Does PAM have an alternative and why it doesn’t?

Solutions such as identity and access management (IAM) and role-based access control (RBAC) are not real alternatives, but are usually used in conjunction with PAM.

The key differences are:

• Different focus: IAM and RBAC focus on managing user access to applications and data, while PAM focuses on privileged accounts and access to critical systems. It also provides additional security controls, such as session recording and auditing.
• Compliance requirements: various regulations or industry standards have controls, whose requirements can be met by implementing a PAM system.
• Unique challenges: Privileged accounts require specialized controls and monitoring. Privileged accounts are often shared by multiple users, making it difficult to track and audit activity. PAM addresses these challenges with granular access control, session recording, and traceability.

Overall, PAM remains the most effective solution for managing and securing privileged accounts and reducing the risk of cyber threats and data breaches. It is one of the most important security projects to reduce cyber risk and achieve a high security return on investment.