Heimdal Security Blog

Top 11 Privileged Access Management Solutions (2024)

  • Cristian Neagu

    • Looking to find the right privileged access management (PAM) solution for your organization? Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place…

    PAM tools play a key role in any modern cybersecurity strategy. Without them, you can’t hope to protect yourself against a complex and ever-changing landscape of internal and external threats. But knowing where to start and what tools to choose can be a minefield.

    The Challenge of Choosing the Right Privileged Access Management Solution

    When it comes to finding the best privileged access management tools, the biggest problem is knowing where to start. There is a bewildering array of different acronyms, terms, and product categories that you’ll need to get your head around before you can choose the right solution.

    Here’s the issue: providers generally offer multiple products, and aren’t always consistent about how they package, market, and discuss the features they offer. This can make it uniquely difficult to compare like for like.

    So before we start, it’s helpful to discuss the different types of privileged access management features and terms you may come across:

    1. Privileged account and session management (PASM) – This is the standard suite of privileged access tools. Generally, it will include policies to implement secure access controls, manage sign-in, and govern privileged credentials. Single sign on, multi-factor authentication, and password management policies all fall into this category.
    2. Privilege elevation and delegation management (PEDM) – PEDM is a newer functionality that’s becoming increasingly common in the tools we list below. It allows organizations to analyze real-time behavioral patterns, detect anomalies, and offer ‘just-in-time’ access. This avoids any user or service accounts having standing privileges.
    3. Secrets management (SM) – These tools allow organizations to securely store and manage a whole range of privileged credentials – including passwords, keys, APIs, and tokens.
    4. Cloud infrastructure entitlements management (CIEM) – This helps analyze and manage security in cloud environments. Crucially, it lets organizations automatically scan and identify all privileged users and service accounts.

    Generally, providers will offer the traditional PASM feature-set through a single main product, and additional PEDM, SM, or CIEM functionality will be added through add-ons, modules, or other solutions.

    However, this isn’t always the case – and you may find yourself needing to purchase multiple tools just to get the standard PASM features. As always, users should thoroughly research their chosen provider before identifying the right solution for them.

    In this blog, we focus mostly on PASM features, though others are referred to when relevant.

    Top 11 Privileged Access Management Software Platforms

    If you’re in the market for a privileged identity management solution, there are a lot of options available, each with their own pros and cons. Generally, they will vary based on the breadth of features they offer, the ease of use, and the cost of the overall solution.

    So which ones are right for you? Here are our picks for the top 11:

    Heimdal®

    Heimdal®’s Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management & Application Control solution provides unparalleled control and flexibility to IT professionals, system administrators, and security teams.

    It is the world’s only bundled product that combines the functionalities of Access Management and Application Control. The line-up proactively secures your entire environment, ensuring compliance with the most common industry standards such as Cyber Essentials, NIST, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and many more. Moreover, it helps in boosting the productivity of users and admins while being completely transparent.

    Heimdal® Top Features

    Heimdal® Pros

    For AD (Active Directory), Azure AD, or hybrid settings, Heimdal®’s Privileged Access Management enables PEDM-type non-privileged user account curation features.

    The PAM solution under PEDM permits the maintenance of administrative rights for particular users and/or domain groups that are linked to particular endpoints or groups. Its Time-to-Live (TIL) function serves as a Just-in-Time (JIT) system.

    Heimdal® Cons

    As of now, Heimdal®’s solution is unable to send notifications in real time when user activity anomalies occur. The administrators must consider each request individually before determining whether or not to approve it.

    Heimdal® Pricing

    Heimdal®’s pricing for its solution depends on the size of the company and the number of managed endpoints. Take the tool for a spin, and then receive a personalized offer from our experts!

    JumpCloud: Directory Platform

    JumpCloud describes itself as “a single seamless solution for IT, HR, and security, that your users will love.”

    The company offers several tiers of PAM and IAM tools, running from individual features (known as ‘a la carte’) to the full package. The most popular option is the ‘Directory Platform’, which features a wide range of PAM features and protections.

    JumpCloud Features:

    JumpCloud Pros:

    JumpCloud Cons:

    JumpCloud Pricing:

    JumpCloud has a sliding pricing scale where users can choose individual features for between $2-$5 each a month. For example, the password manager alone would cost $3 per user/per month.

