Best 8 BeyondTrust Alternatives For Privileged Access Management (2026)
We reviewed the top BeyondTrust alternatives on privileged access management, endpoint privilege control, and vendor support quality. Here's what we think is worth a serious look.
Written by
Mirren McDade
Technical Review by
Laura Iannini
Quick Summary
BeyondTrust covers PAM, endpoint privilege control, and remote access in a broad product suite. Organizations considering alternatives typically seek simpler deployment, more competitive pricing, or stronger capabilities in a specific sub-category. We reviewed the top alternatives and found Keeper Security, ARCON | Privileged Access Management, and CyberArk Privileged Access Management to be the strongest on PAM depth and deployment simplicity.
Privileged access is the highest-value target in your environment. Every credential with elevated rights is an entry point, and attackers know it. Standing access, weak rotation practices, and shared admin accounts are not edge cases — they are the conditions that turn a phishing email into a full network compromise.
We evaluated eight privileged access management platforms for session control depth, credential vaulting, just-in-time access, compliance reporting, and whether the deployment reality matches the marketing. What we found: the gap between “PAM platform” and “PAM that your team will actually run” is significant. Some platforms deliver enterprise-grade session analytics but require months of cross-departmental coordination before they protect anything. Others deploy fast and cover most environments well, but fall short when compliance auditors need granular evidence.
This guide cuts through the feature lists to show you which platforms deliver when a privileged account is compromised, and which ones reward the deployment investment with controls that hold up at scale.
Our Recommendations
We found that the top options here excel at different goals. Pick based on your team’s priorities.
- Best for mid-sized to large organizations standardizing on cloud PAM: Keeper Security — Zero-knowledge encryption protects credentials at the infrastructure level. Unified PAM and password management cuts tool count for teams already using Keeper. Autofill works inconsistently across certain sites and applications.
- Best for large regulated enterprises where audit compliance is the primary driver: ARCON PAM — Just-in-time access with automated revocation reduces standing privilege exposure. Session tracking and reporting give security teams visibility across all privileged activity. Technical support resolutions run slow on complex issues.
- Best for large enterprises with hybrid infrastructure and zero tolerance for credential risk: CyberArk PAM — Automated session termination and credential rotation interrupt attacks without manual intervention. Continuous network scanning detects privileged access attempts in real time. Initial deployment requires dedicated technical resources and significant planning.
- Best for enterprises that prioritize authorization depth over rapid deployment: Delinea Secret Server — Fine-grained access policies control what users can do inside privileged accounts, not just who gets in. Single-console administration reduces daily operational overhead. Automated password rotation failures can trigger account lockouts in certain configurations.
- Best for growing organizations that want to consolidate identity and access tools: JumpCloud — Unified MFA, SSO, PAM, and device management from one console reduces tool sprawl. JumpCloud Go replaces passwords with device-verified biometric authentication. Bundled pricing can feel expensive for teams that only need one specific feature.
- Best for organizations already running Okta that want to eliminate separate PAM tooling: Okta Privileged Access — Eliminates static SSH keys and passwords from infrastructure access entirely. Multi-level approval workflows integrate natively with Okta Access Requests. Customer feedback on PAM-specific capabilities is limited.
- Best for large enterprises running multi-platform environments with complex identity governance needs:One Identity Safeguard — Tamper-proof session recordings with machine learning behavioral analysis push beyond standard audit logging. Policy-driven access controls enforce least privilege at enterprise scale. Administrative complexity is a consistent pain point during initial deployment.
- Best for SMBs and mid-market teams that need fast deployment and usable PAM without heavy infrastructure: Segura — Rapid deployment and an intuitive interface reduce onboarding time for admins and end users. VPN-less remote access removes a common deployment dependency. Very large enterprise deployments should validate scope before committing.
Keeper Security is a cloud-native PAM platform built on an enterprise password manager that many security teams already use. KeeperPAM, launched in February 2025, adds privileged session management, browser isolation, and automated credential rotation without on-premises appliances. We think it’s a strong BeyondTrust alternative for mid-sized to large organizations that want PAM without legacy deployment complexity.
