In today’s high-stakes cybersecurity environment, privileged accounts control access to your most critical systems and sensitive data. Poor management or insufficient oversight of these accounts creates easy targets for cyberattackers, leading to costly breaches and compliance failures.
According to the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 22% of data breaches in 2025 involved stolen/compromised credentials – with 6% tied to misuse of privileged accounts with access to critical information. Thus, Privileged Access Management (PAM) becomes critical.
Here’s how PAM makes a difference:
- Periodically changes privileged passwords, so stolen credentials expire fast
- Provides Just-in-Time (JIT) access, eliminating standing privileges
- Records every privileged session for complete tamper-proof evidence
- Enforces zero-trust principles across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments
Here are 10 reasons you need a Privileged Access Management system.
1. To gain one-window visibility into accounts, credentials and privileges
Privileged accounts can pose serious security risks when they have too many permissions and too little oversight. Hackers can exploit these accounts to gain access to sensitive data. Additionally, the real number of privileged accounts can be quite different from what organizations believe! This lack of visibility can increase vulnerability.
2. To enforce strict access management & identity verification
By implementing strict access controls, you ensure that users have only the permissions they need to enhance security and promote accountability. By adding in adaptive multi-factor authentication (AMFA), you verify the identity of the users of those privileged accounts to prevent impersonation.
3. To automate the enforcement of least privilege principles
Role-based access control (RBAC) automatically assigns precise permissions based on user roles, ensuring that privileged users receive only what’s needed for their job functions. It also enforces least privilege access with segregation of duties (SoD) rules and automated remediation of violations for stronger compliance.
4. To monitor & record privileged sessions in real-time
Without real-time monitoring, attackers could operate freely during privileged sessions. Without recordings, investigations fail due to missing evidence or deleted logs. Akku delivers live session visibility with anomaly alerts, enabling instant termination of suspicious activity before data exfiltration or damage occurs. It captures full video playback, command-level activity, and tamper-evident audit logs for every privileged session.
5. To prevent the usage of stolen credentials
Stolen privileged credentials can pose a significant threat indefinitely, as they do not rotate automatically. Privileged credential vault addresses this issue by storing passwords, keys, and certificates with automated rotation after every use. This not only prevents credential exposure through direct injection but also maintains detailed audit trails for all interactions with privileged credentials. PAM automates management using strong passwords that are stored securely and changed regularly to minimize breaches.
6. To avoid the hassles of deploying a client-based system
Traditional PAM often necessitates the use of VPNs, endpoint agents, and client software, which can create deployment complexity across hybrid environments. Some PAMs, like Akku, use clientless privileged session management (PSM) to offer secure browser-based RDP/SSH access without agents or installations, ensuring that credentials never reach end users.
7. To apply just-in-time (JIT) privileged access
Users often require elevated access for specific tasks, but these permissions can remain active long after the tasks are completed, leading to security breaches and insider threats. Such always-on privileges provide attackers with permanent backdoors to exploit sensitive systems. PAM offers a solution by delivering temporary, time-bound access that is granted only when necessary. This access is automatically revoked once the tasks are completed, eliminating the need for manual intervention. Additionally, all activities during JIT sessions are monitored and recorded, allowing for the immediate termination of any suspicious behaviour.
8. To centralize server access
Sharing multiple server passwords and credentials across Windows and Linux environments violates zero-trust principles. Implementing single sign-on (SSO) for server access provides centralized authentication for RDP and SSH sessions, with enforced multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access policies applied consistently.
9. To meet compliance requirements
Comprehensive audit logs, session recordings, and privileged account discovery deliver tamper-proof evidence essential for compliance with HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX. By providing clear visibility into privileged activities across critical systems, these features automate the generation of complete, audit-ready records. This centralized approach streamlines compliance efforts and enhances security, eliminating the risks associated with relying on scattered manual processes.
10. To boost IT productivity
Manual credential management and VPN access create ongoing workflow challenges for IT teams, leading to wasted time on password resets and access requests. Akku simplifies the delegation of access through centralized management tools that include single sign-on (SSO) integration, automated credential rotation using secure vaulting, and clientless session management for smooth server access. This enables teams to work efficiently without compromising security.
Choose Akku’s PAM solution for Complete Protection
Akku’s PAM solution offers all the essential features you need: just-in-time (JIT) access, clientless privileged session management (PSM), credential vaulting, role-based access control (RBAC), and real-time monitoring – all integrated into one seamless platform. Deploy this solution across hybrid environments with zero trust enforcement at every step.
Talk to us today to find out how Akku’s privileged access management solutions can help your business.
