What Is Privilege Creep?

Privilege creep is a cybersecurity term that describes the gradual accumulation of network access levels beyond what an individual needs to do their job. Users need specific privileges to perform tasks and job functions. These privileges can include accessing sensitive data, installing new programs, updating software, configuring networks, adding new users and more. Not every user needs to be granted all privileges to do their job. Privilege creep increases the security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit which can result in a data breach of an organization’s sensitive data. 

Continue reading to learn more about privilege creep, how it happens, the cybersecurity risks of privilege creep and how to prevent it from happening to your organization.

How Does Privilege Creep Happen?

Privilege creep happens due to poor Privilege Access Management (PAM). PAM is the process of protecting and managing accounts that have privileges to access sensitive systems and information. Without a centralized PAM system, organizations allow users to build up more privileges than they need over time. 

Here are some of the scenarios in which users can accumulate privileges:

• Managers are generous with credentials to privileged accounts for their employees to avoid going through the IT department to do simple tasks.
• Employees switch roles and departments obtaining new privileges without removing previous privileges.
• Employees need temporary privileges to do a task but those privileges are not removed after finishing the task.
• Employees leave the organization, and IT departments forget to deactivate the account and remove their privileges.

The Cybersecurity Risks of Privilege Creep

Privilege creep can often lead to data breaches of an organization’s sensitive data which can ruin the organization’s reputation and have substantial financial impact. Here are the cybersecurity risks of privilege creep.

Expanded attack surface

An attack surface refers to all of the possible entry points where cybercriminals can access a system and steal data. Privilege creep can expand an organization’s attack surface as it allows cybercriminals to laterally move across its network. 

Lateral movement is a technique cybercriminals use to gain higher access within an organization’s network. If users have obtained more privileges than they need, they allow cybercriminals to move laterally to have broad control over the organization’s network and access sensitive data.

Insider threat

An insider threat is a cyber threat that happens within an organization. Insider threats occur when current or former employees, partners, contractors or vendors cause sensitive data and systems to become compromised – whether intentional or unintentional. 

Privilege creep can lead to data breaches from insider threats. Malicious insiders can misuse privileges to access and compromise an organization’s sensitive data. However, insider threats are not always the result of malicious intent. Negligent employees can unintentionally compromise an organization’s sensitive data by falling victim to phishing attacks that allow cybercriminals to access sensitive systems and data.

Non-compliance

Privilege creep is a security risk that can result in data breaches and expose an organization’s sensitive data. Organizations need to adhere to regulatory and industry compliance frameworks that protect sensitive data. Regulatory compliance such as HIPAA, GDPR, SOX and FDDC require special management and auditing for privileged user accounts within organizations. Privilege creep prevents organizations from being able to adhere to these regulatory requirements.

How To Prevent Privilege Creep

Organizations can protect their sensitive data and prevent privilege creep by doing the following.

Enforce least privilege access

The best way to prevent privilege creep is by enforcing least privilege access. Least privilege access is a cybersecurity concept that gives users just enough network access to do their jobs and no more. It prevents users from accessing resources they do not need and limits what each user can do with those resources. 

Least privilege access can prevent privilege creep from happening by reducing an organization’s attack surface and making it difficult for cybercriminals to breach the entire network. If a threat actor were to breach an organization, they would be unable to move laterally and be limited to the privileges of the account they compromised.

Implement role-based access control

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) defines roles and privileges to restrict systems access to authorized users. It determines privileges to specific sensitive data and systems based on who should be accessing them, why they are accessing them and how long they need to access them. RBAC then defines the role of each member within an organization and what level of access each member needs to do their job. 

RBAC restricts a user’s ability to access systems and data to the minimum required for their task and no more. A user’s role determines the level of specific network access they’re granted. Users should not be able to access any resources outside of their assigned jobs and should be restricted on the use of the resources they can access.

Assume zero trust

Zero trust is a security framework that removes implicit trust by requiring all human users and devices to be continuously and explicitly validated, and strictly limits access to network systems and data. Zero trust does not focus on where users log in, but on who they are. 

The three core principles of zero trust are:

1. Assume breach: Rather than trusting every user trying to access an organization’s network, zero trust assumes every user could be compromised and lead to a security breach.
2. Verify explicitly: To gain access to an organization’s network, zero trust requires all humans and machines to continuously prove that they are who they say they are.
3. Ensure least privilege: After gaining access to an organization’s network, users are limited to the minimum amount of network access they need to perform their jobs.

By assuming zero trust, organizations can prevent privilege creep by ensuring least privilege access which helps to reduce their attack surface. Zero trust makes it difficult for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to an organization’s network and move laterally across it.

Use a PAM solution

A PAM solution allows organizations to easily implement least privilege access as it provides full visibility and control over their entire data infrastructure. With PAM, organizations can see who is accessing their networks, applications, servers and devices. A PAM solution helps organizations manage user privileges. Organizations can control the amount of privileges each user has, who can access certain accounts and the password security of privileged accounts. PAM solutions help improve an organization’s operations and security. Organizations can easily manage privileges and prevent privilege creep from occurring.

Regularly audit privileges

Organizations need to regularly audit privileges to prevent privilege creep. They need to check privileges to ensure users have enough privileges to access what they need to do their jobs and remove any privileges they do not need. Auditing privileges helps get rid of any legacy accounts that do not need access to specific resources anymore. Organizations can easily audit privileges using a PAM solution.

Use Keeper® To Prevent Privilege Creep

The best way to prevent privilege creep is with a PAM solution. A PAM solution allows organizations to implement least privilege access and easily manage user privileges. With a PAM solution, organizations can see what privileges users have and how they are being used. They can audit privileges and prevent privilege creep from occurring. 

KeeperPAM™ is a privileged access management solution that helps organizations achieve complete visibility, security and control over every privileged user on every device. It combines Keeper Enterprise Password Manager (EPM), Keeper Secrets Manager® (KSM) and Keeper Connection Manager® (KCM) to help simplify privileged access management.

Request a demo of KeeperPAM to help prevent privilege creep from occurring in your organization.