Privileged Access Management (PAM) controls access to admin accounts and sensitive systems. It ensures privileged users only have access when needed, with full monitoring. It's critical because compromised admin accounts cause the worst breaches.
Quick answer: Privileged Access Management (PAM) controls access to admin accounts and sensitive systems. It ensures privileged users only have access when needed, with full monitoring. It's critical because compromised admin accounts cause the worst breaches.
Why Privileged Accounts Matter
Admin accounts can:
- Access any data
- Create new accounts
- Modify security controls
- Install software
- Cover tracks
- Cause catastrophic damage
The stats:
- 74% of breaches involve privileged credential abuse
- Average organisation has 3x more privileged accounts than employees
- Most privileged access isn't actively managed
What PAM Does
Credential vaulting
Secure storage:- Admin passwords stored in encrypted vault
- No one knows the actual passwords
- Passwords rotated automatically
- Checked out when needed, checked back in
Just-in-time access
Access when needed:- Admins request access
- Approval workflow (if required)
- Time-limited access granted
- Access expires automatically
Session monitoring
Full visibility:- All privileged sessions recorded
- Keystroke logging (where appropriate)
- Video recording of sessions
- Searchable audit trails
Least privilege enforcement
Only what's needed:- Granular permissions
- Task-based access
- No permanent admin rights
- Regular access reviews
The Microsoft Approach
Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Azure AD / Entra ID feature:- Just-in-time activation for admin roles
- Approval workflows
- Time-bound access
- Audit and alerts
- Access reviews
Key roles to protect
- Global Administrator
- Exchange Administrator
- Security Administrator
- Privileged Role Administrator
- Any custom high-privilege roles
Implementation
- Enable PIM for all admin roles
- Require justification for activation
- Set maximum activation duration
- Require MFA for activation
- Enable alerts on activation
When You Need PAM
Definitely
- Compliance requirements (many frameworks mandate it)
- Multiple IT admins (need to track who did what)
- Third-party admin access (vendors with privileged access)
- Regulated industries (financial services, healthcare)
- High-value targets (valuable data, critical infrastructure)
Probably
- More than 50 employees
- Growing IT complexity
- Preparing for certification (ISO 27001, SOC 2)
- Board-level security expectations
Maybe not yet
- Very small organisation (solo IT, limited admin accounts)
- Simple environment (cloud-only, minimal admin)
- Budget extremely constrained (focus on basics first)
Common Mistakes
Too many admins Everyone's a Global Admin "because it's easier." Audit and reduce.
Shared admin accounts "IT Admin" account used by everyone. No accountability. Eliminate these.
Standing privileges Admins have permanent access. Implement just-in-time.
No monitoring Admin activity not logged or reviewed. Enable audit trails.
Ignoring service accounts Focus on human admins, forget service accounts with Domain Admin rights.
Practical Steps
Today:
- Audit who has admin access
- Remove unnecessary privileges
- Enable MFA on all admin accounts
- Enable Privileged Identity Management (if E5/P2)
- Implement just-in-time for Global Admin at minimum
- Set up alerts on admin role activation
- Extend PIM to all sensitive roles
- Implement access reviews
- Enable session logging
What We Configure
For managed clients:
- PIM enabled for all admin roles
- Just-in-time access enforced
- Approval workflows where appropriate
- Session monitoring enabled
- Regular access reviews scheduled
- Alerting on suspicious admin activity
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about PAM implementation.
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