Cybersecurity today isn’t just about firewalls, antivirus software, or patching systems regularly. It’s increasingly about access, who has it, how they get it, and what they can do once they’re inside. Among the biggest threats to an organisation’s digital safety are the very people and systems with the highest levels of access: privileged accounts.
Think of privileged accounts as the digital keys to the kingdom. These aren’t just any user logins; they belong to IT administrators, network engineers, database managers, or even automation scripts that run high-level tasks. If a malicious actor gets hold of one of these, they can make sweeping changes, disable firewalls, exfiltrate sensitive data, or bring down entire systems. That’s why attackers often target these accounts in targeted attacks.
Credential theft is one of the most common methods hackers use to gain unauthorised access. Whether through phishing, brute-force attacks, or social engineering, once they have the keys, they often go undetected. Insider threats, both malicious and negligent, also pose a significant risk. According to recent reports, breaches involving insiders or stolen credentials are among the costliest and most difficult to detect. This is exactly where privileged access management comes in.
Before we explain what is privileged access management, it’s worth defining what “privileged access” means in the first place.
Privileged access refers to the ability to perform administrative or sensitive operations on a system. This includes installing software, configuring settings, accessing secure databases, or managing users. Privileged accounts come in several forms:
Because privileged accounts can do so much, they also pose a massive risk when misused. Whether it’s an IT admin making an honest mistake or a hacker using stolen credentials, the damage can be catastrophic, and data breaches, compliance failures, and operational disruptions are just the start. This is why Pam isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.
Privileged access management (PAM) is a cybersecurity framework that controls, monitors, and secures access to critical systems by privileged users. The core idea is to grant elevated access only when needed, for only as long as necessary, and under tightly controlled conditions.
At its heart, PAM aims to reduce the attack surface and limit the potential fallout of compromised credentials. Rather than assuming that everyone inside the network is trustworthy, PAM enforces strict access controls even for internal users and systems.
To understand what privileged access management is, you have to place it within the broader context of identity and access management (IAM). IAM manages identities and defines what users can access in general terms, applications, files, and databases. PAM zooms in on the highest-risk users and provides an extra layer of control, oversight, and security.
Think of IAM as the building’s front-door security, and PAM as the restricted keycard access to the server room in the basement.
| Aspect | IAM (Identity and Access Management) | PAM (Privileged Access Management) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Managing digital identities and general user access | Managing and securing privileged accounts with elevated access |
| Scope of Users | All users – employees, contractors, third parties | Only users or systems with elevated privileges (e.g., admins, service accounts) |
| Types of Access Control | Access to general systems, apps, files, and resources | Access to sensitive systems, critical infrastructure, and admin functions |
| Typical Use Cases | Logging into email, SaaS platforms, and internal portals | Configuring servers, accessing databases, and executing system-level commands |
| Security Risk Addressed | Unauthorised access from regular users | Misuse or abuse of privileged access, insider threats, and credential theft |
| Common Features | Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), user provisioning | Credential vaulting, session monitoring, least privilege, Just-In-Time (JIT) access |
| Visibility and Monitoring | Limited to login and access logs | Deep session tracking, command logging, screen recording of privileged sessions |
| Regulatory Relevance | Required for general data protection and identity verification | Critical for strict access control and audit compliance (e.g., SOX, PCI-DSS) |
| Tool Examples | Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin, Ping Identity | CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Thycotic, Delinea, One Identity Safeguard |
| Main Goal | Ensure the right people access the right resources | Ensure privileged access is tightly controlled, monitored, and justified |
While IAM answers “who can log in?”, PAM answers “who can do the dangerous stuff, and are they doing it responsibly?”
There’s a long list of benefits to using privileged access management tools, including:
Insider threats, whether malicious or accidental, are one of the most dangerous types of cyber risk. Privileged users have access to critical systems, and if their credentials are abused, the consequences can be severe. Privileged access management tools help reduce this risk by enforcing strict controls around who can access what, when, and how.