Keeper Security Key Features
KeeperPAM runs from a lightweight gateway with no agents, VPNs, or firewall changes required. Session management supports SSH, RDP, VNC, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and HTTPS with full recording and auditing for compliance. Remote browser isolation projects sessions from Keeper-hosted containers, injecting credentials without exposing them to the endpoint. Discovery scans on-premises and cloud environments to identify privileged accounts. Zero-knowledge encryption means even Keeper cannot access vault data. The platform supports FIDO2 passwordless authentication, passkeys, and biometric logins.
Our Take
We were impressed by how quickly KeeperPAM deploys compared to traditional PAM platforms. In our testing, the whole setup process was smooth and took place in the web app with no client installation required. The remote browser isolation is a strong differentiator; browsing sessions run in a virtualized Chromium instance that streams through the vault, eliminating credential theft risk. Keeper supports 70,000 business customers and has never suffered a breach. KeeperPAM is $85 per user per month, which includes Secrets Manager and Connection Manager. With that said, advanced reporting and dark web monitoring are separate paid add-ons. If you want PAM with session recording, browser isolation, and zero-knowledge security without on-premises infrastructure, Keeper is well worth considering.
Strengths
- Zero-knowledge encryption protects credentials from all parties including Keeper
- Automated credential rotation closes a common attack path
- Remote browser isolation prevents credential exposure on endpoints
- Session recording delivers audit-ready evidence for compliance
Cautions
- Advanced reporting and dark web monitoring are separate paid add-ons
- KeeperPAM at $85 per user per month is on top of the base license
ARCON | Privileged Access Management
ARCON PAM manages the full lifecycle of privileged accounts, from credential vaulting to session tracking. We think it’s best suited for large regulated enterprises, particularly in banking and financial services, where audit compliance and standing access risk are primary concerns.
ARCON PAM Key Features
The just-in-time access model is the standout. Privileges are granted only when needed and revoked automatically, cutting the standing access exposure that fuels credential-based attacks. MFA-secured vault access, dynamic password generation, and automated rotation reduce manual overhead on credential hygiene. ARCON Knight Analytics uses AI and machine learning to detect anomalous privileged identity behavior, building a proactive security posture rather than relying on static rules. Native SSO and OTP validation round out the integration story for enterprises already managing identity across multiple systems.
What Customers Say
The banking sector is where ARCON PAM shows up most consistently. Large enterprise customers managing thousands of privileged accounts say the centralized control framework and audit reporting deliver real operational value. According to customer feedback, technical support resolutions run slow on complex issues, and initial setup requires significant time investment in large environments.
Our Take
We think ARCON PAM fits large regulated enterprises where audit compliance and standing access risk are primary concerns. If your environment runs thousands of privileged accounts across regulated infrastructure, the centralized framework handles that scale. If you need fast support turnaround or a quick deployment, validate those expectations upfront with the vendor.
Strengths
- JIT access with automated revocation reduces standing privilege exposure
- MFA-secured vault with dynamic password generation
- Session recording and analytics deliver audit-grade trails
- AI-driven ARCON Knight Analytics detects anomalous privileged behavior
Cautions
- Reviews note technical support resolutions run slow on complex issues
- Pricing only available on request
CyberArk Privileged Access Management
CyberArk PAM is the enterprise standard for privileged access management, built for organizations with complex hybrid infrastructure and zero tolerance for credential risk. CyberArk was acquired by Palo Alto Networks in February 2026 for approximately $25 billion, positioning CyberArk’s PAM capabilities as a core identity security pillar within Palo Alto’s broader security platform. We found the automated response loop, where suspicious sessions are terminated and credentials rotated without manual intervention, sets CyberArk apart from platforms that alert without acting.
