Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Definition

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a set of security practices and tools focused specifically on controlling, monitoring, and securing accounts with elevated permissions, such as system administrators, database admins, and service accounts.

Overview

Privileged accounts — those with the ability to change system configurations, access sensitive data broadly, or manage other users' access — represent an outsized security risk, since compromising one can give an attacker far more damage potential than compromising a standard user account. PAM addresses this with controls like a privileged credential vault that stores and rotates admin passwords automatically, just-in-time access that grants elevated permissions only for a limited window rather than permanently, and session recording that logs everything a privileged user does during an elevated session. PAM builds on top of broader Identity and Access Management (IAM) practices but applies stricter controls specifically to the smaller set of highest-risk accounts. It commonly integrates with Secrets Management systems for credential storage and requires Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) before granting elevated access, reflecting the principle that the more powerful an account is, the more verification and oversight it should require. PAM is a common focus area in compliance-driven security programs, since frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 specifically expect evidence of controls over privileged access.

Key Concepts

• Focuses specifically on securing accounts with elevated permissions
• Uses credential vaulting to store and automatically rotate admin passwords
• Just-in-time access grants elevated permissions only for a limited time window
• Session recording logs privileged user activity for auditing
• Builds on IAM but applies stricter controls to the highest-risk accounts
• Often requires MFA before granting any elevated access

Use Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

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