Admin accounts are undoubtedly the ultimate prize for attackers when it comes to privileged users. These accounts are the most privileged users who hold the keys to the kingdom, having the ability to grant access to all systems, data, and core infrastructures of the organization. In the event that an account is compromised, an attacker will be able to move laterally across an organization without being detected.
It was believed that traditional security approaches were sufficient to protect admin accounts until recently. However, with the development of new attack methods and the evolution of attack surfaces, securing these accounts’ credentials requires a more modern and proactive approach. To prevent attackers from attempting to compromise admin credentials, organizations must change their mindset from a reactive to a real-time approach.
In this article, we’ll explain the different security implications of admin users, the key difference between Privileged Access Management (PAM) and Silverfort Privileged Access Security (PAS) when it comes to protecting admin accounts, and how PAM & PAS work together to provide complete protection coverage of all privileged admin accounts.
Security implications of privileged admin accounts
Typically, privileged admin accounts have elevated permissions over critical systems within an organization, including identity infrastructures, databases, domain controllers, etc. The security implications are many, but let’s examine the risk of compromising admin credentials from a security perspective in this case.
When admin credentials are compromised, attackers leverage them to run lateral movement attacks where attackers escalate privileges and execute advanced persistent threats (APTs) without being detected. As opposed to standard user accounts, admin accounts can bypass various security controls in most organizations, allowing attackers to keep a foothold in a compromised environment without being detected.
As a result of an attacker exploiting compromised passwords, data can be exfiltrated, ransomware can be deployed, or authentication techniques can be modified to create backdoors into the network.
For example, in an Active Directory (AD) environment, the compromise of a Domain Admin account can lead to a full domain takeover, enabling adversaries to forge Kerberos tickets (Golden Ticket attacks), create rogue admin accounts, or disable MFA protections.
Due to the legitimate nature of their activities, detecting the misuse of privileged admin accounts is challenging. Although traditional security and SIEM solutions provide logs, it will be difficult to distinguish between legitimate admin actions and malicious activity.
Organizations are being forced to rethink how they manage and protect their privileged users as a result of these security implications. Organizations will or already have implemented a PAM project, while others will consider other modern approaches that use real-time prevention and Just-In-Time Access policies. However, which is the best option?
Understanding the difference between PAM and PAS
To answer the question, what is the best approach for securing privileged admin users, PAM or another approach, there is no simple or easy answer. To gain a better understanding of the approach an organization should take, let us examine the differences between traditional PAM solutions and a more modern approach to privileged access such as PAS.
PAM (Privileged Access Management) typically focuses on securing and monitoring credentials, ensuring that privileged accounts are properly managed, rotated, and controlled. It often relies on methods like credential vaulting, session management, and role-based access control to enforce least-privilege access to critical systems. However, PAM may still allow broader access to systems, which can be compromised in case of a security breach.
Silverfort PAS (Privileged Access Security), on the other hand, is a more modern approach to securing privileged access, which focuses on tightly controlling admin access and limiting the attack surface. PAS works with the concept of tiered user levels (Tier 0, Tier 1, etc.) to segment their access and minimize the risk of lateral movement or privilege escalation during an attack. In the event of credential compromise, PAS ensures that only certain resources are accessible and with Just-In-Time (JIT) policy capabilities it limits the time frame in which privileged access is granted, further reducing the risk of unauthorized use.
| PAM | Silverfort PAS | |
| Discovery & Classification | ● Privileged accounts are discovered once and not continuously monitored ● Relying on static lists & naming conventions instead of real authentications | ● Automated discovery and classification of privileged accounts based on actual authentications ● Detect and alert when identifying risky cross-tiering |
| Privileged Accounts Escalation | ● Privileged accounts can bypass the PAM proxy and be used from unintended locations ● Accounts can easily exceed their intended purpose | ● Limit the use of any privileged account to exactly where and how it needs to be used (sources, destinations, protocols – all automatically recommended by Silverfort) ● Block cross-tier authentication for personal and shared accounts |
| Reducing The Attack Surface | ● Even vaulted accounts remain accessible 24/7, increasing their chances of being compromised even when rarely used | ● Enforcing least privilege with Just-in-time (JIT) access to reduce the risk of overexposure and unnecessary access ● Make privileged accounts completely unusable until they are needed |
Closing the gaps: Why Silverfort PAS is the perfect companion to PAM
While PAM is a solid approach to securing privileged admin accounts, it is not without its challenges. Traditional PAM solutions often struggle to fully discover and manage all privileged users, leaving some unaccounted for and vulnerable to compromise. Additionally, rotating credentials every 30 days is no longer sufficient to counter live attacks, and the credential checkout process can potentially bypass some security measures
These security blind spots highlight the need for more real-time protection and that’s where Silverfort PAS comes in. By integrating PAS into the PAM journey, organizations can achieve complete identity security for all privileged users.
