Privileged Access Management

We are working with CyberArk solutions such as PAM on-premises. We are working with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager , including AIM, PSM, and PSMP components. 

The ability of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager to safeguard financial service infrastructure is important; without it, banking and financial clients cannot secure their operations. Despite various attacks affecting other companies, CyberArk's implementations ensured that we remained unaffected.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager has been helpful in managing over 125,000 privileged accounts in a single environment for our client, and we have multiple CyberArk environments for different clients with different numbers of accounts. CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is excellent at helping companies meet regulatory requirements due to its ability to cater to the specific needs of clients across different countries, ensuring compliance without data transfer issues.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager provides security and video recording of user sessions for audit purposes. This feature is critical in financial sectors where auditing who performed specific actions is essential. Having video records adds a layer of proof and ensures compliance with audit requirements.

The key feature of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is that it's a comprehensive package rather than just dependent on components such as Vault or Privileged Session Manager. Each component is necessary, and the Vault is the heart of CyberArk; everything connects via PSM and PSMP. I particularly appreciate PSM and PSMP because they simplify troubleshooting and charging.

A potential area for improvement is enhancing support for cluster environments and distributed Vaults. Clients in multiple countries that need central access have different challenges that require better solutions from CyberArk.

For financial services, CyberArk can improve incident response by ensuring fast support for critical priority tickets to meet compliance requirements. Providing more documentation on CyberArk is recommended for new team members to enhance their troubleshooting capabilities. I understand it's up to the client, but 99% fail to change the demo key, so it's crucial for CyberArk to emphasize changing the key and documenting it as part of the installation process.

I have been working with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager for more than nine years.

For stability, I would rate CyberArk Privileged Access Manager a nine out of ten.

I would rate the scalability of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager as a nine.

Regarding technical support from CyberArk, while L2 and L3 teams are effective, L1 support requires improvement due to longer response times in critical situations. Coordination with higher support levels sometimes takes longer than expected, which should be addressed.

Positive

After implementing CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it typically takes about four to five months for a company to realize time to value, assuming they have a strong implementation team and infrastructure in place.

Integrating CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is very simple due to the provided connectors for Windows and UNIX, as well as plugins for databases. Custom integrations may take longer, around one month, due to development requirements.

Regarding costs, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is not a cheap product; hence, many companies struggle with its high licensing cost. While it's valuable, it comes with a high price tag, making it hard for every company to afford it.

After comparing with other products, I find that no other product currently matches CyberArk's performance; the performance issues in alternative solutions make them less desirable. While there are competitors, I cannot definitively name one that compares with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager.

The requirements for CyberArk, particularly in India, have evolved significantly since the company acquired several businesses in 2014. Every organization needs an identity and access management (IAM) and privileged access management (PAM) solution. CyberArk stands out as the leading product in this category. While there are other protocols available in the market, CyberArk is known for its security, reliability, and user-friendly access.

In my experience working with multiple companies and clients using CyberArk, I have not encountered any cases of breaches or malicious activity associated with the platform. This track record provides a strong sense of security and assurance regarding CyberArk’s capabilities. Although the privileged access management solution can be costly, it offers extensive security features, including multi-factor authentication (MFA). Overall, CyberArk is an excellent product for organizations seeking robust security solutions.

Regarding granularity of PAM controls in CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it means having centralized control in the Vault. Standalone CyberArk Vaults perform best compared to cluster systems, which present challenges during maintenance or network connectivity issues.

Overall, I would rate CyberArk Privileged Access Manager a nine out of ten.

Mainly, I use the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager  for securely storing and managing the credentials, and its main features include the Password Vault and automatic password rotation.

The granularity of the controls in the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager  is good; they have provided compliance which is required, helping us in auditing and reducing the risk of insider misuse of credential theft while also saving time for the IT guys with automating password rotations.

It's a valuable tool. The main function is securing data from theft and saving all the passwords in the same place, as the whole organization's main API endpoints are stored here.

The feature I appreciate the most about the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is the secure data, which acts as a centralized store where credentials are securely stored.

The interface of the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager could be smoother, and the GUI could be more user-friendly and modern.

I have been using the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager for one year.

I have not really seen any lagging, crashing, or downtime with the stability of the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager.

I have contacted their technical support and customer support a couple of times, and the quality and speed are good. The service is great.

When I first started using the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it was easy to learn how to use it. It's a simple and straightforward tool. It took me approximately three days to fully learn how to use the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, which is less than a week.

I have not tried using any alternatives to the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager.

On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager overall as 9.5.

We use CyberArk Privileged Access Manager  for least privilege and accountability purposes, while we also utilize the EPM solution for endpoint protection. Additionally, PTA is one of the most important tools from CyberArk Privileged Access Manager , which we use on a real-time protection basis. CyberArk Privileged Access Manager effectively prevents attacks on the financial service infrastructure, as we protect against lateral movement, credential stuffing, and since no passwords are available because they are rotated through CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, we can isolate every session and record all activity while monitoring in real-time.

