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Securing privileged credentials and accounts is the first step that any organization must take to prepare itself for today's constantly evolving minefield of cyberattacks. Privileged access management, however, goes beyond securing just passwords and accounts. It includes secure privilege elevation, session monitoring, periodic password rotation, and more.
As with any cybersecurity practice, every organization's strategy must cater to its own unique challenges. There are, however, some practices that assist organizations when it comes to protecting themselves from threat actors.
A security solution can only protect the resources that it is aware of. The first step in privileged access management is to discover all the privileged credentials, accounts, and endpoints that exist in the workflow; maintain an inventory of them; and regularly update them.
Storing all the credentials involved in an organization's IT environment in an encrypted, centralized vault limits the chances of misuse and simplifies their management. It becomes easier to rotate passwords regularly and keep track of which user accesses what. Using layered authentication methods like MFA and one-time passwords ensures that only authorized users have access to the credentials, keeping them out of sight from attackers.
User accounts with standing privileges are the ideal entry point for threat actors. Instead of providing user accounts with permanent access to critical endpoints, give users access to privileged resources only when they need it. Users can be granted temporary, time-bound access, which ensures all accounts have the least privileges needed and that the window available for a breach is minimized.
While just-in-time access controls when users get access, it can't control what they do. It is important to monitor and record privileged sessions to ensure that users don't abuse their privileges. Administrators overseeing privileged sessions in real time can terminate the session at any point if they spot suspicious or unnecessary activity for the task at hand. The recording of these sessions helps with maintaining accurate audit logs and decreases incident response times.
To prevent abuse once a privileged session ends, the user's account must be returned to its default state. The passwords that they had access to must also be rotated, protecting resources against unauthorized access and enforcing Zero Trust principles.
Strong privileged access management strategies go beyond password management and granting access. They continuously adapt to best protect an organization from breaches without getting in the way of things. By implementing these best practices, organizations greatly reduce the attack surface available while also providing structure to workflows.
ManageEngine PAM360 is a privileged access management platform that helps organizations put proven security practices into action. From enforcing least privilege and enabling just-in-time access to monitoring privileged sessions in real time, it delivers the guardrails enterprises need to protect their most critical assets.
Adoption doesn’t have to be overwhelming. PAM360 supports a phased rollout, allowing teams to start with what matters most, expand at their own pace, and steadily build a PAM program that strengthens security without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Organizations should establish a comprehensive privileged account inventory across all systems, applications, and cloud environments before implementing controls. Enforce least privilege by removing unnecessary administrative rights, separating duties, and implementing role-based access aligned with job functions. Deploy MFA for all privileged access without exception, and implement credential vaulting with automated password rotation to eliminate static, shared passwords. Enable continuous session monitoring and recording to detect anomalies and maintain audit trails for compliance, while ensuring executive sponsorship and cross-functional collaboration drive PAM adoption.
Organizations should deploy automated discovery tools that scan networks, systems, directories, and applications to identify privileged accounts based on permissions and group memberships. Conduct manual reviews of service accounts, application accounts, default credentials, cloud IAM roles, and embedded device accounts that automated tools might miss.
Document each account's purpose, owner, access level, systems it can access, and business justification to create a comprehensive privileged account inventory. Implement continuous discovery processes to identify newly created privileged accounts as infrastructure changes, and regularly validate the inventory through access reviews.
MFA adds a critical verification layer beyond passwords by requiring additional authentication factors like biometrics, hardware tokens, or push notifications for privileged access. It protects against credential theft, phishing, and password compromise by ensuring stolen passwords alone cannot grant administrative access to critical systems. MFA reduces the risk of unauthorized access from compromised endpoints or insider threats by validating user identity at the point of privileged session initiation. Integration with PAM solutions enables adaptive authentication that adjusts MFA requirements based on risk context, user behavior, and access sensitivity.
JIT access eliminates persistent administrative rights by keeping privileged accounts disabled or de-elevated until specific access is needed for legitimate tasks. Users must request temporary privilege elevation through approval workflows that verify business justification, reducing the window of opportunity for credential misuse. Automatic revocation after task completion or time expiration ensures privileges don't remain active indefinitely due to human oversight or process failures. This approach minimizes the attack surface by ensuring most privileged accounts are inactive at any given time, making them unavailable for exploitation.