1. What does Privileged Access Management (PAM) involve in CyberArk?
Ans:
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the practice of securing, monitoring, and controlling access to critical accounts and sensitive systems within an organization. It minimizes the risk of unauthorized activity, maintains accountability, and helps meet compliance requirements. PAM encompasses securely storing credentials in encrypted vaults, supervising privileged sessions, enforcing strict access controls, and protecting sensitive resources from misuse, misuse, or cyber threats.
2. How do Password Vaulting and Session Monitoring differ in CyberArk?
Ans:
Password Vaulting is the process of securely storing privileged credentials within the CyberArk Vault and automating periodic password updates to ensure their protection. Session Monitoring, in contrast, observes the live activities of privileged users, recording all actions to create audit trails for compliance and security oversight. While vaulting secures the credentials themselves, session monitoring ensures proper usage, detects unusual behavior, and provides accountability, forming a complete privileged access security system.
3. What is the primary purpose of the CyberArk Vault?
Ans:
The CyberArk Vault serves as a highly secure, encrypted storage platform for privileged credentials, secrets, and SSH keys. It restricts access to only authorized users and systems, ensures automatic password rotation, and generates detailed audit logs. By centralizing sensitive account storage, the Vault improves operational security, helps meet compliance requirements, and enables reliable management of privileged accounts across the organization.
4. How are privileged accounts different from standard user accounts?
Ans:
Privileged accounts have elevated access rights that allow users to perform administrative functions, configure systems, or access sensitive data. Regular user accounts, on the other hand, have limited access and cannot perform high-level operations. Due to the critical level of access, privileged accounts require stricter security measures, continuous monitoring, and automated password management to prevent misuse. Proper governance of these accounts is essential to maintain enterprise security and regulatory compliance.
5. What roles do CPM and PVWA serve in CyberArk, and how do they operate?
Ans:
The Central Policy Manager (CPM) automates key backend functions such as password management, rotation schedules, and policy enforcement for privileged accounts. Password Vault Web Access (PVWA) provides a secure web interface for users and administrators to request, access, and manage credentials. Together, CPM and PVWA streamline privileged access workflows, ensure consistent enforcement of policies, and simplify credential management while maintaining secure oversight of sensitive accounts.
6. What is a CyberArk trigger, and why is it useful?
Ans:
A CyberArk trigger is an automated function that initiates predefined actions based on specific events, such as password changes, session starts, or access requests. Triggers enforce security policies automatically, generate alerts, or run scripts without manual intervention. By automating these processes, triggers ensure consistent privileged account management, reduce human error, and strengthen the organization’s overall security framework.
7. How do Safes differ from the Vault in CyberArk?
Ans:
While the Vault is the central encrypted storage system for all privileged credentials, a Safe is a logical container within the Vault that groups credentials based on teams, applications, or access requirements. Safes provide a structured approach to organize credentials, support role-based access control, and allow granular management of sensitive accounts. Administrators can assign permissions, monitor activity, and maintain an organized and secure environment using Safes.
8. Why are policies important in CyberArk?
Ans:
Policies in CyberArk define rules for managing privileged accounts, including password complexity, rotation intervals, access rights, and session oversight. They ensure that accounts are used securely, maintain compliance with regulatory standards, and minimize the risk of unauthorized access. Properly configured policies improve governance, enhance security, and enforce standardized procedures for privileged account management across the organization.
9. What is session recording in CyberArk, and why is it critical?
Ans:
Session recording captures the real-time activities of privileged users, producing a detailed audit trail for compliance and security reviews. Administrators can replay recorded sessions to investigate suspicious activity, detect anomalies, and maintain accountability for privileged access. This feature mitigates insider threats, increases operational transparency, and allows organizations to monitor privileged access effectively and efficiently.
10. How does automated account management differ from manual management in CyberArk?
Ans:
Manual account management involves administrators updating passwords, granting access, and monitoring usage manually, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. Automated account management, using tools like CPM and PVWA, handles password rotation, policy enforcement, and session oversight automatically. Automation reduces human error, ensures compliance with organizational and regulatory standards, and strengthens the security of privileged accounts while providing consistent and streamlined operations.
Fees Starts From
