Cybersecurity
OT and ICS Cybersecurity: A Practical Guide to IEC 62443
Industrial environments cannot be secured like an office network. A practical approach to visibility, segmentation and monitoring that respects safety and uptime.
Key takeaways
- Start with discovery — most organizations have far more privileged accounts than they think.
- Vault and rotate the most powerful credentials first: domain, cloud root, database and backup admins.
- Move from standing privilege to just-in-time elevation with approval and expiry.
- Record and review privileged sessions on critical systems.
Why privileged access matters
Administrator, service and cloud root accounts can change configurations, read any data and disable security tools. Attackers know this: once they obtain privileged credentials, ransomware deployment or data theft follows quickly. Privileged Access Management (PAM) reduces both the number of powerful credentials and the time they are usable.
What a PAM programme covers
- Discovery of privileged accounts across Active Directory, servers, databases, network devices, cloud and SaaS.
- Vaulting and rotation of shared and service account passwords and keys.
- Just-in-time (JIT) access that grants elevation only when needed, for a limited time, with approval.
- Session management — brokered, recorded and monitored sessions to critical systems.
- Endpoint privilege management that removes local admin rights from users.
- Secrets management for applications, scripts and CI/CD pipelines.
A rollout order that works
| Stage | Scope | Why first |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domain admins, cloud root and global admins | Highest blast radius |
| 2 | Backup, hypervisor and security tool admins | Targeted by ransomware operators |
| 3 | Database and critical application admins | Direct access to sensitive data |
| 4 | Network and OT administrators | Infrastructure control |
| 5 | Service accounts and application secrets | Hard to change; needs testing |
| 6 | Workstation local admin removal | Large user impact; needs change management |
Avoiding common pitfalls
- Breaking service accounts — rotating a password used by an undocumented scheduled task causes outages. Map dependencies before rotation.
- Break-glass gaps — keep tested emergency accounts, stored securely, for when the PAM platform itself is unavailable.
- Recording without reviewing — session recordings only help if high-risk sessions are reviewed or analysed automatically.
- Exemptions that become permanent — time-limit every exception.
Evidence and compliance
ISO 27001 Annex A, SOC 2 and PCI DSS all require privileged access to be restricted, reviewed and logged. A PAM platform produces the access reviews, approvals and session logs auditors ask for.
Measuring success
Track the number of standing privileged accounts, the percentage of privileged credentials vaulted, average elevation duration, and the proportion of privileged sessions recorded. A falling count of standing privilege is the clearest sign of progress.
Next step: our Cybersecurity Solutions team designs and deploys PAM platforms vendor-neutrally.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between IAM and PAM?
IAM manages identities and access for everyone. PAM is a specialised subset focused on high-risk administrative and service accounts.
Can PAM work in hybrid and multi-cloud environments?
Yes. Modern PAM platforms cover on-premises systems, cloud consoles, Kubernetes and SaaS administration.
How long does a PAM deployment take?
Initial vaulting of the most critical accounts can be completed in six to ten weeks; full coverage typically takes six to twelve months.
NAZZTEC Editorial TeamWritten and reviewed by NAZZTEC practitioners. This briefing is general guidance, not legal advice.