CyberArk PAM Key Features
Credential storage in the secure vault anchors everything. When the continuous scanner detects suspicious privileged access, CyberArk terminates the session and rotates credentials automatically, so compromised credentials stop being useful fast. Full session oversight includes video playback and keystroke capture, giving security teams a complete audit record. Deployment options span on-premises, cloud, and SaaS environments, and centralized reporting ties privileged activity across the full environment into a single view.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently call CyberArk the gold standard in PAM, and audit readiness is where that reputation holds up. The vault, session recording, and compliance reporting combination delivers real value at enterprise scale. Based on customer reviews, password rotation reliability drops in non-standard configurations, and check-in/check-out functionality can be unreliable, requiring admins to unlock accounts manually.
Our Take
We think CyberArk fits large enterprises that can dedicate the resources to deploy and maintain it. If audit compliance and hybrid infrastructure are your primary drivers, this is built for that environment. If your team is smaller or needs rapid deployment, the operational overhead is real. Go in with your deployment plan and dedicated technical resources in place.
Strengths
- Automated session termination and credential rotation interrupt attacks
- Continuous network scanning detects privileged access attempts in real time
- Video playback and keystroke capture for complete session audit records
- Flexible deployment across on-premises, cloud, and SaaS
Cautions
- Customers note password rotation reliability drops in non-standard configurations
- Initial deployment requires significant planning and dedicated technical resources
Delinea Secret Server
Delinea Secret Server is a PAM platform that focuses on what happens after users authenticate, giving organizations precise control over what privileged accounts can actually do. We think this distinction matters: most PAM platforms focus on getting users in securely, but Secret Server’s fine-grained access policies set clear limits on user actions within privileged sessions, reinforcing least privilege without relying on blanket restrictions.
Delinea Secret Server Key Features
Just-in-time and on-demand privilege provisioning reduce standing access exposure, while custom workflows handle delegated access requests without creating bottlenecks. Policy-driven password rotation and complexity rules run alongside two-factor authentication for vault access, session recording, and integrations across applications, systems, and security platforms. Session recording uses an industry-leading compression ratio where an hour of video takes less than 5 MB.
What Customers Say
Ease of administration stands out in customer feedback. Users say managing access and auditing privileged accounts from a single console simplifies daily operations considerably. Security teams consistently credit the detailed audit visibility as a key operational advantage. Some users report that automated password rotation failures triggered account lockouts in certain configurations.
Our Take
We think Delinea Secret Server fits enterprises that prioritize authorization depth over rapid deployment. If your security model requires precise control over what privileged users can do inside sessions, not just who gets in, this platform addresses that directly. If your team needs a fast implementation or simple credential storage, factor the setup complexity into your evaluation.
Strengths
- Fine-grained access policies control what users can do inside privileged accounts
- JIT provisioning and custom workflows reduce standing access
- Session recording with industry-leading compression for compliance
- Single-console administration reduces operational overhead
Cautions
- Reviews note automated password rotation failures can trigger account lockouts
- Initial setup requires significant effort, increasing at enterprise scale
JumpCloud
JumpCloud is an all-in-one identity and access platform that handles MFA, SSO, PAM, and device management from a single console. We think it’s a strong alternative to BeyondTrust for growing organizations that want to consolidate identity and access tools without enterprise-grade PAM complexity.
JumpCloud Key Features
JumpCloud Go and Conditional Access replace password logins with device-verified biometric authentication, like Touch ID. The platform manages privileged credentials, SSH keys, and real-time session monitoring from the same console that handles identity and device management. Group-based access controls allow different privilege levels per role, and admins can provision and deprovision users across all systems simultaneously. The platform integrates with Active Directory, Google Workspace, and Okta. Built-in monitoring and event logging cover authentication requests and user activity for compliance.
Our Take
We think JumpCloud fits growing organizations that want to consolidate identity and access tools without enterprise-grade PAM complexity. The unified console is a real advantage if you’re managing identity, MFA, and device policies across a mixed-OS fleet. JumpCloud offers a 10-day free trial with full premium access, and a la carte pricing starts at $2 per user per month on annual billing. Set bundles start at $13 per user per month for the Core Directory package. With that said, the platform can conflict with macOS, and bundled pricing can feel expensive for teams needing only a single capability. If you want PAM alongside identity and device management in one platform, JumpCloud is well worth considering.
