Topic starter
08/07/2026 6:51 pm
TL;DR: Most enterprise password managers still solve storage better than access governance, but Securden argues the real gap is deciding, in the moment, who should get a specific credential, for what reason, and for how long. Standing access accumulates into privilege creep, and access that is not time-bound becomes hard to justify, review, or revoke.
Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by Securden: “How Password Managers Can Help Organizations Eliminate Privilege Creep with Just-In-Time (JIT) Access”.
Key questions
Q: What breaks when password managers only secure storage but do not govern access?
A: They leave standing credentials available long after the original need has ended, so password storage remains strong while access governance stays weak.
Q: Why do standing credentials increase IAM risk even when they are encrypted?
A: Encryption protects the secret in storage, but it does not limit who can obtain it or how long they can keep using it.
Q: How do teams know if just-in-time access is actually reducing privilege risk?
A: They should verify that temporary access has strict expiry, clear approval traceability, and dependable revocation after task completion.
Practitioner guidance
- Define access request criteria for shared credentials Require users to state purpose and expected duration before a password is released, and route the request through approval rather than direct retrieval.
- Set automatic expiry on every approved credential grant Bind each approval to a fixed access window and revoke or randomize the password when the window closes so no grant remains open by default.
- Separate approval paths by credential risk Use different approval depth for low-risk shared logins and high-risk privileged accounts so governance reflects account sensitivity instead of using one blanket process.
Bottom line: Password managers that only encrypt and rotate credentials still leave a governance gap if access can persist without a current business reason.
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08/07/2026 7:12 pm
Password governance fails when access and storage are treated as the same control: A vault can protect the credential while still leaving the disclosure decision unconstrained. That distinction matters because security teams are accountable for who received the password, why, and for how long, not only whether it was encrypted. The practical conclusion is that governance has to start at request time, not after the secret has already been exposed.
A few things that frame the scale:
- 91% of organisations say at least half of their privileged access is always-on, and only 1% have fully implemented just-in-time privileged access, according to a CyberArk study.
A question worth separating out:
Q: When should organisations use approval workflows instead of direct credential release?
A: Use approval workflows whenever the credential is shared, privileged, or likely to outlive a single task. The point is to force a current justification, bind access to a defined duration, and ensure the password is no longer open once the work is complete.
👉 Read our full editorial: JIT approval workflows are redefining enterprise password governance