    There is also a free version of the full platform that can support up to 10 users and devices and includes 10 days of premium in-app support.

    CyberArk: Privileged Access Manager

    CyberArk is the oldest player in the PAM scene, with over two decades on the market. In that time, they’ve brought several innovations to the market, including vault technology, secrets management, and CIEM functionality.

    But with scale comes challenges. The pricing and ease of use of CyberArk products, for instance, are often cited as drawbacks. At the same time, some legacy features like privileged session management (PSM) now lag behind competitors.

    The majority of CyberArk PAM features are available through their main product, Privileged Access Manager. Customers can also extend its features through separate services, such as:

    This may also cause confusion for some customers looking for a simpler, all-in-one solution.

    CyberArk Features:

    CyberArk Pros:

    CyberArk Cons:

    CyberArk Pricing:

    CyberArk does not publish its pricing details, and prospective customers are encouraged to book a demo to find out more.

    That being said, reviews consistently place CyberArk among the most expensive products on the market. G2 gives it 3/4 stars for pricing, and user reviews suggest it is roughly 22% more expensive than the average PAM solution.

    ManageEngine: PAM360

    ManageEngine provides a suite of security and access management products, of which PAM360 is the most important.

    This product features the standard suite of privileged access and session management (PASM) controls, together with privileged elevation and delegation management (PEDM), and secrets functionality.

    ManageEngine Features:

    ManageEngine Pros:

    ManageEngine Cons:

    ManageEngine Pricing:

    ManageEngine does not publish pricing details for PAM360 or other products. Instead, prospective customers are encouraged to get a quote or schedule a demo through the website to find out more.

    Public reviews do not mention pricing information, though according to Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant report, Manage Engine’s pricing is now “consistently less than market average.”

    BeyondTrust: Total PASM

    BeyondTrust is a PAM provider with global reach. Many of its customers are large global enterprises.

    BeyondTrust offers two main products, known as Privileged Remote Access and Password Safe, which can be bundled together into the Total PASM package.

    Privileged elevation and delegation management (PEDM) functionality is also available in a separate product called Privilege Management.

    BeyondTrust Features:

    BeyondTrust Pros:

    BeyondTrust Cons:

    BeyondTrust Pricing:

    BeyondTrust does not publish pricing details. Instead, prospective customers are encouraged to contact the sales team.

    Public reviews do not mention pricing information, though according to Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant report, Manage Engine’s pricing is “higher than market average.”

    Okta: Privileged Access

    One of the newer entrants on this list, Okta is specifically designed for cloud-native organizations. Its main PAM offering, Privileged Access, comes as part of a wider suite of ‘Workforce Identity Cloud’ products. This includes tools offering multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, lifecycle management, and more.

    The features in this list are based on capabilities available across all these products – though customers should be wary of the potential rising costs of multiple bundled subscriptions.

    Okta Features:

    Okta Pros:

    Okta Cons:

    Okta Pricing:

    Okta’s Privileged Access product is available for $14 per resource unit/ per month, which roughly equates to the amount of compute power that the deployment will require.

    Microsoft: Entra ID (Formerly Azure Active Directory)

    Microsoft Entra ID might seem like an unfamiliar name on this list. In fact, it’s actually just a new name for Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory. The new service was launched towards the end of 2023.

    This is slightly different from other options on this list, as there’s a good chance you already have it – at least in some form. Any organization using Windows 11, Microsoft 365, or Azure services will effectively already have access to a basic Microsoft Entra ID package. That’s because it acts as an extension of the existing identity and access management functionality all Microsoft customers already use to log in and authenticate.

    Microsoft Entra ID Features:

    Microsoft Entra ID Pros:

    Microsoft Entra ID Cons:

    Microsoft Entra ID Pricing:

    Microsoft Entra ID’s pricing information is publicly available on their website. The service includes three basic tiers of pricing model:

    Microsoft Entra ID Free: Free

    This is effectively Microsoft’s default PAM suite, included as standard with cloud services like Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365. It comes with basic authentication, single sign on, multi-factor authentication, and event logging capabilities.

    Microsoft Entra ID P1: $6.00 /user/month

    The next tier up is available as a standalone product or included with a subscription to either Microsoft 365 E3 or Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Generally, it features more sophisticated versions of features from the free tier.

