What is Privileged Access Management Software?

Introduction

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the mixture of technology and tools utilized to secure, monitor, and control access to an enterprise’s vital resources and information. PAM subcategories include application access management, vendor privileged access management, privileged session management, and shared access password management. Hackers target privileged user accounts because they possess elevated permissions, capability to change settings, and access to sensitive information. If compromised, significant damage could be caused to a company’s operations.

Account types that deploy PAM include domain and service or application administrative accounts, and Microsoft Active Directory, local administrative, and emergency cyber-security procedure accounts. PAM software functions by collecting the credentials of privileged accounts, also called administrator accounts, into a secure database to log their activity and isolate their use. This isolation helps to reduce the risk of admin credentials being misused or stolen. Advanced PAM systems do not permit privileged users to select their own passwords. Rather, the platform’s password manager will give administrators the password for a particular day or provide one-time passwords every time an administrator logs in.

Features of Privileged Access Management Software

Role-Based Security

An important feature of PAM software is the ability to provide role-based security for user groups that need the same access level, for example, all network administrators. With role-based security, you can easily view who can access what, and it also allows you to efficiently monitor and track changes.

Ease of Use

Not all PAM solutions are simple to use and intuitive as some can be confusing and complex. Therefore, do your homework and check out the demo or free trial of the software to find out if it is user-friendly. The application should ideally give you the needed control and security, while enabling you to master it in quick time with minimal training

Real-Time Notifications

This feature instantly alerts you about unusual activity as it occurs so you can take immediate remedial action. The program allows you to set what type of roles, groups, or activity will trigger alerts, so you can always stay up-to-date and respond accordingly.

Robust Reporting

Leading PAM software products deliver comprehensive reporting to give you an accurate and clear overview of what’s going on based on your needs. You should be able to generate a range of insightful reports on criteria vital to you, so you can make informed decisions.

Live Session Monitoring

This functionality allows you to record and track a user’s session so you can view what action they performed and when. This feature is important for auditing and compliance purposes, and assists you to be more proactive. For instance, if you view a user altering something crucial, you can immediately question why and learn their motive instead of waiting till it potentially blooms into a major issue later.

Benefits of Privileged Access Management Software

Automation

PAM system automation helps to save time and effort for IT staff who can focus on more important work. The software will alert administrators on as few or many programmed events, for example, web application transactions, password requests, failed passwords, and others. Automation also minimizes the chances of human error and helps to optimize security protocols, improve overall productivity, and reduce costs.

Password Generation and Change

PAM software allows you to generate random new passwords as well as rotate current passwords. You can do this task manually or make it an automated function of the platform. Every time a user asks for access, they will be given a new password. If you set automated generation, the application will reset or release either group of individual passwords, while ensuring there is a match between present login and each target account. Further, if needed, the program can produce a report on problems with failed passwords as this is a crucial cyber-security signal.

Password Vaulting

Enterprises need to avoid data breaches and password leaks. However, password reuse increases the chances of system and data compromise. PAM software helps to prevent this by offering password vaulting feature which stores passwords digitally and protects them with encryption through a single password. This restricts access to administrator passwords which makes hackers’ job much more difficult.  

Failsafe Preparation

Your organization needs to have an effective disaster recovery plan in place to tackle emergencies. A PAM platform assists to reduce the impact of system failure in case your system host goes offline after it is compromised. If a single point in your network is affected because of an attempted breach, other employees can still get access to both their entry point and passwords, and continue their work in uninterrupted fashion.