Understanding Ephemeral Accounts in Cybersecurity
In the realm of cybersecurity audits, particularly those regarding compliance and cyber insurance, emphasis is placed on analyzing group memberships to discern access levels. This scrutiny typically reveals individuals with elevated privileges, including roles such as Domain Admin, Enterprise Admin, Local Administrator, Global Admin in Azure, and Root Access in AWS. Accounts assigned such extensive privileges generally entail static permissions, which can be classified as “game-over accounts.” A compromise of these accounts poses significant operational risks for an organization.
Moreover, there exist other accounts that, if breached, can inflict comparable damage. DevOps accounts and API keys often slip beneath the radar, frequently falling outside the ambit of compliance and cybersecurity insurance considerations.
Currently, a key term in the field of Privileged Access Management (PAM) is ephemeral accounts. Many organizations assert, “We don’t maintain static privileged accounts; we leverage ephemeral accounts.” The creation of an ephemeral account typically involves requesting access through a PAM solution, which generates an account with a random name and assigned privileges in real time. Organizations often favor ephemeral accounts for their ability to be easily created and removed, yet this operational convenience brings substantial security risks.
Challenges Posed by Ephemeral Accounts
There are inherent challenges associated with ephemeral accounts, particularly due to their randomly generated names and the real-time manner in which they are created and revoked. This makes it exceedingly difficult for security operations teams to ascertain critical information, including the identity of the account creator, the account’s intended purpose, the activities undertaken by the account, and whether such actions were authorized.
Industry experts are increasingly emphasizing the importance of understanding the risks associated with ephemeral accounts. A live virtual session has been organized to delve deeper into these challenges, highlighting alternative approaches such as just-in-time (JIT) privilege elevation, and methods to maintain operational efficiency while mitigating associated risks.
Ephemeral accounts can represent a significant concern for security teams, especially when endpoints log activities involving accounts with unclear identifiers, such as “admin-temp-as8d9e8” which hold AD Enterprise Admin rights and execute unidentified actions before being deleted. Such scenarios complicate the auditing process, leaving security teams with unresolved Security Identifiers (SIDs) that may linger in permissions or audit logs quickly overwritten by system activity.
Attackers often utilize strategies similar to those employed in the creation of ephemeral accounts to establish persistence within networks. It is crucial for organizations employing ephemeral accounts to monitor account creation and privilege elevation event IDs.
Mitigating Risks Associated with Ephemeral Accounts
To effectively circumvent the emergence of ephemeral accounts, organizations can leverage an Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solution to create privileged accounts that hold no inherent privileges. Such accounts can be assigned identifiable markers known only to the organization, allowing for easier recognition of their purpose. Personalizing accounts with user or application names furthers this understanding, connecting actions directly to their initiators.
Moreover, implementing a system where privileged accounts lack standing permissions significantly decreases potential attack surfaces. Regularly revoking unnecessary privileges ensures that accounts have no active access unless expressly required by operational needs. Incorporating JIT access allows administrators to obtain necessary privileges precisely when required, thereby enhancing security.
Benefits of a Comprehensive Approach
This strategic approach yields superior auditing capabilities and more accurate log data. Endpoints no longer reflect random, untraceable account names, but rather identifiable names associated with specific users or applications. Consequently, Security Operations teams gain clarity regarding account usage and function. Additionally, the risk of compromises is mitigated, as accounts enjoy privileges only during designated use periods; the PAM solution can automate password rotations and appropriate privilege revocations when accounts are inactive. Incident response teams find themselves better equipped to trace actions and identify potential threats within their environments.
About the Author: This article is authored by Richard Hosgood, a PAM Principal Presales Engineer at One Identity North America. With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, Richard has guided numerous organizations in strengthening their defenses against evolving threats. He brings a wealth of knowledge aligned with current trends in Privileged Access Management, Security Service Edge, Identity Governance, and more, positioning him as a trusted advisor for institutions striving to secure their digital environments effectively.
Richard Hosgood — PAM Principal Presales Engineer at One Identity North America
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