The Challenge: PAM Deployment & Implementation
Once an adversary gets the right admin credentials to access an organization’s customer database, secret research repository, or other crown jewels… it’s game over. Fortunately, privileged account management (PAM) systems can prevent lateral movement towards the target by protecting admin credentials and access. But first, all the ops or devops teams have to be convinced to use the PAM system. Also, the solution must be properly deployed not just for sensitive on-premise servers but also to provide coverage for dynamic cloud infrastructures and SaaS applications. Many clients find it challenging to deploy critical PAM controls in the cloud, and getting admin buy-in for any environment even more so.
Our Solution: PAM Architecture & Implementation Planning
We can help organizations drive successful projects through PAM Architecture and Implementation Planning engagements for new PAM deployments, or for in-flight projects. This offering:
- Rapidly reviews business drivers, regulatory requirements, IT operations support model, identity infrastructure, and critical systems or applications in scope for PAM.
- Identifies privileged users, use cases, and requirements for PAM.
- Provides PAM stakeholder workshop to understand deployment needs and stakeholder concerns as well as review alternative PAM solutions.
- Deliver PAM Architecture Recommendations and Roadmap Presentation (new projects) or PAM Architecture and Implementation Review (in-flight projects).
Alternatives considered for new or changing projects can include combinations of credential vaults, secrets vaults, session brokers, and other capabilities. We will explain the advantages and disadvantages in your enterprise context of leading vendors such as BeyondTrust, CyberArk, Dell (Quest Systems), Hashicorp, Hitachi, Saviynt, and various others as well as cloud-native capabilities such as Okta Advanced Access (a “zero trust” implementation) and Microsoft’s Privileged Identity Management.
The goal of the engagement is to rapidly prepare your organization for a new PAM project, or validate and provide guidance for an in-flight project. We can also provide follow-on project support through our implementation and project guidance service to keep the PAM project on track.
Benefits: Successful PAM Deployment
At the conclusion of the PAM Architecture and Implementation Planning engagement clients will have:
- Gained an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to PAM deployment.
- Increased their odds of a successful PAM deployment on-premise and in the cloud by clearly articulating support plans and user experience requirements for admin users as well as integration strategies for PAM, the IT and IAM infrastructures, and the cloud
- Received a risk-informed action plan with clear instructions on where to focus in the next 30-60-90 days.
- Clearly articulated success criteria for each action in the plan so your leadership and team know exactly when each action has been successfully completed.
- Created an opportunity for major cyber-risk reduction by implementing PAM services for critical applications and IT infrastructure.
How can we maximize your PAM project’s chances for successful deployment?