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Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a security practice that controls and monitors the use of accounts with elevated permissions, reducing the risk of misuse, insider threats, and advanced attacks.

What is PAM?How it typically works?Common techniquesImpactFurther reading

What is PAM?

Privileged accounts such as administrators, root users, and service accounts provide powerful control over systems. If compromised, these accounts give attackers unrestricted access to critical infrastructure. PAM solutions enforce controls around the use of such accounts, ensuring they are used only when necessary and under monitoring. For SecOps teams, PAM addresses one of the most common vectors in advanced persistent threats: abuse of privileged accounts for lateral movement and persistence.

How it typically works?

  1. Account discovery: identifying all privileged accounts across systems and applications.
  2. Credential management: storing privileged credentials in secure vaults, rotating them regularly.
  3. Access request: users request temporary privileged access, which must be approved.
  4. Session monitoring: all privileged activity is recorded and monitored for anomalies.
  5. Revocation: access is revoked once the task is completed.

Common techniques

  • Password vaults: store privileged credentials securely and rotate them automatically.
  • Session recording: capture all activity performed during privileged sessions for auditing.
  • Just-in-time access: grant temporary elevated privileges only when required.
  • Privileged session monitoring: real-time oversight of administrator actions.
  • Application-to-application credential management: secure handling of secrets used by applications.
  • Separation of duties: ensure no single administrator has unrestricted power.

Impact

PAM dramatically reduces the attack surface by ensuring privileged accounts are controlled, monitored, and temporary. Without PAM, attackers who steal admin credentials can silently escalate privileges, move laterally, and exfiltrate data. With PAM, every privileged action leaves an audit trail, enabling faster detection and accountability.

PAM is often a requirement for regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS and ISO 27001. For organizations embracing Zero Trust, PAM ensures even administrators must verify and justify their access.

Further reading

Related topics

Identity and Access Management (IAM)Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)Zero Trust Security