Privileged Activity Manager for Just-in-Time Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions are too expensive, complex, and focus on controlling access to accounts rather than the activities needed, leading to a minimal reduction in the attack surface and requiring organizations to purchase full stacks of offerings, which can be risky and costly to remove and replace.
Innovation Solution
A Privileged Activity Manager that provides task-based administrative access using a just-in-time and just-enough privilege approach, adding and removing privileges in discrete modular steps based on specific activities, ensuring that users have the necessary permissions only when performing a task and reverting to a no-access-by-default state immediately after completion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional PAM solutions control access to accounts, then account security is improved, but the attack surface is minimally reduced and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments privileged access control into discrete modular steps that can be individually added or removed based on specific activity requirements. Instead of managing entire account privileges, the system breaks down access control into granular permission units that are allocated temporarily for specific tasks, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic privilege allocation where permissions are added and removed in real-time based on activity needs. Privileges are not statically assigned to accounts but are dynamically granted for specific tasks and automatically revoked afterward, making the security system adaptable and reducing the permanent attack surface.
2Reliability
If full stack PAM offerings are purchased, then comprehensive security coverage is improved, but cost and replacement risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent decomposes comprehensive PAM functionality into separate, independently deployable modules. Organizations can selectively implement only the security controls needed for specific activities rather than purchasing entire PAM stacks, reducing cost and complexity while maintaining essential security coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides universal activity-based privilege management that can be applied across multiple contexts and platforms. The same core mechanism of adding/removing privileges based on activities can serve various security needs without requiring separate specialized solutions.
3Productivity
If privileges are continuously assigned to accounts, then administrative task completion is improved, but attack surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic privilege allocation where permissions are granted temporarily for specific time periods or task durations, then automatically revoked. This periodic granting and revoking of privileges maintains productivity during active tasks while minimizing the attack surface when privileges are not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
Privilege states are dynamically changed based on task requirements - privileges are added when needed for task completion and removed afterward. This dynamic approach ensures continuous productivity during authorized tasks while reducing the persistent attack surface by eliminating standing privileges.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is described. The method includes adding privileges using discrete modular steps to an account based on a requested activity to be performed during a session. The method also includes logging the account into the session with the added privileges. The method further includes removing the privileges using discrete modular steps from the account after the session.