In this exclusive conversation with Stephanie Barnett, Vice President of Presales for the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region at Okta, discusses the evolution of PAM in light of the increase in cyberattacks across organisations in APAC.

Can you elaborate on Privileged Access Management (PAM), and why it is an imperative for organizations today?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the implementation of systems and processes to control, monitor, and secure privileged accounts that hold sensitive administrative permissions. These accounts grant access to critical systems and data, making them prime targets for cyberattacks.

India’s Cybersecurity Incidents Hit 1.59 Million in 2023 as per reports by CERT-IT. These attacks targeted various industries including government agencies exploiting vulnerabilities in privileged accounts to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

PAM ensures that access to critical systems is granted only to authorized personnel with proper oversight. This minimizes the risk of internal misuse and external breaches by enforcing strict controls such as multi-factor authentication, just-in-time access provisioning, and session monitoring. Furthermore, PAM solutions offer detailed audit trails, ensuring accountability and compliance with regulatory standards.

Given the evolving threat landscape and the rising sophistication of cyberattacks, PAM has become indispensable for organizations aiming to protect their assets, maintain customer trust, and meet compliance requirements.

What are some of the challenges that IT teams face while managing privileged access?

Managing privileged access is a critical challenge for IT teams, as it directly impacts an organization’s security posture. One of the primary issues is overprovisioning, where employees retain unnecessary access rights even after transitioning to new roles. This creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited, increasing the likelihood of security breaches.

The intricate nature of modern IT environments further complicates access management. With organizations relying on numerous interconnected systems, applications, and platforms, maintaining continuous oversight becomes a significant task. This complexity often leads to gaps in monitoring and enforcement, leaving sensitive resources exposed to potential threats.

Adding to these challenges is the persistent risk of insider threats, which can come from current or former employees misusing their access privileges. Insider incidents can result in data theft, sabotage, or unauthorized access to critical systems, making it essential for organizations to adopt robust measures to mitigate such risks.

Effective protection of privileged accounts begins with regulation and monitoring of access to sensitive systems and data. PAM enforces least-privilege access, ensuring that only authorized users can interact with critical resources, while offering real-time oversight to detect and respond to potential threats.

In what ways do Okta’s Privileged Access solutions differ from traditional PAM solutions?

Okta’s Privileged Access solution stands out by being built specifically for the cloud, unlike traditional PAM tools that are often adapted from on-premise systems. As organizations across Asia increasingly adopt cloud technology, they face new security risks such as over permissioned users and mismanaged privileges, making PAM essential. Okta’s solution simplifies access and governance, enforces zero standing privileges, and integrates seamlessly with the Workforce Identity platform to secure servers, infrastructure, and SaaS applications.

Unlike traditional PAM solutions, which can take weeks or even months to deploy, Okta’s cloud-native solution offers rapid implementation, reducing deployment time to just hours or days. This enables organizations to maintain compliance and minimize security risks. Additionally, Okta’s user-friendly design enables non-technical teams to manage privileged access independently, reducing reliance on specialized administrators.

Okta goes beyond basic account protection by providing a holistic view of workforce identity. It gives IT teams valuable insights into user activity across all access points, enabling proactive risk management and simplifying compliance.

Moreover, Okta supports secure workflows for developers, ensuring they can maintain productivity without compromising security. By seamlessly integrating security measures into everyday operations, Okta allows organizations to secure privileged access while fostering growth and enhancing operational efficiency.

Note: This article has been drafted as part of ETCISO’s Brand Connect Initiative.