Now, let’s explore four key ways Silverfort PAS works together with PAM to provide end-to-end protection for admin accounts.
Automated discovery of all users
Among the most challenging aspects of PAM is the fact that it only secures the accounts it is aware of. The reality is that many organizations have hidden, unmanaged, or even forgotten privileged identities that remain outside the visibility of PAM. This is where PAS fills the gap.
While PAM shows you what you know, PAS automatically detects what you are unaware of. By continuously monitoring all authentication activity and identity traffic, PAS detects all privileged users—including non-human identity (NHI), service accounts, shadow admins, and other overlooked identities. Together, PAM and PAS ensure complete visibility and security coverage, leaving no privileged account unprotected.
Prevent admin abuse
PAM solutions secure privileged credentials by storing them in a vault and enforcing controlled access. However, once an admin retrieves credentials, PAM has limited visibility into how they are used. This creates a risk of credential misuse, whether intentional or due to compromise.
PAS enhances PAM’s security by deploying virtual fencing, providing organizations with strong security controls over privileged accounts by restricting their access to only the necessary resources, while automatically blocking unauthorized or excessive access. PAS dynamically enforces least privilege policies by limiting privileged account usage to predefined sources, destinations, and protocols—effectively preventing lateral movement and privilege escalation attacks.
Even after credentials are checked out from the vault, PAS ensures that admin activity remains secure, preventing unauthorized actions and reducing the risk of privilege abuse. Together, PAM and PAS provide a proactive defense against insider threats and external attacks.
Just-in-Time (JIT) access and Universal MFA protection
PAM provides initial security by securely storing and managing privileged credentials, ensuring that only authorized users can access critical systems. It enforces access controls and ensures credential rotation, minimizing the risk of exposure. However, to further reduce risk, organizations need more dynamic, time-sensitive protection. This is where PAS can provide another layer of security with Just-In-Time (JIT) access capabilities.
PAS enables organizations to enforce JIT access policies by granting privileged access only when needed, for a limited period, and automatically revoking it once the access is not needed.
In addition, PAS enhances PAM’s protection with universal MFA, ensuring that every access request is thoroughly protected, regardless of the system or resource being accessed. Together, PAM and PAS ensure privileged accounts are protected at every stage—providing both initial security and continuous protection.
Securing the PAM journey
During the PAM deployment journey, privileged accounts often face periods where they are not fully protected with security controls, leaving them vulnerable to compromise. While PAM ensures privileged accounts are secured once fully implemented, the process of deploying and integrating PAM can expose security gaps, particularly for admins who are configuring and managing the solution.
PAS adds a critical layer of protection throughout the entire PAM journey, securing admin accounts from day one from potential threats during the deployment phase. By monitoring authentication activity in real-time and enforcing JIT and least privilege policies from the start, PAS ensures that admins are continuously protected against privilege escalation and unauthorized access, even before PAM is fully operational. This end-to-end protection reduces the risk of compromise and strengthens the overall PAM deployment process
Proactive protection for privileged admin accounts: Combining PAS and PAM
It is more critical than ever to secure privileged admin accounts since these accounts have access to an organization’s most sensitive systems and data. Even though traditional PAM solutions provide a foundation for security, they tend to leave gaps that make admin accounts vulnerable to compromise.
By implementing Silverfort PAS with PAM, organizations can achieve complete identity security for privileged accounts, addressing security blind spots that PAM alone cannot cover. From automated discovery and virtual fencing to Just-In-Time (JIT) access and continuous security throughout the PAM deployment journey, PAS enhances PAM’s security capabilities to provide real-time protection for all admin accounts.
Looking to learn how you can change the way you secure privileged access? Contact one of our experts today.