Just-In-Time Access

What is Just-in-Time access?

Just-in-time Access (JIT), also known as Just-in-time Privileged Access or Just-in-Time Privileged Access Management, is an approach to managing user access to critical systems and resources. Unlike traditional access methods where users have continuous access privileges, JIT access provides temporary, limited access only when needed. This ensures that users are granted access only for the time required to accomplish a specific task, minimizing the overall threat pool and the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Benefits of Just-in-Time access

• Enhanced security: Temporary access limits exposure to privileged accounts, reducing the likelihood of misuse or exploitation by unauthorized users or malicious insiders.
• Compliance adherence: JIT access helps organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by enforcing strict controls over access to sensitive data and resources.
• Improved visibility: By implementing JIT access, organizations gain better visibility into who accesses what, when, and for what purpose, aiding in auditing and monitoring efforts.
• Quick response to changes: JIT access allows for agile provisioning and de-provisioning of access rights, enabling organizations to respond promptly to changing business needs or personnel changes.

Types of Just-in-Time access

There are several types of JIT access, including:

• Privileged access: Temporary access to privileged accounts or systems for administrative tasks or sensitive operations.
• Resource access: Temporary access to specific resources or data repositories required for a particular task or project.
• Application access: Temporary access to applications or software platforms for development, testing, or troubleshooting.

How to enable Just-in-time access

To implement JIT access effectively, organizations should follow these steps:

• Assessment: Identify critical systems, resources, and privileged accounts that require access controls. Companies should also evaluate the current secrets management tools in use across the organization.
• Policy definition: Define access policies based on least privilege principles, specifying who can request access, for what duration, and under what circumstances.
• Automation: Implement automation tools or platforms to streamline the provisioning and de-provisioning temporary access rights, ensuring efficiency and accuracy.
• Authentication and authorization: Implement robust authentication mechanisms and enforce strict authorization controls to verify users’ identities and grant access only to authorized individuals.
• Monitoring and auditing: Implement robust monitoring and auditing capabilities to track access requests, approvals, and activities, ensuring compliance and detecting suspicious or unauthorized behavior.

Examples of Just-in-time access

Some examples of JIT access include:

• Temporary administrative access: Grant temporary administrative privileges to IT staff for system maintenance or troubleshooting tasks.
• Developer access: Provide temporary access to development environments or code repositories for software development or testing purposes.
• Third-party access: Allow temporary access to external vendors or contractors for specific projects or collaborations.
• Emergency access: Grant temporary access to designated personnel during emergencies or critical incidents to perform essential tasks.
• Data access: Temporarily access sensitive data or databases for data analysis, reporting, or compliance-related activities.

What next?

Just-in-time Access (JIT) is a significant advancement in managing user access to critical systems and resources, offering benefits such as reduced attack surface, enhanced security, compliance adherence, improved visibility, and agility in response to changes. 

However, as technology evolves and threats become more sophisticated, a comprehensive solution like Entro provides a superior approach to managing secrets and non-human identities. Entro goes beyond the scope of traditional JIT access by offering a complete secrets management solution. It provides in-depth secret visibility across all realms, real-time monitoring and protection, and proactive identification and remediation of secret risks. 

With Entro, organizations can govern secrets from a single pane of glass, ensuring secrets management in zero trust environments. Entro allows you to view any secrets whose access has been given for more than necessary. Armed with this insight, you can revoke access to those secrets, ultimately strengthening the security posture of your systems and safeguarding them against emerging threats.