Privileged Access Security pillar page

Privileged Access Security, also referred to as Privileged Access Management, is the branch of cybersecurity that focuses on the administration of digital credentials, or “accounts”, and their permissions.  Accounts generally refer to the username and password combination that grants you access to a specific service or system, though there are many multifactor authentication methods that may serve as an “account” or identity credential.  At the enterprise level, accounts are often provisioned to employees to perform their job or assigned tasks, or to subcontractors (“vendors”) under a contractual obligation to perform a temporary or long-term partnership service.  Credentials to a company intranet, cloud-based servers, domain registrars, human capital management software, and accounting software, are all examples of online data warehouses that contain sensitive information of which only properly provisioned accounts with correct permissions should be accessing, mostly dependent on role.

Privileged Access Security encapsulates the administration, management, cycling, offboarding, and monitoring of an enterprise’s list of accounts in a single platform, making it easy for Information Technology (IT) departments to see who has access to what, and add, remove, downgrade, or elevate permissions as needed.  Permission access controls allow IT and cybersecurity professionals to monitor usage analytics and ensure activity within a company system or database is within the scope of approved actions.  Onboarding, employee turnover, vendor change management, and the natural rotation of people requiring access to various systems or applications means this list of accounts and their permissions can grow, change, and evolve on a daily basis.

Privileged Access Security therefore minimizes the risk of dormant accounts, bad actors, phishing, ransomware, and other cybersecurity threats because accounts and privileges are processed and monitored in a uniform way within one software application – instead of a mixture of solutions, or a homebrew alternative with potential security vulnerabilities.  IT can provision and monitor accounts from one place, meaning less time is spent creating, deleting, and processing accounts across disparate systems.  Alerts and notifications help those tasked with account provisioning enforce various levels of access controls, and provide visibility around who is accessing what, and when.  This increase in efficiency means IT professionals can spend more time on other critical projects, reducing the total cost of ownership of whichever Privileged Access Security platform they’ve adopted.

Privileged Access Security is procured and purchased through digital identity and access security providers – these are companies specializing in cybersecurity and access management.  It is often unsustainable or cost prohibitive for organizations to create a Privileged Access Security platform themselves, especially due to evolving compliance frameworks and audit requirements.  The pricing of Privileged Access Security varies by company due to company size and licensing agreements, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to pricing this product or its licenses.  Companies should always perform a requirements gathering to understand how they can evolve with their Privileged Access Security product of choice, allowing for scale without the incurrence of hidden costs.  Onboarding times for a Privileged Access Security product can vary based on teams and roles involved, operational needs, the comprehensive list of accounts, and subcontractor access points.  Organizations should always choose a reputable provider who exercises proper security and privacy protocols pursuant to your industry.  Providers of Privileged Access Security software should be regularly performing audits and maintain HIPAA, NIST, and SOC compliance, use Information Security Committees to evaluate risks, drive policies, and implement recommendations swiftly, and employ product-level security architects who are responsible for assessing and managing product-based security practices on a consistent basis.