Privileged accounts are an essential component of the IT infrastructure in any organization. However, they are at risk of being misused because they have access to sensitive systems, data, and networks.
According to a recent study, 80% of all data breaches are due to abuse of these accounts.
This is where CyberArk comes in; CyberArk is a major provider of solutions for securing privileged accounts.
Their products enable companies to protect themselves from such breaches by monitoring and managing privileged access. In this article, we shall be discussing CyberArk and its solutions for privileged account security.
What Is Privileged Account Security? How does it work?
Privileged account security means the methods and technologies that are used to protect accounts with superuser privileges which have access to critical systems along with data as well as networks.
These types of accounts are often known as privileged because they can do anything within an IT environment. Therefore, they become the main target for cybercriminals who want to get hold of important information or even disrupt activities.
Privileged account security consists of different best practices like having strong passwords, carrying out regular checks on the accounts and controlling access to them. Organizations can also make use of special security solutions such as CyberArks ones that help in securing these types of accounts by monitoring them closely.
Why is Privileged Account Security Important?
Privileged account security is important. This is because they have access to sensitive data and important systems which can be targeted by hackers.
A compromised privileged account could allow an intruder to obtain sensitive information, disrupt activities or even take over the entire IT environment.
In addition, long-term attack threats aimed at accessing confidential information or interfering with operations usually target these types of accounts as well.
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), often involving sophisticated malware and social engineering methods that are hard to detect and protect against, are typical examples of these attacks.
Finally, specially account security matters due to regulatory compliance. Several regulations like Payment Card Industry
Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) necessitate tight controls for specially recruited individuals by organizations.
Failure to observe these regulations can attract huge fines as well as tarnish the image of an institution.
CyberArks Privileged Account Security Solutions
CyberArk offers a range of privileged account security solutions designed to help organizations secure, monitor, and manage privileged accounts. These solutions include:
1. Privileged Account Security Platform: This is CyberArks flagship solution, and it provides a comprehensive set of features for securing and managing privileged accounts.
The platform includes password vaulting, session recording, and access controls, as well as advanced threat analytics and real-time alerting.
2. Privileged Threat Analytics: This solution uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect and respond to privileged account threats in real-time. It can identify unusual activity, such as multiple failed login attempts or access to sensitive data outside of normal business hours.
3. Endpoint Privilege Manager: Organisations can leverage this solution for the management and protection of privileged accounts on endpoints like laptops and desktops. It comes with features like privilege elevation, application control and remote desktop security.
4. SaaS Privileged Account Security: This offering is meant for entities using cloud-based applications e.g., Salesforce or Office 365. The cloud ensures that password vault, session recording, and access control will be offered to the privileged accounts.
Benefits of CyberArks Privileged Account Security Solutions
There are several benefits to using CyberArks privileged account security solutions. These benefits include:
1. Improved Security: By securing and monitoring privileged accounts, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other cyber threats.
2. Increased Visibility: CyberArks solutions provide real-time visibility into privileged account activity, making it easier to detect and respond to threats.
3. Compliance: CyberArks solutions help organizations comply with regulatory requirements around privileged account security.
4. Reduced Costs: By preventing data breaches and other cyber threats, organizations can save money on incident response and recovery costs.
Conclusion
Privileged accounts are a critical part of any organization's IT infrastructure,