Who do you want accessing your data and files?
Organizations must ensure that resources and data are accessible but protected. One of the best ways to do this is with Privileged Identity Management (PIM), which enables companies to manage and monitor who has access to resources within their organization.
Privileged Identity Management is an important element in cybersecurity, as it helps keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands. So, what is PIM, how does it work, and what are its benefits? Let’s explore.
What is Privileged Identity Management (PIM)?
Privileged Identity Management is the practice of securing and managing privileged accounts so organizations can better control who has access to data and resources.
Managing sensitive or secure information and resources is essential for security. PIM helps limit access to this vital data by setting permissions and controlling who can access it, thus reducing the risk of a bad actor getting access to it or human error creating a leak.
Privileged Identity Management can include access controls for system or database administrators, service accounts, and even individual users. What matters is that individuals need permission to access key files and data.
How Does Privileged Identity Management Work?
PIM works by identifying which accounts allow access to certain files and data, but that’s just a part of it. Thorough and complete PIM includes several steps:
Identifying Privileged Accounts
First and foremost, the PIM solution needs to know what accounts have what permissions. This requires creating privileged roles with set permissions, such as admins or managers, and listing individuals with those roles. That forms the groundwork for privileged identities and access.
Granting Just-in-Time Access
If a user doesn’t have ongoing access to information or tools they need, they can still request temporary access. This request typically involves the reason they need access and how long they’ll need it, and can be either an automated process or require manual approval.
Monitoring Sessions
Monitoring and auditing features empower organizations to see who’s accessing their data and for how long. This helps ensure that only authorized accounts access sensitive information and spot unusual activity or investigate further.
Revoking Access After Use
If users are granted just-in-time access, then the access must be revoked at the end. Once a session ends or the user logs out, the privileges need to revert to their default. If the user requires access beyond their normal permissions again, they’ll have to request new access or send a session extension request.
PIM vs PAM vs IAM
Privileged Identity Management may sound similar to Privileged Access Management (PAM) and Identity & Access Management. While they are similar and have areas of overlap, what makes the three different is what they focus on.
Privileged Access Management manages user access to sensitive resources and provides a wide range of features for managing and securing privileged accounts.
Identity & Access Management is a broader term, focusing on the policies, processes, and technologies used to manage users and what they’re authorized to access.
In short, while PIM manages the resources that those with permissions can access, PAM focuses on the systems that manage the accounts, and IAM focuses on user groups within organizations.
Benefits of Implementing Privileged Identity Management
Now that we understand what PIM is, there remains the question of its benefits. What can businesses gain from Privileged Identity Management?
Benefits of PIM include:
Minimizing Security Risks
Privileged Identity Management is an important cybersecurity feature to keep unauthorized users away from sensitive data. As such, implementing PIM can help improve security and reduce risks.
Ensuring Security Compliance
Many industries have strict security regulations, especially those that handle sensitive or personal information. Using PIM can help ensure compliance with those regulations by keeping access to data secure and protected.
Reducing Insider Threats & Unauthorized Access
Not all security threats come from outside. Insider threats are just as big a risk, and companies should take steps to guard against them. Privileged Identity Management helps prevent insider threats by ensuring that only people in the company with certain permissions can access key data, so even someone on the inside can only access and leak information.
Risks of Unmanaged Privileged Identities: A Critical Security Concern
One of the biggest benefits of privileged identity management is how it addresses the security risk caused by unmanaged identities.
Businesses encounter multiple security challenges, both from the threats they face and the regulations they need to follow. Cyberattacks remain a constant threat, but even people inside an organization can misuse sensitive and proprietary information. As such, access to key data needs to be secured at every step.
PIM is a core element of cybersecurity. Without it, organizations risk falling short of their security compliance and may lack the visibility they need into privileged activities. With it, however, they can help ensure sensitive data remains safe from prying eyes and that they meet their security requirements.
Key Features of Privileged Identity Management
So, what is it that makes proper PIM? Privileged identity management consists of several key features, including:
Role-Based Permissions
Role-based permissions are the core of privileged identity management. PIM requires role-based, granular authorization policies for accounts, determining what roles and users have permission to access what data. This ensures that users who need specific data can access it, while those who don’t need it are kept out.
Just-in-Time Access for Temporary Privileges
When users need temporary access to privileged information, they can request just-in-time access. This allows administrators to grant temporary privileges, allowing the employee to carry out the task they need access for, before returning them to their default permissions.
Session Monitoring
Monitoring sessions are important for spotting suspicious activity, as well as reporting and auditing sessions to ensure key data is only accessed responsibly.
Strong Password Policies
While every user should have a strong password, that’s only the first step to strong account security. Passwords should be unique and use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, but organizations should also have periodic password rotations to reduce the risk of passwords being stolen.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Should a privileged user’s account be compromised, multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides a second layer of security. With MFA, users need to verify their identity when logging in, so even if someone loses their password credentials, they can still keep their accounts safe.
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