    Microsoft Entra ID P2: $9.00 /user/month

    The premium tier includes advanced versions of most PAM features. Compared with P1, it includes more sophisticated end-user self-service and extra identity protection controls such as risk-based conditional access.

    Customers of the Entra ID’s P1 and P2 tiers can also purchase a separate add-on:

    *Microsoft Entra ID Governance: $7.00 /user/month

    This is an advanced set of privileged access management capabilities to govern auditing and compliance. It adds extra features to Entra ID’s existing toolset, including an identity governance dashboard, lifecycle workflows, entitlement management with verified ID, and more.

    WALLIX: Bastion

    WALLIX is another long-standing player in the PAM market, having rolled out its original product in 2007.

    Today, the standard suite of PASM functionality is covered by the main product: WALLIX Bastion. The company also offers PEDM tools through WALLIX BestSafe.

    WALLIX Features:

    WALLIX Pros:

    WALLIX Cons:

    WALLIX Pricing:

    Like many providers on this list, WALLIX does not release its pricing information publicly. Potential customers are encouraged to get in touch to find out more. The vendor does, however, specify a series of pricing options:

    The software can also be purchased through cloud vendors such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.

    Delinea: Secret Server

    Delinea features a diverse set of security controls, though customers may be put off by the number of tools available. The standard set of PASM features (to manage privileged users and sessions) are available via the Secret Server product.

    PEDM, secrets management, and CIEM functionality can all be added via additional tools, such as Privileged Behavior Analytics, Privilege Manager, and the Account Lifecycle Manager.

    Despite the breadth of functionality, some users may find the overlapping functionalities between these products confusing.

    Delinea Features:

    Delinea Pros:

    Delinea Cons:

    Delinea Pricing:

    Delinea does not provide public pricing information for its Secret Server product. However, reviews suggest that it is among the more expensive products in the market. G2 user reviews rate it as 4/4 for expense, roughly 26% more than the market average.

    ARCON: PAM

    Like many providers on this list, ARCON has several different security tools available, which may cause confusion, including PAM Enterprise, Endpoint Privilege Management, My Vault, and Global Remote Access. The features discussed below are based on the PAM Enterprise product.

    ARCON Features:

    ARCON Pros:

    ARCON Cons:

    ARCON Pricing:

    ARCON does not publish pricing information. Gartner considers its pricing to be ‘competitive’.

    One Identity: Safeguard

    One Identity aims to provide a unified approach to cybersecurity across a whole range of different products and features. Their PAM and IAM management tools are designed to integrate seamlessly with active directory, identity governance, and other tools – to provide a 360-degree approach.

    The standard suite of PASM features is available through the Safeguard product. This splits into three modules, each of which can be purchased individually:

    There are also a number of additional products and tools that businesses can add to this core package. Examples include Active Roles which can provide just-in-time/just enough privileged access, and Identity, Governance, and Administration, which provides extended life cycle management and auditing capabilities.

    One Identity Features:

    One Identity Pros:

    One Identity Cons:

    One Identity Pricing:

    One Identity does not publish pricing and no information is available to provide further details.

    Getting the Right Tools for the Job

    If you’ve made it this far, hopefully you understand a little more about the complex PAM landscape, and how you can distinguish between the confusing array of products and services available.

    As is always the case in cybersecurity, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it’s important to take the time to properly understand your needs and the specific tools you already have. By doing that, you’ll be better placed to understand your requirements and which providers are best placed to fulfill them.

    Privileged Access Management Solutions: FAQs

    What is a privileged access management solution?

    A privileged access management (PAM) solution is a cybersecurity tool designed to secure, manage, and monitor access to privileged accounts and sensitive data within an organization. It protects against unauthorized access, ensuring only authorized individuals have control over critical assets.

    How to choose the right privileged access management solution

    Selecting the ideal PAM solution involves assessing your organization’s specific needs, understanding what privileged credentials exist in your environment, evaluating the user interface for ease of use, and considering integration capabilities. Ensure the solution aligns with your security policies and compliance standards.

    Best practices for choosing your PAM solution

    Follow best practices by conducting a thorough risk assessment, involving key stakeholders in the decision-making process, seeking solutions that offer comprehensive auditing and reporting features, and ensuring the PAM solution aligns with your organization’s long-term cybersecurity strategy. Regularly update and adapt your PAM solution to address evolving security challenges.

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