Why is Privileged Access Management (PAM) important?
Privileged access management (PAM) controls access levels within an existing Active Directory environment and enforces robust cybersecurity policies, eliminating cybercriminals and malicious insiders from accessing important information and ensuring your enterprise complies with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Privileged access is the gateway to your most critical assets. Cybercriminals can view crucial data, but if they enter your system from a privileged account, they also have the means to control it. As organisations turn to a digital-first strategy, the number of people with access to the data on your server is greater than ever. In turn, more accounts have higher levels of access which increases the risk of data being copied, deleted or stolen.
Implementing a privileged access management program will allow your organisation to effectively monitor every layer of your network, providing an insight into which users have access to what. It is a security best practice for employees to be granted the lowest level of access required; providing over-access to a system only increases the likelihood of a cyber-attack. However, by enforcing this, data breaches are not eliminated completely, indicating the necessity for a way to manage access levels.
The benefits of using a Privileged Access Management Solution
Privileged access management programs allow you to audit suspicious behaviours, increasing the possibility of detecting cyber criminals. In phishing emails, it only takes a mistaken click on a link or attachment to start a chain reaction through the network. A 2019 Verizon DBIR report claims that 32% of all breaches involve phishing campaigns, a risk which has recently increased as the nation works from home. It is now more important than ever that your enterprise can track which team members have access to which information points. Using a privileged access management program, you can control who has admittance to different levels of data in your system and block actions you might suspect.
Enforcing robust password policies also decreases the risk of cyber attacks. Through the use of privileged access management, you can certify that all employees are adhering to specific rules when creating passwords. This seemingly simple feature plays a big role in safeguarding your network.
Privileged access management strengthens the overall security of your system. Providing individual accountability for all privileged users alongside gaining the ability to review privileged sessions is an invaluable asset. Implementing strong privileged access controls provides the ability to monitor actions and enables potential threats to be pinpointed easily. In the long term, your business becomes compliant, secure and efficient in monitoring, identifying and mitigating cyber security risks.
Take the next step
The IBM Security Verify Privileged Vault (formerly IBM Secret Server) solution from Northdoor can be deployed on-premises or on the Microsoft Azure cloud and works across your entire hybrid infrastructure to secure and manage all types of privileged accounts. The solution provides intelligent workflows to ease administration. It uses smart analytics to create baselines of usual user behaviour that can be monitored to detect when an account may have been compromised.
To enhance your security posture while minimising the complexity for your IT administrators, contact Northdoor below for a free consultation and trial on how IBM Security Verify Privileged Vault could transform your PAM capabilities.
Find out more about Northdoor’s PAM solution
Contact us to schedule a call with Northdoor’s Privileged Access Management consultants: