Access accumulates faster than it gets reviewed Users
Users gain rights over time — through role changes, project assignments, and one-off exceptions. Without active enforcement, the gap between what users need and what they have grows continuously.
Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management with Wallix PEDM
Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management (PEDM) enforces least privilege at the process level granting the right privilege, to the right process, at the right time.
Why eliminate admin accounts?
Admin accounts exist for convenience, not necessity
Most organisations give full admin rights because it's simpler than managing exceptions. The result is a permanently elevated attack surface on every machine where admin accounts exist.
Blocking risky processes without breaking legitimate work is difficult
Restricting what users can run — without also blocking the tools they need — requires granular control that most organisations don't have. The default is either too permissive or too disruptive.
Elevated actions are hard to evidence without monitoring
Auditors require proof of least-privilege enforcement. Without monitoring at the process level, organisations can't show who elevated what, when, and whether it was authorised.
The solution : Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management (PEDM)
Enforcing the principle of least privilege at the process level — using patented technology to assign privileges to processes, not users. Standard accounts can perform tasks that previously required admin rights, without the user ever holding elevated credentials.
4 Capabilities of Privilege Elevation and Delegation management
Fine-grained privilege control
Elevate or restrict privileges at the process and application level on Windows and Linux. Policies are applied by the local agent without affecting system performance.
Centralised policy management
Manage security policies from a single console with full Active Directory integration. Agents periodically update their policies and apply them offline — no persistent connection required.
File and folder protection
Implement folder rules to protect critical data from unauthorised modification. Monitor and control file system access alongside process-level privilege enforcement.
SIEM integration and event monitoring
Every elevated action is logged as an event. Monitoring integrates with your SIEM for behavioural analysis and provides the evidence trail required for compliance reporting.
Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management Use cases
On-demand process elevation
A standard user needs to run a specific application or script that requires elevated rights, without being given a full admin account.
Application whitelisting and blacklisting
Defining which processes can or cannot execute on a given endpoint, regardless of who's logged in.
Privilege delegation without credential sharing
A manager delegates a specific privileged task to a team member without sharing admin credentials.
Offline policy enforcement
Privilege Elevation and Delegation management (PEDM) agents apply security policies even when endpoints are disconnected from the network.
Elevation with approval workflow
A user requests elevation, a manager or ITSM system approves it, and access is granted for that session only.
The Impact of Privilege Elevation and Delegation management
Your Risk Factors
Admin account exposure
Lateral movement risk
Unauthorized process execution
Data and file integrity
Visibility into endpoint activity
Productivity impact
Without PEDM
Admin account exposure Users log in admin accounts by default, granting blanket access far beyond what any task requires.
Lateral movement risk Attackers exploit elevated accounts to move freely across systems
Unauthorized process execution No control over which applications or processes users can run
Data and file integrity Critical files can be modified or deleted without oversight
Visibility into endpoint activity Elevated actions go unmonitored — incidents surface too late
Productivity impact Locking down endpoints often means friction, workarounds, and IT tickets
With PEDM
Admin account exposure Users log in with standard accounts; admin-level privileges are granted temporarily, per task, under policy
Lateral movement risk Least privilege limits what any compromised account can reach or execute
Unauthorized process execution Privileges are tied to specific processes — not to the person running them
Data and file integrity Folder rules protect sensitive data from unauthorized changes
Visibility into endpoint activity Every elevated action is logged and for audit and compliance purposes
Productivity impact Security is applied at the OS level — invisible to end users, immediate in effect
Dig deeper
Resources for Privilege Elevation and Delegation management
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management
How can I enforce Zero-Standing Privilege with Privileged Access Management?
Zero-Standing Privilege ensures that no user maintains permanent admin rights in your infrastructure. Instead, privileges are granted dynamically, only during an active session or for a specific action, using a target account with elevated permissions.
How can I request admin rights when I actually need them?
Standard users can request temporary admin rights through a built-in approval workflow or an integrated ITSM tool such as ServiceNow or Jira Service Management. The request is reviewed against predefined security policies, and elevation is granted only for the specific session or process that requires it. Once the task is complete, privileges are automatically revoked — no standing access is left behind.
What does NIS2 require for privileged access management?
NIS2 Article 21 sets out a broad set of security obligations that directly implicate how organizations manage privileged access. The most relevant requirements include access control policies, asset management, human resources security, and security in system acquisition and maintenance — all of which map to specific ISO 27001 controls organizations are likely already working against.