The ability of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager to safeguard the financial services infrastructure by protecting credentials is extremely important, as every activity in a financial organization needs to be recorded for accountability in auditing. Therefore, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is a crucial tool, and we utilize credential rotation as 85% of successful attacks in the last 10 years have been initiated through credential theft. Monitoring, recording, and credential rotating activities are crucial because if CyberArk Privileged Access Manager goes out of service, the total environment would collapse due to the lack of passwords for respective servers.

While I cannot suggest major changes, I did encounter a vulnerability concerning RADIUS blasts, which was recently mitigated by CyberArk Privileged Access Manager in their latest version, indicating an area for improvement in vulnerability assessments. Improvements in vulnerability assessment are essential. A notable request I have regarding CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is to address the issues of database corruption identified in cluster environments experienced by multiple clients.

From 2021 to now, I have been working on CyberArk Privileged Access Manager.

I have not experienced any stability issues with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager.

It is easy to scale.

In terms of technical support, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager has provided excellent support without any doubt. Based on the issue resolution and support quality, I rate the support 10 out of 10.

Before using CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, I did not evaluate any other PAM tools.

Setting up CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is not complex, especially if you properly follow the recommendations from CyberArk.

I handled the deployment myself.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager has been very effective in helping my company meet compliance and regulatory requirements. Implementing CyberArk Privileged Access Manager saved time on compliance requirements in finance, typically around one hour.

There has been no reduced cost associated with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, as when it is required, you must pay for their licensing and prepare the full environment. While there are costs for the licensing of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it definitely provides value when I need any accountability or session recording.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is one of the most important components from CyberArk, along with EPM (Endpoint Privilege Manager ) and PTA (Privileged Threat Analytics tool). I recommend anyone considering CyberArk Privileged Access Manager to view it as a friendly environment, as it stands out among the other PAM solutions I have encountered. CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is highly recommended for its user-friendly nature. I rate CyberArk Privileged Access Manager a ten out of ten.

For CyberArk Privileged Access Manager , use cases are providing just-in-time privileged access. The most simple use case is hosting all privileged credentials in a secure manner and managing and controlling access to those credentials. Therefore, controlling access to privileged endpoints is the usual thing that will be done with PAM.

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager  has several valuable features. The basic feature is privileged access management with all the processes and procedures that are needed. It has all the relevant features required to provide a PAM project or PAM program. It does everything that is needed. A tangible benefit is that we already have full control of privileged access. We have just started and have onboarded all privileged accounts into the system.

I have noticed areas of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager that could be improved or enhanced in integration with automation tools. It's not quite the same in the cloud, the Privilege Cloud version. The on-premises version allows users to do absolutely everything. When they took it to the cloud, they started cutting things out. The other issue with CyberArk is that they are marketing their new product, SIA, which is based on Privilege Cloud. Users still need to have Privilege Cloud to achieve the same level of functionality as the on-premises version.

We are still early in the roadmap and haven't progressed far enough to identify additional needs. When organizations reach the end of their maturity roadmap, they can better identify specific tool requirements that aren't currently available.

We have been deploying CyberArk Privileged Access Manager for two years now and counting.

The evaluation of customer service and technical support for CyberArk Privileged Access Manager depends on several factors. When receiving support directly from CyberArk, they are the most knowledgeable, though they don't always have immediate solutions as they might need to create them, which can take considerable time. For instance, the Ansible  integration for the cloud version has been requested for years.

When working with CyberArk partners for support, it's crucial to ensure they have actual knowledge and aren't just acting as middlemen. There have been instances where third parties are hired to provide first and second line support, but they simply forward requests to CyberArk without adding value to the process.

We used a deployment partner recommended by CyberArk for the deployment and maintenance process. One crucial step that should be done first is creating an inventory of how privileged access is currently handled and where it is needed. Without this inventory, you might deploy CyberArk and realize it doesn't work with your existing architecture or infrastructure.

Our implementation team consisted of approximately 15 people, including architects, engineers, application owners, network specialists, Windows and Linux administrators, database administrators, and cloud specialists. While maintenance requires fewer people, input from all these stakeholders is crucial for successful implementation as they each have different requirements.

Most importantly, this needs to be a management-driven initiative with a top-down approach. Management must establish new working methods, as the biggest barrier to acceptance is typically resistance to changes in working procedures.

For ongoing operations, the staffing requirements depend on the company's operations. Typically, 24/7 coverage requires at least three people per shift in a follow-the-sun model. This accounts for first and second line support only, with additional staff needed for server maintenance, totaling around nine people.

The primary problem addressed by implementing CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is the lack of control over privileged access - where it happens, how it occurs, and what is done with that access. When attempting to attack an enterprise, attackers target the highest-privilege credentials available. Therefore, protecting the most critical credentials within your organization is essential.

For those planning to deploy CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, it's crucial to understand that it's a multi-year program. It's not just about deploying the tool; it needs policies and governance around it. Additionally, infrastructure modifications are necessary to ensure PAM is the only way to provide privileged access to endpoints.

It's a great product that does everything required from a PAM tool. I would rate CyberArk Privileged Access Manager as a nine out of ten.