Introduction to Privileged Session Recording

Accountability is a cornerstone of effective cybersecurity, especially when it comes to privileged sessions. It ensures that users are responsible for their actions and that there is a clear trail of who did what, when, and how.

One powerful tool that ensures accountability is session recording, which has revolutionised the way we approach Privileged Access Management (PAM) and secure privileged sessions.

What is Session Recording?

It is a cutting-edge feature found in advanced PAM and SIEM solutions. It allows organisations to capture and record their user activities. This includes logging keystrokes, capturing screen activity, recording file transfers, and monitoring system configuration changes, among other things.

Think of privileged session capturing as a security camera for your digital infrastructure. Just as physical security cameras help deter crime and provide evidence when incidents occur, it serves a similar purpose in the digital realm.

In PAM, it focuses on capturing the activities of users with elevated privileges, such as system and database administrators, privileged users or other high-level IT personnel. This feature is crucial because these sessions are of high importance and deal with critical data and infrastructure.

How Session Recording Helps Enterprises?

Enhanced Security: According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach report, it takes more than 200 days to identify a breach on average. By monitoring recording privileged user activities, organisations can proactively prevent security threats or misuse of privileges.

Compliance: Many industries are subject to strict regulatory requirements, especially regarding privileged sessions. Logging sessions helps organisations meet these compliance standards by providing a detailed audit trail of privileged user activity.

Incident Response: When a security incident happens, recorded sessions can be invaluable for forensic analysis. They can help teams understand how the incident occurred and provides insights for preventing similar issues in the future.

Training and Onboarding: Recorded sessions can serve as excellent training materials for new employees, demonstrating best practices and common procedures.

Troubleshooting: IT teams can use it to record privileged sessions to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues more efficiently.

Session recording typically works through the following process:

1. Initiation: When a privileged user starts a session, the recording feature is automatically triggered.

2. Data Capture: The system captures various data types during the session, including screen activity, keystrokes, file transfers, and system changes.

3. Real-time Monitoring: Some advanced systems allow for real-time monitoring of active sessions, enabling immediate intervention if suspicious activity is detected.

4. Storage: Recorded sessions are securely stored, often with encryption to protect sensitive data.

5. Playback and Analysis: Authorised personnel can review recorded sessions for auditing, training, or investigative purposes.

Best Practices for Recording Privileged Sessions

To enhance the effectiveness of capturing privileged sessions, consider the following best practices:

1. Selective Recording: Focus on recording the most critical systems and privileged sessions than attempting to record everything.

2. Clear Policies: Establish and communicate clear policies regarding the recording of privileged sessions to all users.

3. Regular Reviews: Implement a process for regularly reviewing recorded privileged sessions to identify potential security issues or policy violations.

4. Secure Storage: Ensure that recorded privileged sessions are stored securely and protected from unauthorised access.

5. Integration with PAM: Record privileged sessions as part of a comprehensive PAM solution for maximum effectiveness.

6. User Training: Educate privileged users about the purpose and importance of recording privileged sessions to foster a culture of security awareness.

7. Compliance Alignment: Ensure that your privileged session capturing practices align with relevant regulatory requirements and cybersecurity best practices.

Record Privileged Sessions with Sectona

When implementing session recording for privileged sessions, it’s essential to consider it as part of a broader strategy for insider threat mitigation.

The Sectona Security Platform offers a user-friendly module that includes advanced session capturing capabilities, helping organisations improve visibility and strengthen governance around access to critical organisational networks. The solution automates user activity logging for different types of privileged sessions.

By leveraging Sectona’s PAM solution, organisations can not only implement effective session recording but also benefit from a range of other features designed to secure privileged accounts and streamline access management journey.