Strengths
- Combines MFA, SSO, PAM, and device management in a single console
- JumpCloud Go replaces passwords with device-verified biometric authentication
- Cross-platform device management covers Mac, PC, Linux, iOS, and Android
- Seamless integrations with Active Directory, Google Workspace, and Okta
Cautions
- The platform can conflict with macOS in some configurations
- Bundled pricing can feel expensive for teams needing only one feature
Okta Privileged Access
Okta Privileged Access eliminates standing credentials and unifies privileged access with IAM and IGA controls, all within the Okta Workforce Identity Cloud. We think the strongest case for this product is consolidation: if your organization already runs Okta for identity, extending into Privileged Access avoids introducing another vendor and another management console. Okta recently acquired Axiom Security to expand privileged access controls to more resources.
Okta Privileged Access Key Features
The core design eliminates static credentials entirely. Infrastructure access runs without static SSH keys or passwords. Multi-level approval workflows integrate natively with Okta Access Requests, giving the approval workflow a native feel that standalone PAM tools lack. SaaS service accounts, bots, and non-human identities are managed centrally alongside human accounts. Session recording covers SSH and RDP with logs feeding directly into the Okta System Log.
What Customers Say
Customer feedback specific to Okta Privileged Access is limited. Available reviews speak to the broader Okta platform, with users praising SSO reliability, timely service updates, and the depth of available integrations. Feedback on PAM-specific capabilities like session recording, secrets vaulting, and non-human identity management is sparse in current customer data.
Our Take
We think Okta Privileged Access is the strongest option for organizations already running Okta for identity. If your team wants to consolidate IAM, IGA, and PAM, this eliminates the overhead of running three separate tools. If your environment runs on a different identity platform, evaluate the integration scope first. The value grows significantly for organizations deeper in the Okta ecosystem.
Strengths
- Eliminates static SSH keys and passwords from infrastructure access
- Centralized management of SaaS service accounts and non-human identities
- Multi-level approval workflows integrate natively with Okta Access Requests
- SSH and RDP session recording feeds directly into Okta System Log
Cautions
- Customer feedback on PAM-specific capabilities is limited
- Organizations not on Okta face additional integration work for full value
One Identity Safeguard
One Identity Safeguard is a Privileged Access Management (PAM) suite offering modules for password management, session monitoring, and threat detection. The platform enables organizations to secure, control, and audit access to critical resources throughout the session. Safeguard is part of the One Identity suite, which covers identity governance, access management, privileged access, and Active Directory management through the One Identity Fabric.
One Identity Safeguard Key Features
The suite includes a secure password vault, session management, threat detection, and user behavior analytics. It streamlines access to privileged and non-privileged resources from a single account, storing and managing credentials in a centralized vault with SSO, MFA, and automated workflows. Machine learning and behavioral biometrics monitor, analyze, and block risky user activity. The platform offers policy-based access controls with flexible approval workflows and provides tamper-proof, searchable session recordings with full replay for auditing and compliance.
Our Take
We think One Identity Safeguard is a strong alternative for large enterprises needing powerful tools to control and monitor privileged access across multiple platforms with minimal user friction. We liked the session recording and analysis capabilities in particular. For SMBs, One Identity PAM Essentials is also available as a SaaS-based solution that delivers streamlined, cost-effective protection without heavy infrastructure.
Strengths
- Centralized credential vault with SSO, MFA, and automated workflows
- Machine learning and behavioral biometrics for risky activity detection
- Tamper-proof, searchable session recordings with full replay
- Policy-based access controls with flexible approval workflows
Cautions
- Pricing not publicly available; requires contacting One Identity for a quote
Segura
Segura (formerly senhasegura) is a PAM platform built for fast deployment and ease of use, covering both human and machine identities. We think it’s a strong option for SMBs and mid-market organizations that need strong privileged access controls without the complexity of larger enterprise PAM deployments.
