What is Privileged Access Management (PAM)?
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a cybersecurity discipline focused on controlling, monitoring, securing, and auditing access to an organization's most critical systems and sensitive data through privileged accounts. PAM provides the technical controls and capabilities to manage accounts with elevated permissions that can make system-level changes, access sensitive data, or perform administrative functions.
The Relationship: PAM and IGA
🎯 IGA Focus
- WHO has access to WHAT and WHY
- Scope: All users, all access
- Purpose: Governance, compliance, lifecycle
- Timeframe: Long-term access management
- Controls: Roles, provisioning, certifications
+
🔐 PAM Focus
- HOW privileged access is used and monitored
- Scope: Elevated/privileged accounts
- Purpose: Secure, control, monitor high-risk access
- Timeframe: Just-in-time, session-based
- Controls: Vaulting, recording, elevation
Think of it this way:
IGA decides whether someone should have privileged access ➜ PAM controls how they get it and what they do with it
IGA decides whether someone should have privileged access ➜ PAM controls how they get it and what they do with it
Types of Privileged Accounts
Administrative Accounts
- Domain administrators
- Database administrators (DBA)
- Network administrators
- Cloud platform admins
- Application administrators
Service Accounts
- Application service accounts
- Batch job accounts
- Integration accounts
- API service accounts
- Scheduled task accounts
Emergency/Break-Glass
- Emergency access accounts
- Disaster recovery accounts
- Root/superuser accounts
- Break-glass admin accounts
Shared Privileged
- Local administrator accounts
- Shared root accounts
- Default vendor accounts
- Generic admin accounts
Human Privileged Users
- IT administrators
- Security administrators
- DevOps engineers
- Third-party vendors
Core PAM Capabilities and IGA Integration
Account Discovery & Inventory
PAM Capability:
- Automated discovery across systems
- Identify orphaned accounts
- Continuous scanning
- Service account inventory
IGA Integration:
- Import discovered accounts
- Include in certifications
- Track ownership
- Lifecycle management
Password Vaulting
PAM Capability:
- Centralized secure storage
- Automatic rotation
- Check-out/check-in
- Complexity enforcement
IGA Integration:
- Authorize vault access
- Request workflows
- Manager approvals
- Time-limited grants
Session Management
PAM Capability:
- Session recording
- Real-time monitoring
- Session shadowing
- Analytics & detection
IGA Integration:
- Define session access
- Role-based capabilities
- Audit log integration
- Trigger recertification
Privilege Elevation
PAM Capability:
- Just-in-time elevation
- Temporary admin rights
- Sudo-style controls
- Least privilege enforcement
IGA Integration:
- Define elevation policies
- Request workflows
- Time-bound approvals
- Auto-documentation
Integration Architecture: PAM ↔ IGA
IGA → PAM (Governance to Controls)
IGA: User provisioned with privileged role
↓
PAM: Create privileged account in vault
↓
IGA: Access approved with conditions
↓
PAM: Enable privileged session with MFA + recording
↓
IGA: Time-limited grant expires
↓
PAM: Auto-expire credentials and revoke access
PAM → IGA (Activity to Governance)
PAM: Discovers privileged accounts across environment
↓
IGA: Import accounts for governance and certification
↓
PAM: Provides session logs and usage analytics
↓
IGA: Enriches certification data with usage patterns
↓
PAM: Detects anomalous privileged activity
↓
IGA: Triggers immediate access review and recertification
Governance Challenges with Privileged Access
⚠️ Shared Privileged Accounts
Problem: Multiple people use same "administrator" account - can't attribute actions to individuals
IGA + PAM Solution:
- IGA defines who needs access
- PAM provides individual checkout
- Full audit trail per person
- Certify individual access
⚠️ Service Account Sprawl
Problem: Thousands of service accounts, unknown owners, never decommissioned
IGA + PAM Solution:
- PAM discovers all service accounts
- IGA assigns ownership
- Quarterly certification campaigns
- Decommission orphaned accounts
⚠️ Emergency Break-Glass
Problem: High-risk accounts needed for emergencies but difficult to govern
IGA + PAM Solution:
- IGA defines break-glass policies
- PAM secures with enhanced controls
- Real-time security notification
- Automatic post-incident review
⚠️ Third-Party Privileged Access
Problem: Vendors need elevated access - high security risk
IGA + PAM Solution:
- IGA manages contractor lifecycle
- Time-limited privileged access
- PAM full session recording
- Auto-revoke at contract end
How IGA Governs Privileged Access
Privileged Access Certification
Quarterly Privileged Access Review Campaign
Scope: All users with privileged access roles/accounts
Reviewers:
- Account owners certify need
- Managers certify appropriateness
- Security reviews high-risk access
Data Provided (from IGA + PAM):
- PAM session logs (usage frequency)
- Last access date from PAM
- Privilege level and systems
- Violations or anomalies detected
Certification Outcomes:
- Approve: Continue access
- Modify: Reduce privilege level
- Revoke: Remove privileged access
- Investigate: Flag for security review
Certification Frequency by Risk Level
