Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a critical component of cybersecurity that focuses on controlling, monitoring, and securing access to privileged accounts within an organization's IT infrastructure. These accounts possess elevated permissions and access rights, enabling them to perform sensitive tasks such as configuring systems, managing users, and accessing confidential data. Due to their powerful capabilities, privileged accounts are prime targets for unauthorized access and malicious activities, making their protection paramount.
EmpowerID’s Approach to PAM
In today's multi-cloud era, organizations require a PAM solution that is both comprehensive and adaptable. EmpowerID addresses this need by offering a modern PAM platform that emphasizes the principle of Zero Standing Privilege (ZSP). This approach ensures that privileged access is granted only to the right identities, at the right time, and for the right duration, across any workload. To cater to diverse organizational requirements, EmpowerID provides two distinct deployment models for PAM: Advanced PAM and Basic PAM.
Advanced PAM
EmpowerID's Advanced PAM model is distinguished by its agentless and vaultless architecture. This approach simplifies deployment and reduces management overhead by eliminating the need for agents and credential vaults, while still providing robust protection across cloud and on-premises environments. Advanced PAM leverages EmpowerID's modern microservices and Kubernetes-based architecture, delivering scalability and flexibility in diverse IT landscapes.
A key advantage of Advanced PAM is its seamless integration with Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) and Access Management (AM) systems. This integration enables controlled privilege escalation, delegation management, and task-based automation, effectively extending PAM's capabilities to include Cloud Infrastructure Entitlements Management (CIEM). CIEM focuses on managing and securing access entitlements in cloud environments, ensuring compliance and reducing risk.
Key Features of Advanced PAM:
Zero Standing Privilege (ZSP): Eliminates permanent privileged access, granting elevated permissions only when necessary, thereby minimizing the attack surface.
Agentless and Vaultless Architecture: Simplifies deployment and management by removing the need for installing agents or maintaining credential vaults.
Microservices and Kubernetes: Offers scalability and resilience through a containerized architecture that adapts to changing workloads and environments.
Seamless Integration: Supports open standards for interoperability with major AM and IGA vendors, including platforms like Microsoft Azure, enhancing existing identity infrastructures.
Controlled Privilege Escalation and Delegation Management (CPEDM): Facilitates temporary elevation of privileges and delegation of tasks, ensuring users have appropriate access when needed.
Basic PAM
For organizations that prefer a traditional approach, EmpowerID's Basic PAM model provides a secure, vault-based solution. This model includes a centralized vault where privileged credentials are securely stored and managed. Access to these credentials is governed by granular policies that define who can request access, the conditions under which access is granted, the duration of access, and password rotation schedules.
Key Features of Basic PAM:
Secure Credential Vault: Provides a centralized repository with robust security controls for storing privileged credentials.
Granular Access Policies: Enables fine-tuned control over credential access, specifying which users can access which credentials and under what conditions.
Automated Password Management: Enhances security by automating password rotation upon check-in or according to a predefined schedule, reducing the risk of compromised credentials.
EmpowerID’s Converged Solution
EmpowerID's PAM solution is part of a broader, converged Identity Fabric that seamlessly integrates Privileged Access Management (PAM), Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), and Access Management (AM) functionalities. This comprehensive approach provides organizations with a unified and streamlined platform for managing identities and access across their entire IT landscape.
By leveraging fine-grained IGA connectors and supporting integration with major vendors, EmpowerID delivers a complete and modular solution that addresses the full spectrum of identity and access management needs. The convergence of PAM, IGA, and AM into a single platform reduces complexity, improves security posture, and enhances operational efficiency.
Benefits of EmpowerID’s Converged Identity Fabric:
Unified Identity Management: Simplifies administration by providing a single interface for managing all aspects of identity and access.
Enhanced Security: Reduces risks by enforcing consistent policies and controls across all identity-related functions.
Scalability and Flexibility: Adapts to organizational growth and changing technological landscapes, including multi-cloud and hybrid environments.
Improved Compliance: Facilitates adherence to regulatory requirements through comprehensive auditing, reporting, and policy enforcement capabilities.