Topic starter
16/01/2026 4:31 pm
TL;DR: Cloud migration expands privileged access risk because misconfigurations, weak credentials, tool sprawl, and limited visibility make legacy PAM harder to operate consistently, according to SafePaaS. The core issue is not whether PAM exists, but whether access governance can keep pace with hybrid complexity and standing privilege reduction.
Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by SafePaaS: “Best Practices Privileged Access Management”.
Key questions
A: Operational burden becomes the main failure point.
Q: Why do standing privileges become more dangerous in multi-cloud environments?
A: Because each cloud can accumulate excess rights independently, so a role that looks acceptable in one platform may still create lateral movement risk when combined with access in another.
Q: What are the signs that a PAM programme is failing in hybrid infrastructure?
A: Common warning signs include duplicate audit trails, fragmented session monitoring, unmanaged privileged accounts, and frequent workarounds such as credential sharing.
Practitioner guidance
- Inventory every privileged identity type Map human admins, service accounts, application accounts, and cloud accounts separately so ownership, review cadence, and approval logic are not blended into one control path.
- Replace persistent elevation with JIT access Use task-scoped elevation for administrative workflows that do not require always-on rights, and treat standing privilege as an exception that needs explicit justification.
- Automate privileged account discovery Continuously identify unmanaged or newly created privileged accounts in hybrid and multi-cloud environments before they accumulate into review backlogs.
Bottom line: Cloud migration stretches PAM because privileged access now spans more identity types, more deployment models, and more change points than legacy operating models were built to handle.
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This topic was modified 6 days ago by NHI Mgmt Group
06/10/2026 3:28 pm
Cloud PAM fails first as a governance model, not a tool stack. The article shows that cloud migration exposes a control mismatch: privileged access is no longer bounded by a small set of stable admin accounts. Human users, service accounts, application accounts, and cloud-native identities all need different governance treatment, yet many programmes still manage them as one problem. The implication is that PAM maturity now depends on lifecycle discipline across identity types, not just on deploying more controls.
A few things that frame the scale:
- 97% of NHIs carry excessive privileges, increasing unauthorised access and broadening the attack surface, according to the Ultimate Guide to NHIs.
A question worth separating out:
Q: How should teams balance usability and control in cloud privileged access?
A: They should remove friction from the approval path without removing the control itself. JIT access, clearer workflows, and centralized reporting can make privileged access easier to use while still limiting exposure. The goal is to reduce the reasons people bypass PAM, not to weaken the policy to accommodate them.
👉 Read our full editorial: Privileged access management best practices in cloud environments