Privileged Access Management (PAM) - Securing administrator and sensitive accounts

An Administration Bastion is a secure gateway through which all connections to critical systems are routed. Instead of connecting directly to a server, an administrator passes through the Bastion. Every action is authenticated, traced and often recorded, limiting direct access to sensitive environments, reinforcing traceability and providing proof in the event of an incident. In the event of an audit, Bastion is an indispensable tool for demonstrating strict control of privileged access. Today, it is an essential component of any PAM strategy.

IAM (Identity & Access Management) and PAM (Privileged Access Management) are two complementary pillars of cybersecurity.

• IAM concerns the global management of identities and rights for all "classic" users (employees, subcontractors, partners). It enables accounts to be created, modified and deleted, access to be assigned according to roles, and mechanisms such as SSO (Single Sign-On) and MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) to be applied. The aim is to ensure that everyone has access only to the resources they need to work, and to limit excessive rights.
• PAM, on the other hand, focuses solely on privileged accounts (system administrators, databases, servers). As these accounts are highly powerful, they represent a major target for cyber-attacks. PAM relies on tools such as the Administration Bastion, just-in-time access, automatic password rotation and logging of sensitive sessions.

IAM protects and organizes all identities, while PAM specifically reinforces the security of critical accounts. The two combined offer comprehensive coverage, and are often required as part of compliance initiatives (ISO 27001, NIS2).

IAM manages all "classic" user identities and rights, while PAM specifically targets administrator accounts. PAM, combined with Bastion, provides enhanced monitoring and control of sensitive access.

Yes. With session logging, real-time alerting and Bastion, it's virtually impossible to use a privileged account without being detected. This discourages malicious behavior and protects the company.

A compromised administrator account gives an attacker full power over your infrastructure: deleting data, creating backdoors, installing malware or even paralyzing the entire system via ransomware. Statistics show that the majority of successful cyber-attacks directly or indirectly involve the exploitation of a privileged account. This is why securing such access is an absolute priority.

More and more standards (ISO 27001, NIS2) and auditors are recommending or requiring the use of a Bastion to manage privileged access. It is the best proof of control and traceability for critical accounts.