Segura Key Features
Segura’s behavior-based access management goes beyond role assignments by analyzing how users interact with privileged accounts. VPN-less secure remote access removes a common deployment dependency, and just-in-time provisioning covers both internal users and external vendors without creating friction. The platform supports agentless access to Windows, Linux, Unix, Active Directory, and databases, integrates with more than 174 platforms, and includes a dedicated Oracle database proxy for database-level privileged activity visibility. On-premises deployment via physical appliance is available for organizations that need local infrastructure control.
What Customers Say
The feedback is unusually consistent. Users across multiple industries praise the interface as one of the most intuitive in the PAM category, and administrators say onboarding credentials and managing access runs faster than comparable platforms. Vendor responsiveness earns consistent credit, with customers describing fast resolutions and an attentive support relationship. No significant criticisms surfaced in the available customer data.
Our Take
We think Segura suits SMBs and mid-market teams that need a deployable, usable PAM platform without heavy infrastructure investment. If your team needs to cover both human and machine identities across a mixed environment, the versatility is there. If your organization requires deep enterprise-grade session analytics or has unusually complex legacy infrastructure, validate the fit before committing. For organizations that value usability and deployment speed, Segura punches above its weight.
Strengths
- Rapid deployment and intuitive interface reduce onboarding time
- Behavior-based access controls flag suspicious activity beyond static roles
- VPN-less remote access removes a common deployment dependency
- Agentless deployment covers Windows, Linux, Unix, AD, and databases
Cautions
- Pricing only available on request despite three-tier model on the website
- Primarily positioned for SMBs; very large enterprises should validate scope
Other Privileged Access Management Services
During our research for this guide, we evaluated numerous PAM solutions. The following tools are also worth considering:
A scalable PAM solution featuring a user-friendly interface, straightforward integration, and cloud-based LDAP, RADIUS, and SSH key management.
Provides password randomization and encryption, one-time access, and credential rotation to protect shared accounts.
Offers robust password management and Privileged Elevation and Delegation Management (PEDM) to secure privileged access for both internal and remote users.
What To Look For: Microsoft 365 Backup Solutions Checklist
Evaluating Microsoft 365 backup solutions requires looking beyond feature lists to ask the right questions about your recovery reality. Here’s what actually matters:
- Recovery Granularity And Speed: Can you restore a single email without recovering the entire mailbox? A specific file from a SharePoint library without restoring the whole site? How long does recovery actually take for large datasets?
- Immutability And Ransomware Protection: Are backups truly immutable, preventing even admins from modifying them? Is there a time window before immutability activates? Some platforms claim immutability but allow deletion windows that ransomware exploits.
- Pricing Transparency And Hidden Costs: What’s the actual cost per user or per gigabyte? Do premium features like faster recovery or additional retention cost extra? Some platforms claim unlimited retention but charge for immediate access versus slow restore.
- Compliance Reporting And Audit Readiness: Does it generate reports that auditors actually need? HIPAA compliance requires specific documentation. GDPR requires proof of deletion. SOC 2 compliance requires audit logs. Can the platform prove what you’re backing up and where it lives?
- Data Sovereignty And Residency Options: Where do your backups physically reside? Can you choose the region? Some organizations have regulatory requirements that restrict data to specific geographies. Some require air-gapped storage away from production systems.
- Support For Deleted And Departed Users: Can you restore data for users you’ve already deleted from Microsoft 365? How long are deleted user backups retained? Can you recover a departed employee’s mailbox to a new user?
- Automation And Manual Overhead: How much hand-holding does the platform require? Do new users get protected automatically or do admins need to enroll them? Can you configure policies and let the system run itself or does it require constant attention?
Test your recovery process before you need it. A platform that looks good in marketing materials can disappoint when you’re actually restoring data after a security incident. Talk to customers about their worst day and how the platform performed.
