Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) are often misunderstood, having similar features in dealing with users, access, and roles. They also refer to safeguarding data by protecting who has access to systems and what manipulation is allowed to sensitive areas.
Despite these facts, they are different. The role of PAM is to protect users with privileged access to sensitive data such as System Administrators or Developers.
Privileged credentials (also called privileged passwords) are a subset of credentials that provide elevated access and permissions across accounts, applications, and systems. Privileged passwords can be associated with human application, service accounts, and more. Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) keys are one type of privileged credential, used across enterprises, to access servers and open pathways to highly sensitive assets.
Privileged account passwords are often referred to as ‘the keys to the IT kingdom’ as, in the case of superuser passwords, they can provide the authenticated user with almost limitless privileged access rights across an organisation’s most critical systems and data. With so much power inherent of these privileges, they can be an area for abuse by insiders and are highly coveted by hackers. Forrester Research estimates that 80% of security breaches involve privileged credentials.
IAM on the other hand focuses on business users or third parties, controlling the access and experience these users are given within an application or service. Frequently IAM is linked to zero trust measures and strong authentication.
In many cases companies think that by adding an IAM solution it will take care of the privileged users as well. But this is a mistake, as PAM goes far broader in its controls and should be the first authentication measure ..
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