Hey everyone! I'm trying to wrap my head around Privileged Identity Management, or PIM. I understand it's about controlling privileged access, but I'm really looking for some real-world examples of how it's used in corporate IT. Additionally, how exactly does PIM differ from Privileged Access Management (PAM)? Is the main difference just that PIM deals with temporary access while PAM handles vaulted access? Thanks for any insights!
6 Answers
From my experience with CyberArk, PAM deals with controlled access to servers using specific accounts with automatic password rotation. PIM, especially with tools like Azure's Entra, is more about limiting access rights—like requiring a second approver for elevated roles, which helps prevent unauthorized access.
In most corporate setups, PAM focuses on assigning the least amount of privileges necessary, while PIM is about granting relevant elevated access only when it’s truly needed. For instance, in Azure AD, you activate roles only when necessary rather than having always-on elevated accounts.
That makes sense! So, it's like using PIM to get the access I need for a project and then letting it expire after I'm done.
In the end, PIM and PAM are quite similar, but while PAM has been around longer and is broader, PIM often refers to specific just-in-time access roles. Both can involve user identity management, but the context can change based on the platform.
PIM is all about allowing temporary privilege elevation for users, like turning someone into a Global Administrator for a specific task, but only for a set time. Sometimes, it can also require approval from others to ensure accountability.
I think a good way to view it is that PAM dictates what systems I can access based on my role, and once I'm in, I can use PIM to elevate my permissions temporary for specific tasks. It’s all about just-in-time access!
PIM feels like a more focused tool for managing Azure resources, acting as a layer on top of PAM when you want tighter control over periodic access to admin roles—really handy! Just gotta remember it's more Azure-specific.
Right, and it seems crucial to have that second layer of security in place to protect sensitive roles!