What Is Temporary Elevated Access?

Temporary elevated access refers to the act of granting user identities temporary or short-term privileged access that exceeds their standard access levels. This access is often granted in situations where users need to perform certain actions that are outside their normal scope of responsibilities, whether within cloud-based infrastructure systems like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and GitHub, in SaaS apps, or in on-prem apps and systems.

For example, an employee may require temporary administrative privileges to work on short-term projects or troubleshoot a system issue. By granting elevated access for a limited time, organizations can balance the need for user productivity and flexibility with the principle of least privilege, which advocates granting users only the minimum privileges necessary to perform their duties.

Here are some key aspects related to temporary elevated access:

• Duration: Temporary elevated access is time bound, with specific start and end times defined for the elevated privileges. This ensures that the elevated user access is granted only for the required duration and is automatically revoked once the designated time frame elapses.
• Purpose: Temporary elevated access is typically granted for specific purposes, tasks, or projects. It allows users to perform actions that are necessary but fall outside the scope of their regular access rights and typically grant access to sensitive resources. Examples include special projects, system configurations, database management, or handling security incidents.
• Approval and authorization: Temporary elevated access should follow an established approval process, and the request should be reviewed and authorized by the appropriate personnel, such as managers or system administrators. This ensures that the elevated privileges are granted based on legitimate needs and align with security and compliance requirements.
• Monitoring and auditing: During the period of temporary elevated access, it is important to monitor and log the activities performed by users with elevated privileges. This allows for accountability and provides an audit trail for review and investigation purposes, which helps ensure that users are only accessing the resources necessary for their authorized tasks.
• Revocation: Once the designated time period for elevated access expires or the tasks requiring elevated privileges are completed, the temporary access should be revoked promptly. It is essential to ensure that elevated privileges are not retained longer than necessary to minimize security risks and maintain the principle of least privilege.

Temporary elevated access strikes a balance between granting users the necessary privileges to carry out specific tasks efficiently while improving security posture and minimizing the potential for unauthorized access. By implementing proper controls, approval processes, and monitoring mechanisms, organizations can effectively manage temporary elevated access and maintain a secure and compliant environment. Automating this process can make ensuring elevated access security even easier.

What is the importance of temporary elevated access?

Temporary elevated access is crucial for identity and access management (IAM), as it balances user productivity and flexibility with the need to secure access. This approach ensures that users have only the necessary privileges to perform their tasks, separating their regular access rights from temporary elevated privileges. Additionally, monitoring and logging activities during the elevated access period provide accountability and a real-time audit trail for review and investigation.

Temporary elevated access follows the concept of just-in-time (JIT) access, granting privileges only when needed and for a limited duration, which helps mitigate the risk of privilege abuse and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

How is break-glass access different from temporary elevated access?

Temporary elevated access andbreak-glass access are related concepts in the context of cybersecurity, particularly in scenarios where quick, emergency access to critical systems or resources is required. While they serve similar purposes, there are some distinctions between use cases for the two:

Temporary elevated access refers to the granting of elevated privileges to users for a specific duration and purpose and is typically planned in advance and follows a defined approval process. This is commonly used for tasks that fall outside a user’s regular privileges and is time limited. The privileges are revoked once the designated time frame expires.

Break-glass access, on the other hand, refers to emergency or contingency access granted to authorized individuals during critical situations. It is often used in cases where there is an urgent need for access to critical systems or data, such as during a system failure, security incident, or operational disruption. Break-glass access allows designated individuals to bypass regularaccess controls and quickly gain elevated privileges to resolve the emergency. It is typically used as a last resort and is subject to strict controls and monitoring to prevent misuse.

In summary, while both temporary elevated access and break-glass access involve granting elevated privileges, the key difference lies in the context and purpose. Temporary elevated access is planned, time limited, and used for specific tasks, while break-glass access is an emergency measure to gain immediate access to critical systems during unforeseen events. Both practices aim to balance security and access needs, but break-glass access focuses on rapid response and resolution in critical situations.

How do you implement temporary elevated access?

Implementing temporary elevated access involves a workflow with several steps to ensure proper security and control. Here’s a general outline of the process:

1. Identify the need: Determine the specific scenarios or tasks that require temporary elevated access. Clearly define the purpose, duration, and scope of the elevated privileges needed.
2. Establish an approval process: Define and create a formal approval process for granting temporary elevated access. Determine the roles or individuals responsible for reviewing and authorizing access requests. This may involve app owners, managers, or designated administrators who can authenticate the need for elevated privileges.
3. Define access levels: Determine the levels of elevated access needed for different tasks or roles. Identify the specific permissions, privileges, or roles that users require during their temporary access period. Document these access levels for consistent and controlled implementation.
4. Access request and provisioning: Establish a process for users to request temporary elevated access, which can be through an access request or ticketing system. The request should include the reason, duration, and justification for the elevated privileges. Once approved, the access can be provisioned using appropriate tools or methods.
5. Time-limited access: Implement mechanisms to enforce time limits on elevated access, either through automation tools or manual processes. This ensures that access is automatically revoked once the designated time period elapses.
6. Monitoring and auditing: Implement monitoring and auditing mechanisms to track activities performed during the elevated access period, to help ensure accountability and detect any unauthorized or malicious actions. Logs, alerts, and audit trails provide visibility into user actions and facilitate investigations if needed.
7. Revocation and deprovisioning: Establish a process for timely revocation and deprovisioning of temporary elevated access. Once the designated access period ends or the task is completed, revoke the elevated privileges to minimize potential risks.
8. Training and awareness: Provide training and awareness programs for users and administrators involved in the temporary elevated access process. Educate about the importance of elevated access control, security best practices, and responsibilities in managing temporary access privileges.

By following these steps, organizations can implement temporary elevated access in a controlled and secure manner, ensuring that users have the necessary privileges for their designated tasks while minimizing security risks associated with prolonged or unnecessary elevated access.

Summary

Temporary elevated access refers to the process or automation of granting users temporary or short-term privileges that exceed their standard access levels. This strikes a balance between granting users the necessary entitlements to carry out specific tasks efficiently while improving security posture and minimizing the potential for unauthorized user access. Temporary elevated access is planned and provisionedjust-in-time, whereas break-glass access, a related form of time-bound access, refers to access granted in emergency situations.

Implementing proper controls and processes, organizations can effectively use temporary elevated access while maintaining a secure and compliant environment. Temporary elevated access is an important component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, enabling organizations to enhance security, maintain compliance, and minimize risks.

To learn more about how ConductorOne’sidentity governance (IGA) solution can help you implement temporary elevated access, check out ourproduct tour, orchat with us!