Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Entra PIM eliminates standing privileged access by requiring just-in-time role activation with approval workflows, MFA, and time limits -- so no one is a permanent Global Admin.
In many organizations, Global Admins and other privileged roles are permanently assigned. This means those accounts are always high-value targets -- compromise one, and you have permanent admin access. Privileged Identity Management (PIM) changes this by making privileged access temporary. Instead of being a permanent Global Admin, a user is "eligible" for the role. When they need it, they activate the role through PIM: they provide a reason, possibly get approval from another admin, pass an MFA challenge, and receive the role for a limited time (say 4 hours). When the time expires, the role is automatically removed. This means even if an attacker compromises the account, they do not get admin rights unless they can also pass the activation process.
Imagine a bank where no employee permanently holds the vault combination. When a manager needs to open the vault, they submit a request explaining why, a supervisor approves it, and the combination is revealed -- but it changes automatically after two hours. Every vault access is logged with who, when, why, and for how long. Entra PIM works identically: administrators do not permanently hold privileged roles. They request activation, provide justification, get approved, and receive time-limited access that automatically expires.
Key Takeaways
- PIM replaces permanent privileged role assignments with just-in-time, time-limited activation.
- Activation can require MFA, justification, and approval from designated administrators.
- Eliminate all permanent Global Admin assignments except monitored break-glass accounts.
- PIM for Groups extends just-in-time access to any security group membership.
- Monitor Entra ID audit logs for PIM activations from unexpected locations or at unusual times.
Standing privileged access is one of the biggest risks in any identity system. PIM eliminates it by ensuring that no one is a permanent admin -- even a compromised account yields no privileged access without passing activation controls.