Privileged Endpoint Management

Reduce risk by removing local administrator accounts and reduce IT help desk load

What is Privileged Endpoint Management?

Privileged Endpoint Management, or PEM, removes the need for local administrator accounts from the computers that every worker has access to every day. Traditionally this has prevented users from doing their work or caused increased workload for IT help desks.

PEM allows organisations to remove local administrator rights from users, while at the same time enabling them to have escalated privileges only for specific processes and executables. The balance tips back towards productivity while increasing the organisation’s security posture.

Common challenges facing IT and Security teams

Local admin accounts risk

Local administrator accounts were often created to reduce the number of calls to the IT help desk or because some previous user needed an administrator role. But these accounts as very risky: they could allow installation of malware of be used by an attacker to gain access to the corporate network.

Users install uncontrolled applications

A common reason for granting local admin rights is to allow installation or update of applications. But IT loses control over which applications or versions are being used. Potentially malware-infected apps or unlicensed software could be installed.

Help desks are overwhelmed

Removing local admin accounts generates increased help desk calls. For example, when a user needs to install some software to do their job, they'll call the help desk. Any delay leads to loss of productivity and end-user dis-satisfaction.

The Osirium solution

Remove local admin accounts

Local administrator accounts are highly valued by attackers so removing them as part of a "least privilege" strategy dramatically reduces the potential attack entry points.

Learning mode accelerates implementation

Running PEM in "learning mode" before enforcing control ensures that most applications that users actually need will be pre-approved avoiding the need for calls to the help desk. If additional applications are needed, a request to the help desk will have it added to a policy so there won't be a need for the request to be repeated.

Reduce the load on IT

Overall, IT have fewer requests for application installs or updates, they have audit trails of which applications are run with elevated privileges and end-users have a better experience.

Business benefits

Simple to manage

PEM is focused on managing application elevation
Learning mode builds a list of applications to approve before starting enforcement

Reduce Risk

Elevate only approved applications
Applications are elevated, not users
Audit trail of elevated applications

Easy for end-users

Accessed as usual via the application context menu
Request application approval via normal help desk processes

An overview of Privileged Endpoint Management

Read this short whitepaper to see how PEM can improve endpoint security and IT hel desk load.

Read the Overview Talk to an expert

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