{"id":124024,"date":"2026-04-01T12:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T11:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realvnc.com\/?post_type=blog&p=124024"},"modified":"2026-07-02T20:08:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T19:08:35","slug":"privileged-access-management","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.realvnc.com\/en\/blog\/privileged-access-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Privileged Access Management: What Matters Most"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Compromised privileged credentials are a recurring nightmare in breach investigations because they work. The 2025 Verizon DBIR found that credential abuse accounted for <\/span>22% of breaches<\/span><\/a>. Once those privileged access slips are gone, the problem changes fast. An attacker is no longer pushing from the outside. They\u2019re sitting on the admin chair, moving through critical systems with the same \u201ctrusted\u201d permissions your own team uses.<\/span><\/p>

Any high-level access requires high-level oversight. This necessitates privileged access management (PAM). It\u2019s the \u201cinner circle\u201d of identity and access management. It focuses on the narrowest, most sensitive access layers \u2013 the accounts that can alter your entire infrastructure. Because these accounts pose the greatest risk, they require a much stricter level of control than your average user.<\/span><\/p>

Managing privileged access is more than just ticking a security box. You need PAM because high-level permissions pose a significant liability if left unmonitored. Below is the practical side of managing access day to day. It also tackles why <\/span>secure remote access<\/span><\/a> is the backbone of any reliable setup \u2013 specifically how RealVNC Connect uses cloud-brokered connections to keep your <\/span>sessions locked down<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

What is privileged access management?<\/b><\/h2>

If identity and access management covers everyone, privileged access management focuses on the few who hold the keys. PAM is ultimately about control. It oversees the high-level accounts with the power to reset the system, provision users, or gain access to restricted infrastructure. These accounts are off-limits to most, and for good reason: if even one is compromised, an attacker essentially has an open invitation to your core systems.<\/span><\/p>

The clue is in the name: privilege. Anyone with privilege has elevated permission to reset passwords, tweak OS configurations, or install software. It often extends to your most critical resources, like production environments and databases, creating a massive challenge for <\/span>secure remote access<\/span><\/a>. You need to give admins and support teams direct access to do their jobs, but that same access is exactly what attackers are looking for.<\/span><\/p>

To implement effective PAM, you need to account for these specific entry points:<\/span><\/p>