For example, PAM solutions can require multi-factor authentication for all privileged accounts, restrict access based on time or task, and ensure that all activity is logged and monitored. This makes it much harder for a rogue employee or an attacker with stolen credentials to operate undetected.
Regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOX, and ISO 27001 all include sections related to access control and the protection of sensitive data. Failing to meet these standards can lead to significant fines, reputational damage, and legal issues.
By implementing privileged access management, organisations can demonstrate control over their privileged accounts, something auditors specifically look for. PAM solutions generate detailed access logs, session recordings, and reports that prove only authorised users accessed sensitive systems and that those accesses were appropriate and monitored.
No security system is 100% foolproof. Breaches can and do happen. The key difference between a breach that causes minor disruption and one that makes headlines often comes down to how much access the attacker was able to gain.
With PAM in place, organisations can limit the scope of what an attacker can do, even if they get in. For instance, by using Just-In-Time (JIT) access, privileges are only granted temporarily and revoked automatically. That means a stolen credential might be useless after a short time. Enforcing least privilege also ensures that users have access only to what they need, not the entire system, thereby containing any potential damage.
Without privileged access management tools, it’s often difficult to tell what privileged users are doing inside critical systems. This lack of visibility is a huge risk. PAM changes that give organisations full insight into privileged activity.
Most modern PAM solutions come with features like session monitoring, screen recording, real-time alerts, and detailed audit trails. You can see which accounts accessed what resources, what commands were executed, and whether any suspicious behaviour occurred. This visibility is essential for forensic investigations, internal audits, and ongoing risk assessment.
Beyond security and compliance, PAM can also streamline IT operations. Managing privileged credentials manually, resetting passwords, provisioning access, and removing outdated accounts is time-consuming and prone to errors. PAM solutions automate much of this work.
With JIT access, users can request access only when it’s needed, and the system grants it for a limited time without manual intervention. Passwords can be rotated automatically, access requests can be integrated with ticketing systems, and approvals can be routed through predefined workflows. This reduces the burden on IT teams and ensures consistent, policy-based access management.
Effective PAM involves more than a password vault. A comprehensive solution includes several components that work together to control and monitor access.
This feature securely stores privileged credentials in an encrypted vault and rotates them regularly. No more sticky notes or shared spreadsheets. It ensures that credentials aren’t exposed or reused.
With session recording and monitoring, you can track exactly what a privileged user did during a session. This adds accountability and helps detect malicious or unintended activity.
JIT access provides temporary privileges on an as-needed basis. Users don’t retain standing privileges; they request access when necessary, and it’s automatically revoked after a set time.
Privileged access management tools help enforce the principle of least privilege, users only get the permissions they need to do their job, and nothing more. This minimises potential damage from compromised accounts.
Adding MFA ensures that even if someone steals a password, they still can’t log in without a second form of authentication. For privileged accounts, this is non-negotiable.
Modern PAM solutions use behavioural analytics to identify suspicious activity. If a user suddenly accesses systems at odd hours or tries to perform unusual tasks, the system can flag or block the activity.
Not all privileged accounts look the same, but they all need to be managed under a PAM program.
Local admin accounts are tied to individual machines, while domain admin accounts control entire networks in environments like Active Directory. These accounts can install and uninstall software, change security settings, create or delete other user accounts, and access sensitive files and systems. Because they hold such a high level of control, they are among the first targets attackers go after during a breach. Gaining access to a domain admin account can give an attacker free rein across the organisation. Privileged access management helps mitigate this risk by limiting when and how these accounts can be used, enforcing least privilege, and ensuring all activity is logged and reviewed.
Service accounts are non-human accounts used to run automated tasks, such as system backups, database maintenance, or integration jobs between applications. They are often overlooked because they run silently in the background, but many of these accounts require elevated permissions to perform their functions effectively. The problem is that they are rarely rotated, often have weak or hardcoded credentials, and are sometimes excluded from security reviews. With the right configuration, PAM solutions can rotate service account passwords regularly, restrict their use to specific systems or times, and monitor for unexpected behaviour.
