NHI Forum
Read full article here: https://www.whiteswansecurity.com/modern-identity-access-security/?source=nhimg
Enterprises are rapidly adopting Zero Trust architectures to secure applications and infrastructure, but traditional Privileged Access Management (PAM) has reached its limits. Built for static, on-premises environments, PAM focused narrowly on privileged user accounts with credential rotation. This model struggles to keep pace with remote workforces, machine identities, and vendor access, all of which attackers now exploit, as seen in the Okta, LastPass, and Uber breaches.
Why Traditional PAM Falls Short
Traditional PAM relies heavily on standing privileges and role-based access control (RBAC). While effective in segmented, legacy infrastructures, it leaves persistent credentials exposed, slows implementation, and burdens security teams with siloed tools. Modern identity-based attacks bypass these controls by stealing credentials and abusing VPN overprovisioning for lateral movement.
Zero Standing Privileges: The Modern Approach
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) transforms access management by eliminating permanent credentials and enforcing least privilege dynamically across endpoints, access layers, and servers. Instead of static RBAC, ZSP aligns closer to attribute-based access control (ABAC) and relies on just-in-time (JIT) privilege grants. This ensures users and devices only receive the exact access they need, when they need it, and nothing more.
Key capabilities of ZSP include:
- Context-Aware Authentication: Evaluates user identity, device trust, and application context before granting access.
- Passwordless Trusted Access: Certificate-based and passwordless authentication removes credential theft risks.
- Dynamic, Time-Bound Privileges: Automatic revocation post-task prevents overprovisioned accounts and lateral attacks.
- Unified Security Architecture: Consolidates endpoint, access, and server security into one operational framework, reducing console fatigue and mean-time-to-respond (MTTR).
The Whiteswan Advantage
Whiteswan delivers the fastest path to operational ZSP with its proprietary unified ZSP agent. Unlike legacy PAM deployments that require gateways, password vaults, or hardware keys, Whiteswan provides:
- Seamless deployment across endpoints and servers.
- Compatibility with existing tools (CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Okta, Duo, SIEMs).
- Continuous device trust assessment and adaptive authentication.
- Rich APIs for integration with threat intelligence and compliance systems.
Business Impact
With Whiteswan’s ZSP platform, enterprises can:
- Cut risk from identity-based attacks.
- Simplify Zero Trust adoption without ripping out existing investments.
- Improve security ROI by unifying privilege management.
- Accelerate detection and response while reducing operational overhead.
Bottom line
In a world where identity has become the primary attack vector, Whiteswan’s ZSP platform provides enterprises with the agility, visibility, and resilience needed to secure modern applications and infrastructure.