Government institutions face unprecedented challenges in securing their critical systems against cybercriminals. India, the US, Indonesia, and China have consistently been the most targeted countries over the past two years, accounting for 40% of reported incidents. All government institutions are a primary target for bad actors as they hold vast amounts of information and sensitive data related to citizens and businesses. Further, the budget allocated to cybersecurity is often limited.

Since it’s common for public servants to have privileged access to one or more systems, cyber attacks against government organizations frequently originate from compromised identities. Criminals only need something as basic as administrative rights on a single laptop, which is usually the default configuration, to gain access to an organization’s systems and start looking for privilege escalation opportunities, often remaining undetected for months.

However, thinking that it’s all due to a careless employee who clicked a link in a phishing email would be a mistake. Cybercriminals frequently use advanced technologies and sophisticated social engineering techniques to trick their victims, and, most importantly, they often target non-human identities. These are best defined as the set of automation tools, software, applications, and services increasingly deployed as we progress in the digital transformation of the economy.

In the current environment, therefore, a robust cybersecurity strategy should revolve around identity security and have Privileged Access Management (PAM) at its core. PAM solutions provide critical capabilities to protect privileged credentials and reduce business risk.

Why do PAM solutions matter?

PAM solutions significantly reduce the attack surface of government organizations and minimize the damage in case of an incident. Features like secure vaulting and secrets management, ensure identities have the right, uncompromised credentials to access a system. When privilege is required to access specific resources or to complete a task, PAM enables organizations to implement the principle of Least Privilege, assigning only the specific elevated permissions needed and just for the time that is strictly necessary. Additionally, tools like granular access control, session management, and multifactor authentication help companies follow the Zero Trust framework, requiring all types of identities to be authenticated and verified at every stage, even when they are inside the system.

Although this could appear extremely complicated and might seem to be forcing users to go through complicated hoops and loops, modern PAM solutions are designed to avoid any overhead that impacts productivity. They are transparent for end users while empowering cybersecurity teams with greater visibility across the organization. They empower IT Teams with centralized security controls over privileged access at all times and provide enhanced auditing capabilities for compliance with regulatory requirements.

Cloud readiness and scalability

When it comes to security investments, government institutions need to think long-term to maximize return on taxpayer money, as it’s safe to assume that funding in the future will not be generous enough to allow poor decisions to be corrected.

Migrating to the cloud is not an easy or quick task and government organizations, just like private businesses, have many elements to consider; in particular, what would be the most effective ways to deploy technology to enhance the services they provide?

That’s why they should look for cloud-based PAM solutions that, in addition to the inherent advantage of cloud solutions – flexibility, scalability, quick deployment, and low cost of ownership – are built with hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures in mind. They provide a consistent level of control to combat relentless identity-based attacks, protect access and secure workloads both on-premises and in the cloud.

To help organizations assess their security needs and set the right PAM foundation, Delinea has created a Privileged Access Management Maturity Model. It is a reliable framework based on industry best practices and the company’s work with more than 10,000 customers. The PAM Maturity Model helps organizations systematically lower privileged access risk while increasing business agility and improving operational efficiency. Delinea, a leader in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant, combines the expertise of two former companies (Centrify and Thycotic) that were also recognized among the leaders in the previous year’s PAM Magic Quadrant.

The Delinea Platform: A comprehensive approach to PAM

PAM implementation varies for each organization, and a one-size-fits-all approach to security and authentication does not exist. That’s why Delinea tailors its services to support organizations wherever they are in their PAM maturity journey, helping them accelerate their progress toward a more secure environment. The recently-launched Delinea Platform offers cloud-agnostic shared services that support Delinea’s industry-recognized PAM solutions, providing end-to-end visibility, dynamic privilege controls, and adaptive security.

Organizations can centrally manage and access privileged credentials through Delinea’s Secret Server, administer VPN-less secure remote access and session monitoring for third-party vendors and contractors in its Remote Access Service, and leverage a rich integration ecosystem through the Delinea marketplace.

Securing government institutions with PAM solutions

Adopting PAM solutions as a core cybersecurity component is vital for government institutions facing a complex digital landscape with evolving cyber threats and compromised identity security. In brief, PAM solutions help them stay ahead of cybercriminals and protect valuable assets.

Delinea’s tailored services support organizations at different PAM maturity stages, accelerating progress toward a secure, efficient, and agile environment. Click here to find out more.