Glossary

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Identity Access Management

What is Privileged Access Management (PAM)?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a cybersecurity discipline that secures, monitors, and controls access to systems and data by users with elevated privileges. PAM solutions traditionally include features such as credential vaulting, session recording, audit trails, and just-in-time (JIT) access enforcement. These controls are critical for reducing the risks posed by administrative, vendor, and service accounts across enterprise IT systems.

Why is PAM Different in OT, ICS, and CPS Environments?

While PAM is widely adopted in IT environments, its application in OT, ICS, and CPS environments requires different considerations. Traditional PAM and IT-based remote PAM (RPAM) tools were designed for managing access to IT infrastructure (e.g., servers, cloud platforms, and databases) and focus on administrative efficiency for security teams.

In contrast, CPS/OT systems are operated by production engineers, asset custodians, and maintainers who prioritize safety, uptime, and productivity. Industry analysts underscore that IT-RPAM tools often lack the capabilities needed for CPS, including:

Support for legacy systems that lack credentials or agent support.
Operation in disconnected, intermittent, or low-bandwidth (DDIL) environments.
Compatibility with industrial protocols like Modbus, Profinet, or BACnet.
Real-time supervision with session override and multiuser collaboration.
No reliance on jump servers, firewall changes, or VPNs.

Moreover, PAM in CPS contexts must align with safety-critical mandates and compliance frameworks such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA SD02E, which require fine-grained, auditable control over all privileged remote access activity.

How Does Xona Help with Privileged Access Management?

Xona addresses the limitations of traditional PAM and RPAM in critical infrastructure environments by delivering a CPS-ready secure remote access platform that provides privileged access control without relying on legacy IT methods like VPNs, agents, or jump servers.

Xona offers key PAM functionalities, including:

Credential vaulting and injection (built-in or via integration with CyberArk, BeyondTrust, etc.).
Just-in-Time (JIT) access, session recording, and real-time monitoring.
Multi-user operations and session shadowing for training and collaboration.
Compatibility with non-IT Active Directory, industrial protocols, and air-gapped systems.

Designed specifically for resilience, safety, and compliance, Xona enables privileged users to securely interact with OT and ICS assets from anywhere, while isolating them from the production network. This ensures that only authorized personnel can access specific systems, at specific times, with full auditability and oversight.

Xona delivers these capabilities by combining PAM-grade protections with the operational and protocol flexibility required for secure, sustainable OT access.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main goal of Privileged Access Management (PAM)?

PAM secures and governs the use of elevated privileges by controlling, monitoring, and auditing access to critical systems by administrators, vendors, or service accounts.

How does PAM reduce cybersecurity risk?

PAM mitigates risks like credential theft, insider threats, and unauthorized access by enforcing least privilege, session recording, credential vaulting, and time-limited access.

Why are traditional PAM tools insufficient for OT and ICS environments?

Traditional PAM solutions are designed for IT infrastructure and often lack support for legacy devices, industrial protocols, disconnected networking, and real-time operational oversight.

What compliance standards require privileged access controls?

Frameworks such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, TSA SD02E, and NIS2 mandate strict controls and auditability over privileged access to critical infrastructure systems.

Can PAM be applied in environments with intermittent or low-bandwidth connectivity?

Standard IT PAM tools may struggle in DDIL environments, but CPS-optimized solutions like Xona are purpose-built to support secure access in such conditions.

How does Xona deliver PAM capabilities in OT environments?

Xona enables credential injection, JIT access, and session recording without VPNs or jump servers, providing PAM-like controls purpose-built for industrial and critical infrastructure systems.