Inside IT Security & Privileged Users Management

Maintaining visibility and protecting an organization’s most critical data and systems are central components of robust security operations. Privileged users present a unique risk to companies, whose credentials may get into the wrong hands, resulting in devastating consequences. To maintain the level of visibility and control required for numerous compliance regulations, many organizations look toward session management solutions to provide them with the tools they need to ensure proper security 24/7.

Privileged access management, or PAM, is software that helps organizations maintain complete control and visibility over their most critical systems and data. A robust PAM solution ensures that all user actions, including those taken by privileged users, are monitored and can be audited in case of a security breach.

When you return one day to find your house has been broken into, your first question is always, “How did they get in?” And when the doors and windows are all still closed, yet your valuables are gone, you’re sure those things didn’t just walk off on their own. Similarly, in the event of a data breach, your first question is inevitably, “How did this happen?”

There’s a misconception in the popular imagination that cybersecurity is a technology-driven discipline. It is technological, of course, but cybersecurity policies are arguably just as important, if not more so, than the hardware and software elements they govern. Policies, or rules, determine how security technology is to be deployed by affected teams. A firewall may prevent unauthorized entry, for instance, but it is useless if there are no rules governing who is allowed to modify its settings.

Organizational security often begins with password management. Even the most basic of organizations use passwords to protect email accounts and document management solutions, while larger organizations may need to worry about HIPAA compliance, protecting industrial control systems, and more. Ensuring security with robust password management policies is key, and utilizing enterprise password management software, such as the WALLIX Bastion Password Manager, significantly simplifies this daunting task.