PAM: Overview

Privileged access management (PAM) is the combination of tools and technology used to secure, control and monitor access to an organization’s critical information and resources. Subcategories of PAM include shared access password management, privileged session management and application access management.

What is Priviledged Access Management?

Privileged access management (PAM), a subdivision of Identity and Access Management (IAM), is a solution that provides organizations with better control and monitoring capabilities that decide who can have privileged access to critical assets, say, a computer or information system.

The solution should include the following functionalities:

Defining user roles Granting required privileges or access rights for the roles defined Distributing user information and access grants to all devices and systems that enforce access rights in organizations Monitoring privileged user activities and analyzing the same to detect anomalies

how does PAM work?

PAM primarily works by gathering the credentials of privileged accounts, also known as system administrator accounts, into a secure wallet or authenticator to isolate their use and log their activity. The separation is intended to lower the risk of admin credentials being stolen or misused.

Accessing PAM in your enviroment

We follow zero trust architecture allowing priviled user only access to those resources they have been assigned to for only a specific predefined time

Step 1: Verify your identity through logging in.

Step 2: Once your identity is verified, the identity provider platform will issue an access token to confirm your identity.

Step 3: Use the access token to request access to the Passwordless PAM.

Step 4: It will validate the access token and verify that it has been issued by a trusted identity provider.

Step 5: If the access token is valid, the platform will grant access to the user based on their role and permissions within the system.

Step 6: AuthNull will also continuously monitor the user’s access to ensure that it is in compliance with the zero trust architecture.

Step 7: If any suspicious activity is detected, Your organisation will revoke access and notify the appropriate parties.

Step 8: Once the user is finished with their PAM session, they will log out and the access token will be revoked, ensuring that the PAM remains secure.

Implementing PAM

Here are the steps for implementing Privileged Access Management (PAM) :

  1. Configure the AuthNull PAM by connecting it to your organization’s Active Directory, via LDAP endpoint and credentials. Enter the LDAP endpoint for the organization’s Active Directory. This is typically in the format of “ldap://[domain name or IP address]:[port number]”

  2. Enter the credentials for the Active Directory account that will be used to bind to the LDAP endpoint. This will typically be a service account with the necessary permissions to access the Active Directory.

  3. Define the roles and permissions for your privileged users, such as administrator, operator, and auditor, using the PAM’s management console.

  4. Integrate the PAM with your existing IT infrastructure, such as servers, applications, and networks. This will involve installing agents on your endpoints.

  5. Test the Passwordless PAM by logging in with a test user account and ensuring that the login process is working correctly, and that the user is being authenticated verifier and granted the correct level of access based on their role and permissions.

  6. Regularly review and update the roles and permissions of your privileged users to ensure compliance with your organization’s security policies.

  7. Keep the PAM updated with the latest version and patches for better security and features.