How We Compared The Best Microsoft 365 (Office 365) Backup And Recovery Solutions
Expert Insights is an independent editorial team that researches, tests, and reviews cybersecurity and IT solutions. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products. Our Editor’s Scores are based solely on product quality. Before testing, we map the full vendor market for each category, identifying all active vendors from market leaders to emerging challengers.
We evaluated 10 Microsoft 365 backup platforms for recovery speed, backup completeness, compliance reporting, pricing transparency, and how well they handle edge cases like deleted users and large mailbox recoveries. Each product was assessed through hands on evaluation of recovery workflows and dashboard navigation, plus pricing model clarity.
Beyond hands on evaluation, we conducted in depth market research across the backup market and reviewed customer feedback, implementation guides, and compliance documentation to understand how platforms perform when you actually need them. We spoke with vendors to understand product architecture, limitations, and pricing models. Our editorial and commercial teams operate independently. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products.
This guide is updated quarterly. For full details on our evaluation process, visit our How We Test & Review Products.
The Bottom Line
No single Microsoft 365 backup solution fits every organization. Your choice depends on team size, compliance requirements, and whether you manage multiple tenants.
If you’re an MSP managing multiple client environments, CyberSentriq Microsoft 365 Backup and Recovery delivers unlimited retention, immutable off-site storage, and a unified multi-tenant console without surprise costs as customer data grows.
If you want unified data protection across backup, disaster recovery, and ransomware defense, Acronis CyberProtect consolidates multiple tools into one platform with AI-powered threat detection.
If compliance mandates data sovereignty and encryption key control, CrashPlan gives you defensible control over storage location and encryption.
If you need government-grade protection with GCC High support, Commvault Cloud delivers zero-trust architecture, WORM compliance locks, and enterprise eDiscovery capabilities.
For small to mid-market organizations needing straightforward backup with minimal overhead, OpenText CloudAlly automates user enrollment through Active Directory and delivers immutable storage without complexity.
Read the individual reviews above to dig into recovery speeds, compliance features, and pricing that matters for your environment.
FAQs
Privileged Access Management Solutions: Everything You Need To Know (FAQ)
“Privileged access” describes the elevated permissions granted to user accounts—typically by IT or security administrators—that provide administrative-level access to critical systems and applications.
Many organizations classify their systems into tiers based on the potential impact of a breach or misuse—the higher the tier, the greater the potential damage. Privileged accounts, such as domain admin or local administrator accounts, are assigned higher permissions than standard user accounts, giving them administrative access to high-tier systems.
If a cybercriminal were to compromise a privileged account by stealing or cracking its credentials, they could:
- Access critical business systems and applications without detection
- Make changes to the account itself or to business data
“Standing privileges” are elevated access rights that remain active at all times. When a user has standing privileges, those permissions are always assigned to their account, even if they aren’t actively using them. In some cases, users may not even realize they have these privileges.
A common example is the default “admin” account that comes pre-configured on a new laptop or desktop, or when a new cloud application is installed.
The Problem: If an attacker compromises a privileged account by stealing or hacking login credentials, they can repeatedly use that account to access critical business resources.
The Solution: The most effective way to reduce risk from standing privileges is to implement a “Just-In-Time” (JIT) approach to elevated access, also known as the “principle of least privilege.”
This principle recommends that IT, security, and compliance teams grant elevated permissions only when necessary and only for the duration required. Once the user logs out, the elevated permissions are revoked. In other words, users always have just enough access to perform their job functions.
With just-in-time privileges, if an attacker compromises an account, they can only use the elevated permissions once—significantly limiting the potential damage.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the practice of identifying privileged users and ensuring they are granted only the appropriate level of access, while removing any unnecessary permissions.
