity management. Identity
management systems cover larger attack surfaces within the organization's
network while PAM systems cover smaller, higher-valued attack surfaces.
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