Privileged access management (PAM) solutions have been around in various forms for decades now. Whether you want a password vault, session management, reduced privilege or a combination of privileged management workflows, there’s been no shortage of vendors to choose from. So why does the thought of PAM still make admins shudder? Surely, it should be enjoyable to have a PAM solution humming along, reducing your organization’s risk while you, the admin, focus on your other duties.

As organizations migrate to the cloud and adopt more “as-a-Service” technologies, identity and access have become the perimeter. Remote workforces mean that limiting access according to the principle of least privilege is a fundamental security control. As part of securing applications and networks, organizations need to focus on users with privileged access because they pose greater insider and credential theft risks.

The entitlement review definition is simple: a review of user access permissions and other rights. The goal of a user entitlement review is to ensure that each user in the IT environment has access to the data they need to do their job and nothing more — the principle of least privilege. A structured and regular entitlement review process helps mitigate security risks and protect sensitive data.

Are you in the process of evaluating privileged access management solutions? Read on to learn what you should focus on to choose the right PAM solution to protect your organization’s data.

CIS Control 6 merges some aspects of CIS Control 4 (admin privileges) and CIS Control 14 (access based on need to know) into a single access control management group. Access control management is a critical component in maintaining information and system security, restricting access to assets based on role and need. It is important to grant, refuse, and remove access in a standardized, timely, and repeatable way across an entire organization.

Service accounts can be privileged local user or domain user accounts or have domain administrative privileges. Service accounts best practice involves usage to execute applications and run automated services. A single service account can easily be referenced in many applications or processes. The critical nature of their usage and their use makes them challenging to manage.

Although external cybersecurity attacks and malware make for sensational headlines, the biggest security threat most organizations face comes from trusted insiders with privileged access to sensitive data. Cybersecurity Insider’s 2020 Insider Threat Report reveals that 68% of organizations report that insider attacks are becoming more frequent and that they feel vulnerable to them.

Remember your first day on the job? You might groan just thinking about it, or maybe you are filled with the optimistic nostalgia of all the great things you set out to accomplish. It’s all a matter of your current perspective. One of the greatest apprehensions about that first day is meeting all of your new colleagues. Someone probably gave you a tour of the office, introducing you to all the new faces, as you wondered how you will remember all the names.