Key takeaways
Even the best PAM strategies can introduce new privileged access management risks if they’re misconfigured, inconsistently monitored, or poorly maintained.
Prevent misconfigurations and insider misuse by enforcing least privilege, just-in-time access, and continuous monitoring.
Strengthen security against credential theft with phishing-resistant MFA, passwordless authentication, and device trust enforcement.
Integrate PAM with broader controls like adaptive authentication, SIEM visibility, and automated threat detection to improve compliance and incident response.
Want to reduce your privileged access management risks? Check out the Duo SSO for CyberArk Privileged Access documentation to learn how the Duo and CyberArk integration helps organizations protect privileged accounts.
Why is privileged account management important?
Privileged accounts hold the keys to your most sensitive systems and data. They allow administrators and services to install software, access production environments, and modify configurations. While these capabilities are necessary for your business operations, they also make privileged accounts prime targets for attackers looking to exploit elevated access.
Privileged access management (PAM) is a cornerstone of modern zero trust security. It helps prevent credential theft, insider misuse, and lateral movement by controlling how elevated permissions are granted and used.
When implemented well, PAM can significantly reduce your organization’s attack surface. Still, PAM isn’t immune to mistakes. Misconfigurations, weak authentication, or incomplete monitoring can introduce new vulnerabilities instead of eliminating existing ones.
Keep reading for a closer look at some of the most common privileged access management risks and how to mitigate them.
How misconfigurations and poor segmentation create security risks
Misconfigurations are among the most overlooked privileged access management risks. When access controls are applied inconsistently or when permissions are too broad, privileged users often have more power than they need.
Common examples include:
Global admin rights granted “temporarily” but never revoked.
Orphaned accounts retaining access to production systems.
Privileged sessions that go unmonitored or unlogged.
These issues widen the attack surface and make it harder to detect misuse. Incomplete credential vaulting or weak session-recording enforcement can also expose credentials, especially when passwords are stored in scripts or local files.
How to prevent misconfiguration and segmentation risks
Reducing misconfiguration requires visibility and proactive enforcement. Regular audits and temporary privilege models help ensure that permissions stay accurate, access remains limited, and potential vulnerabilities are caught early.
The following practices help strengthen your privileged access management framework:
Manage insider threats and unauthorized privileged access
Not all cyber threats come from outside your network. Malicious insiders or even well-intentioned employees with excessive permissions can pose significant risks. A compromised privileged account can exfiltrate data, modify logs, or disable security controls before anyone notices.
The major challenge is that insiders already have legitimate credentials, making traditional perimeter defenses ineffective.
How to mitigate insider and unauthorized access risks
Preventing insider misuse starts with visibility and control. Organizations need to limit high-level permissions, continuously monitor privileged activity, and detect abnormal behavior before it leads to exposure.
Combining the following controls helps minimize risk without slowing legitimate work:
A well-defined access model supported by real-time oversight minimizes insider risk without interfering with your team’s productivity.
Preventing theft of privileged credentials
Privileged credentials are among the most valuable assets in any organization’s environment. Attackers frequently target them through phishing, brute-force attempts, and malware such as keyloggers or token stealers.
Password-based privileged accounts are particularly vulnerable, especially when credentials are reused, stored locally, or shared across multiple systems. Some companies are shifting towards passwordless authentication to sidestep the use of traditional credentials.
Read more about how to go passwordless here: passwordless authentication.
How to prevent credential theft in privileged access management
To reduce the risk of stolen or compromised privileged credentials, organizations should strengthen the verification of authentication and eliminate dependence on passwords where possible.
The following methods help protect high-value accounts from phishing and brute-force attacks:
Closing compliance gaps and improving incident response
Beyond the immediate security impact, weak or inconsistent PAM practices can also create serious compliance challenges. Many organizations must meet frameworks such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA, all of which require strict control and auditing of privileged access.
If PAM isn’t properly configured, organizations face audit failures, financial penalties, and reputational damage. A lack of visibility, like missing session logs or incomplete audit trails, can also slow down digital forensics and incident response, allowing attackers more time to move laterally across your network.
How to strengthen compliance and response in PAM
To stay compliant and respond quickly to potential threats, organizations need visibility, automation, and integration across their privileged access systems. The following controls work together to reduce risk and simplify oversight:
By combining these features with a well-configured PAM platform, your organization can significantly reduce its exposure to privileged account threats without sacrificing efficiency.