What is Privileged Access Management? (PAM)

Next up in my series of newsletters during cybersecurity awareness month is Privileged Access Management or otherwise known as PAM! This article will provide a brief overview of what PAM, how businesses apply this to prevent cyber attacks and the direct and indirect benefits of a business implementing PAM.

PAM is one of many tools or processes used as part of a robust risk management programme which is used alongside some of the other elements of security we previously discussed such as Multi Factor Authentication (MFA).

Rather than being a single tool, PAM is a collection of strong process and technologies that help to secure access to systems and data as well as monitor and control that access. It is usually carried out on a tiered basis where only those with the highest levels of authorisation are allowed to access the most sensitive data.

PAM helps business to limit unauthorised access and prevent any security risks associated with the wrong people accessing the wrong data!

How Does Privileged Access Management (PAM) Work?

Whilst the name gives away what the tool essentially does there are multiple layers involved in PAM and it is not only a tool that limits access and it works in the following ways:

Limiting or Preventing Access

Perhaps the most obvious one on the list, PAM works by preventing users without the relevant credentials being able to access certain elements of information, for example, it would prevent junior members of staff from accessing confidential business financial information or prevent those whom are leaving the business from accessing key business sales data and contacts – In cybersecurity terms this is known as the “Principle of Least Privilege” or PoLP.

Time Based Access

PAM tools can also be configured to allow access to certain areas within the IT Infrastructure for a certain period of time. This prevents any particular user having access to areas they don’t need to on a day to day basis and only when their role requires them to have access. One basic example of this is when you connect to a guest WiFi network for a certain period of time!

Monitoring Access

Alongside the limiting of access PAM tools can help a business monitor and record what a user is doing within a particular environment they have been given access to. This helps the business to be fully aware of what is happening while users are within restricted areas of the system and intervene if any suspicious behaviour becomes apparent.

Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)

Usually, PAM is implemented alongside MFA when allowing or denying access to certain areas of the business’s IT environment, this not only prevents external access to internal systems but also ensure that internal users that are accessing the systems are indeed who they say they are!

Reporting

PAM tools also include a reporting tool, this allows the company to generate reports on what users are accessing what data and reflect on whether that access is required or indeed understand patterns of suspicious behaviour and intervene going forward.

How Does Privileged Access Management (PAM) Protect Businesses?

Now we’ve looked at how PAM works, what are the ways in which PAM helps protect businesses from cyber threats?

Preventing Unauthorised Access To Data

Data is a big conversation in recent years since the implementation of GDPR and the creation of ICO and PAM allows businesses to minimise the potential of any data breaches by limiting access to customer and sensitive data!

Minimising Attack Surface

By having PAM in place, businesses can prevent the size of the attack surface that threat actors could look to exploit by hopping from are to area within a business’s IT infrastructure by using PAM to segregate access.

Reducing Level Of Insider Threats

External attacks are usually the focus of news articles and usually seen as the biggest exposure to businesses in respect of cyber threats, however, the notion of insider threats is taken less seriously. PAM allows for businesses to minimise the level of insider threats whether that be malicious in nature or mistakes due to human error.

In summary, Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a critical component of a comprehensive cyber security strategy for businesses. By enforcing the principle of least privilege, implementing multi-factor authentication, monitoring user sessions, and securing privileged account credentials, PAM significantly reduces the risk of insider threats and external attacks. As cyber attacks continue to evolve in sophistication, businesses must prioritise PAM to protect their most sensitive systems and data from compromise.

Get in touch to see how the Jensten Technology, Media & Cyber team can help you with your Cyber Risk Management strategy!

George Grimshaw

Senior Account Executive (Cyber & Technology)

Jensten Insurance Brokers

07900 598771

[email protected]

[email protected]