Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions are essential for organizations that want to secure their critical assets and protect themselves against cyber threats. However, choosing the right PAM solution that fits the organization’s business needs can be challenging. In this article, we will explore some key factors that organizations should consider when selecting a PAM solution:
Password Management
Password management is the bread and butter of PAM solutions, it allows organizations to easily manage and rotate passwords for privileged accounts in a secure and scalable way. PAM solutions should provide comprehensive password management capabilities, such as:
• Password vaulting and automated password rotation, to eliminate static credentials
• Multi-factor authentication should be supported for an added layer of security
• Secure Password policies that meet industry standards
• Certificate-based authentication for SSH to introduce ephemeral credentials and modernize authentication methods for system level access
Session Recording and Monitoring
PAM solutions should provide session recording and monitoring capabilities for both Unix and Windows based systems. This allows organizations to monitor user activity in real-time, identify and investigate suspicious activity, such as privilege escalation attempts and changes to sensitive data. Additionally, session recording and monitoring can be used for compliance purposes, such as providing an audit trail for regulatory compliance.
Centralized Management
One of the key features of a PAM solution is centralized management. Organizations should look for a solution that provides a single console for managing and controlling access to privileged accounts and sensitive information. This helps to ensure that security policies are consistently enforced across the organization and that access to critical assets is tightly controlled.
Access Control
A PAM solution should allow granular access control:
• Role-based access control (RBAC) to define roles and permissions for different types of users, such as administrators, auditors, approvers, users, etc., and to grant access to privileged accounts based on these roles. This helps to ensure that only authorized users have access to privileged accounts and reduces the risk of insider threats
• Approval workflow capabilities to ensure privileged access is granted only when necessary and appropriate
• Ephemeral access to ensure privileged accounts are being accessed at the appropriate time and duration
Integration with Identity and Access Management (IAM) Systems
PAM solutions should integrate seamlessly with existing identity and access management (IAM) systems, to ensure that user access is tightly controlled and managed. This allows organizations to leverage their existing IAM infrastructure and policies to manage privileged accounts, reducing the administrative overhead and improving security.
Automated Alerts and Notifications
PAM solutions should provide real-time alerts and notifications to detect and respond to suspicious behavior or potential security breaches. Modern detection and response strategies such as machine learning for User Behavior Analytics (UBA) should be used to provide insight into high-risk events and help remediate risks.
Regulation and Compliance
PAM solutions should be in line with industry standards and help organizations address regulatory requirements to ensure compliance:
• Strong password policies and encryption for data at rest/in transit (PCI DSS v4.0)
• Self-assessing capabilities to detect misconfigurations that could breach regulatory requirements
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the PAM solution that best fits their business needs is critical for organizations that want to protect their critical assets and mitigate risks. The key features listed above can be used in part as requirements when evaluating a PAM solution.