The original intent of enterprise access management tools was based on controlling access based on a simple set of qualifications (primarily developed for role-based access control, or RBAC):

● Who is requesting access?
● What role do they have? (or what groups do they belong to?)
● What are they accessing?
● From where are they accessing? (are they on the local network or a VPN?)

The goal was to authenticate users and manage their entry points, hoping that this initial set of trust factors would adequately secure an organization’s extensive IT environment.

But this approach failed to address a critical question: What happens after access is granted?

Simply authenticating privileged users and managing entry points fails to address the essential need to monitor user activity across the entire environment.

The future of access security hinges on implementing fine-grained permissions to regulate user actions on critical resources and continuously evaluating the risk profile of those users. This requires a transition to a zero-trust privileged access management (PAM) model, where each action is assessed in real-time against adaptive policies. This approach allows organizations to keep pace with a dynamic threat landscape while maintaining operational agility and productivity. At the risk of overstating the obvious, it follows the zero-trust model of security, which operates under the assumption of a breach by treating each request as if it comes from an unsecured network and verifying accordingly. In other words, always verify and assume breach.

Below are three crucial ways to achieve zero-trust through your PAM strategy, ensuring that every privileged user session within your IT environment is safe by design.

Implement Continuous Authorization

Zero-trust PAM operates continuously, and not simply in the sense that it’s always on. It relies on persistent and continuous checks of every action, no matter how minor, to ensure that it adheres to the principles of zero-trust. So, while it is indeed continuous, it is also comprehensive – each command, query and configuration change undergo real-time evaluation against dynamic policies.

Continuous authorization is a transformative model that improves access controls for critical infrastructure and resources. Legacy PAM solutions authorize at the point of access request, and once a user bypasses that, they are ostensibly free to roam about an organization’s IT infrastructure.

A continuous approach to zero-trust uses micro-authorizations, contextual awareness and distributed and real-time enforcement of policies, which lead to multidimensional protection of managed enterprise resources. It allows for granular, continuous assessment and authorization for privileged users, and it adapts in real-time to the evolving context of each action and the associated risks. This level of scrutiny ensures that only legitimate actions are executed, thereby enhancing the security of critical systems and data.

Transition from Static to Dynamic Security Models

Modern enterprises are a complex landscape of static legacy tools and dynamic, ephemeral systems. This blend of old and new technology architectures introduces significant management complexities and a host of security challenges. Static systems often involve outdated technologies that lack the agility to adapt to new security protocols, whereas dynamic systems, such as cloud-based services and on-demand computing resources, continuously evolve.

A zero-trust PAM strategy operates on precepts that address security issues irrespective of platform, resource or user. It effectively discards the obsolete method of single-session verification for privileged users. Instead, it advocates for a rigorous, continuous assessment of user activities within the IT environment. This ongoing scrutiny is crucial as it applies to every tool, every integration and every policy change, ensuring that security measures evolve in response to new threats and changes within the system.

This dynamic model is vital in modern security frameworks, where the landscape is not only more complex but also more vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. By continuously adapting security protocols to meet the demands of both static and dynamic elements, a zero-trust PAM strategy mitigates risks as they emerge, in real time, rather than reacting to them post-compromise. This addresses the layered security concerns that come with modern infrastructures but also establishes new standards for securing enterprises in the 21st century, emphasizing resilience and adaptability in the face of evolving threats.

Enhance Operational Workflows with Integrated Security

The final pillar of an effective zero-trust PAM strategy involves incorporating rigorous security measures directly into operational workflows, which enhances efficiency and productivity for security teams. It ensures that security does not hinder operational agility but rather facilitates it by making security seamless and integral to daily tasks.

By embedding security into operations, organizations eliminate the need for individuals to cut corners or take shortcuts to access necessary resources. This ultimately streamlines access procedures and maintains robust security protocols, ensuring that every privileged session is fully visible and controllable. As a result, security teams can provide a frustration-free access experience across all digital platforms, leading to increased user adoption. The dual benefits of heightened security and improved user experience foster an environment where productivity enhancements are aligned with improvements to an enterprise’s security posture.