| Access Type | Risk Level | Certification Frequency | Example Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privileged Accounts | High | Quarterly or more frequent | Domain admins, DBAs, root access |
| Break-Glass Accounts | Critical | Monthly verification | Emergency admin, disaster recovery |
| Service Accounts | High | Quarterly ownership confirmation | Application service accounts |
| Shared Admin Accounts | High | Monthly certification | Shared local administrator |
| Third-Party Privileged | Critical | Monthly + contract review | Vendor admin accounts |
Real-World Scenario: IGA + PAM in Action
Database Administrator Access to Production
Step 1: Initial Setup (IGA)
- HR System: New hire - Database Administrator
- IGA: Auto-assign "DBA - Standard" role
- IGA: Provision dev/test access automatically
- IGA: Initiate privileged access request for production
- Workflow: Manager + Security approval, business justification required
Step 2: Privileged Access Approval
- Request: Production DBA Access
- Justification: "Support production database operations"
- Manager: Approved (employee needs production access for job)
- Security: Approved with conditions (MFA + session recording)
- Result: Privileged access granted
Step 3: PAM Provisioning (IGA → PAM)
- IGA sends user identity and role to PAM
- PAM creates vault access for user
- PAM configures privileged account credentials
- Session policies enabled (recording, MFA)
- Monitoring rules activated
Step 4: Day-to-Day Access (PAM)
- User logs into PAM console (MFA required)
- Selects target production system
- PAM verifies IGA authorization
- Credentials checked out from vault
- Privileged session launched with full recording
- User performs maintenance tasks
- Session ends, credentials checked back in
Step 5: Anomaly Detection (PAM → IGA)
- PAM detects unusual activity (accessing user data tables)
- Real-time alert to security team
- PAM flags session for review
- PAM sends anomaly notification to IGA
- IGA triggers out-of-cycle recertification
- Manager reviews access and activity
- Decision documented in audit trail
Step 6: Quarterly Certification (IGA + PAM Data)
- IGA provides: Role, systems, grant date, justification
- PAM provides: 47 sessions in 90 days, 23 min avg, no violations
- Manager reviews: Combined IGA + PAM data
- Decision: APPROVE (access still needed, usage appropriate)
Step 7: Employee Transfer (IGA Lifecycle)
- HR System: Employee transferred to Development team
- IGA detects job title change, triggers workflow
- IGA revokes "Production DBA" role automatically
- IGA assigns "Development DBA" role
- IGA notifies PAM to revoke production access
- PAM disables vault access, rotates credentials
- Employee loses production access immediately
Best Practices: IGA and PAM Working Together
1. Establish Clear Ownership
- IGA owns: WHO should have privileged access
- PAM owns: HOW it's secured and monitored
- Security owns: Policy for both
- Clear handoffs: IGA provisions → PAM enforces → IGA certifies
2. Risk-Based Approach
- Low-privilege: Standard governance, basic controls
- Medium-privilege: Enhanced oversight, session recording
- High-privilege: Frequent certification, full monitoring
- Break-glass: Monthly cert, real-time alerting
3. Automation & Integration
- Automate IGA → PAM provisioning
- Automate PAM → IGA data feeds
- Automate time-based revocations
- Automate compliance reporting
4. Least Privilege Principle
- IGA defines minimal privileged roles
- PAM implements just-in-time elevation
- Zero standing privileged access
- Time-limited temporary elevation
5. Regular Governance Reviews
- Monthly: Break-glass verification
- Quarterly: All privileged access certification
- Quarterly: Service account cleanup
- Continuous: PAM anomaly triggers IGA review
6. Comprehensive Audit Trail
- IGA tracks access decisions and approvals
- PAM records session activity
- Combined reporting for compliance
- End-to-end visibility
The Future: Zero Standing Privileges
Evolution Toward Zero Trust
Traditional Model:
- Users assigned privileged roles permanently
- Always have standing access "just in case"
- High attack surface and certification burden
Zero Standing Privilege Model (IGA + PAM):
- No one has permanent privileged access
- All privileged access is just-in-time
- Process: Request → Approve → Temporary elevation → Auto-revoke
- IGA manages approvals and governance
- PAM manages JIT credential provisioning
Benefits:
- ✅ Minimal attack surface (no standing privileges to steal)
- ✅ Complete audit trail (every privileged action logged)
- ✅ Reduced certification burden
- ✅ Better security posture
🎯 Summary: PAM and IGA - Better Together
❌ PAM Without IGA
- No governance framework
- No access certifications
- No lifecycle management
- Ownership unclear
- Compliance gaps
❌ IGA Without PAM
- No session controls
- Can't secure privileged access
- Limited usage visibility
- Weak password management
- No session recording
✅ PAM + IGA Together
- Complete lifecycle management
- Governance + controls
- Risk-based certification
- JIT access with workflows
- Comprehensive audit trails
- Unified risk view
- Zero standing privileges
PAM and IGA are two sides of the same coin—PAM provides the technical security controls for high-risk access, while IGA provides the governance framework that determines who should have it, certifies it regularly, and ensures compliance. Together, they create a comprehensive privileged access security program that is both secure and governable.