By limiting access and controlling the duration for which credentials are valid, PAM reduces the window of opportunity for cybercriminals to compromise privileged accounts.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) software allows IT and security teams to assign, monitor, and protect privileged access to high-tier business systems and applications. This typically involves:
- Securely elevating privileges according to the principle of least privilege
- Removing standing privileges
- Monitoring user activity within high-tier systems
PAM tools generally operate in one of two ways:
- Credential Vaulting:The PAM solution stores privileged login credentials in a secure vault, accessible only after the user’s identity has been verified with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This ensures that only authorized users can access credentials. Some solutions allow users to view the credentials in the vault, while others inject the credentials directly into the login session, so the user never sees them, reducing the risk of exposure through phishing attacks. In both cases, the PAM system logs who accessed the credentials, when, from where, and for how long.
- On-Demand Privilege Requests:The PAM solution provides a system for users to request elevated privileges as needed. IT or security administrators are notified of the request and can approve or deny it on a case-by-case basis, or set up automatic, role-based provisioning.
The most advanced PAM tools also let administrators monitor a user’s actions during a privileged session. This helps detect malicious behavior and supports regulatory compliance and auditing. Monitoring capabilities vary by solution, ranging from activity logs to full video recordings and keystroke tracking.
Implementing a PAM solution offers several advantages:
- Control access to your data:By limiting the number of accounts with elevated privileges, PAM reduces the chance of an attacker gaining access using stolen credentials. This lowers the risk of data breaches or malware attacks that require administrative privileges, such as SQL injections.
- Identify compromised accounts:PAM solutions provide greater visibility into account activity, making it easier to detect unauthorized access or attacks.
- Reduce repeat attacks:Eliminating standing privileges and rotating login credentials between privileged sessions prevents attackers from reusing the same credentials, significantly limiting potential damage.
- Prove compliance:PAM generates reports showing which users have elevated privileges, for which applications, and what actions they perform during privileged sessions. These reports help organizations demonstrate compliance with regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX, all of which require enforcement of least-privilege policies on sensitive accounts.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) and privileged access management (also called privileged identity management) are related but distinct concepts.
IAM consists of tools and processes—such as multi-factor authentication and single sign-on—that verify and authorize users across the entire organization. This allows IT and security teams to control who can access which resources, from where, when, and under what conditions. In IAM, verification typically happens when a user signs into their account, using credentials and additional authentication factors to confirm identity.
PAM is a specialized branch of IAM that focuses exclusively on privileged users who need to access sensitive resources. With PAM, verification occurs when a user attempts to access a specific system or application. While MFA is often part of PAM, the solution ultimately validates access based on attributes rather than just credentials.
In short: IAM ensures that users can log in, while PAM ensures they only have the precise level of access they need.
- The Top 11 Identity And Access Management Solutions
- The Top 8 Customer Identity And Access Management (CIAM) Solutions
- The Top 7 Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) Solutions
- The Top 5 Credential Management Solutions
- The Top 10 Identity Verification Software
- The Top 10 Fraud Detection and Prevention Solutions
- The Top 9 Solutions To Stop Account Compromise
- The Top 5 Decentralized Identity Solutions
- The Top 7 Know Your Business (KYB) Solutions
- The Top 10 KYC (Know Your Customer) Solutions
- The Top 10 Alternatives To Microsoft Azure Active Directory
- The Top 10 Alternatives To Okta Workforce Identity
- The Top 10 Alternatives To RSA SecurID
- The Top 10 Alternatives To Delinea PAM
Written By
Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts.
She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts.
Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Technical Review
Laura Iannini is a Cybersecurity Analyst at Expert Insights. With deep cybersecurity knowledge and strong research skills, she leads Expert Insights’ product testing team, conducting thorough tests of product features and in-depth industry analysis to ensure that Expert Insights’ product reviews are definitive and insightful.
Laura also carries out wider analysis of vendor landscapes and industry trends to inform Expert Insights’ enterprise cybersecurity buyers’ guides, covering topics such as security awareness training, cloud backup and recovery, email security, and network monitoring. Prior to working at Expert Insights, Laura worked as a Senior Information Security Engineer at Constant Edge, where she tested cybersecurity solutions, carried out product demos, and provided high-quality ongoing technical support.
Laura holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity from the University of West Florida.