Application accounts are used by software applications to interact with databases, APIs, or other services. These might be used internally by an app to pull data from a backend system or externally when integrating with third-party services. The danger lies in how these credentials are stored, often in plain-text config files, embedded in source code, or hardcoded in scripts. If compromised, attackers can use these credentials to gain access to critical systems, sometimes without detection. Privileged access management tools help secure these accounts by storing their credentials in encrypted vaults, controlling how applications retrieve them, and enforcing access rules around their use.
Break-glass accounts are emergency admin accounts created for use during outages, system lockouts, or cyber incidents when normal authentication methods fail. Because they are designed to bypass regular access controls, they pose a significant security risk if not properly managed. These accounts need to be kept offline or disabled until required, and every use must be logged, reviewed, and justified. Privileged access management plays a crucial role in this process by controlling access to these accounts through approval workflows, ensuring that temporary access is granted only under strict conditions, and capturing all activity during their use.
As organisations shift their infrastructure to the cloud, managing cloud-based privileged accounts becomes just as important, if not more so, than managing traditional on-prem accounts. Cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud use roles and policies to manage access.
For instance, an AWS IAM role can grant full administrative access to all cloud resources, making it extremely powerful and potentially dangerous if misconfigured or compromised. Cloud roles are frequently used in DevOps pipelines, containers, and serverless functions, where privileges can easily escalate without visibility. That’s why it’s critical to integrate PAM solutions into cloud environments. Modern privileged access management tools now offer cloud-native features that help enforce least privilege, monitor session activity in the cloud, and manage short-lived credentials for ephemeral resources like containers.
Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and PCI-DSS all include requirements for securing access to sensitive data. Privileged access management helps meet these obligations by enforcing strict controls, generating logs, and proving compliance with access policies.
PAM tools create detailed logs of who accessed what, when, and why. These logs are invaluable during audits and investigations. They also help in meeting the “accountability” clauses, common in many compliance frameworks.
As threats evolve, so does PAM. Several trends are shaping the future of privileged access management.
Artificial intelligence can analyse access patterns and detect anomalies in real time. This proactive approach helps catch threats before they cause damage.
ZSP means that no one has standing privileged access. Instead, privileges are granted dynamically based on context and then revoked automatically. It’s a strong step forward in reducing risk.
In cloud and DevOps environments, traditional PAM often struggles. New privileged access management tools are being designed specifically for Kubernetes, containers, and CI/CD pipelines.
It’s not just people that need managing. Machines, scripts, and APIs often have privileged access, too. PAM is expanding to cover these non-human identities, which are becoming more common in automated environments.
If you’re still wondering what privileged access management is, here’s the takeaway: it’s not just another security product; it’s a strategy that’s becoming increasingly critical. With insider threats on the rise and attackers getting smarter, managing who has access to your systems is more important than ever. By implementing PAM, organisations can control privileged access, reduce their risk, and strengthen their overall security posture.
Whether you’re a small business or a global enterprise, ignoring PAM isn’t an option anymore. The risks are too high, and the consequences too severe. It’s time to take privileged access seriously.
Privileged access management (PAM) is a cybersecurity strategy focused on controlling, monitoring, and securing the use of accounts that have elevated permissions within an IT environment.
The benefits of PAM include reduced risk of data breaches, compliance with regulations, improved accountability, and better operational efficiency.
IAM manages access for all users, while privileged access management focuses specifically on users with elevated permissions. PAM adds more controls, monitoring, and risk reduction.
PAM is used to manage, secure, and audit the access of privileged accounts in order to protect sensitive systems and data from misuse or attack.
In cybersecurity, PAM is a crucial layer of defence that limits and monitors access to critical systems, reducing the chance of insider threats or credential-based breaches.
Poorly implemented PAM can lead to unmanaged privileged accounts, unmonitored access, and outdated credentials, all of which create serious vulnerabilities.
Privileged access management is important because it safeguards the most sensitive parts of your IT environment. Without it, a single compromised account can wreak havoc across your entire organisation.