Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management
Gartner defines privileged access management (PAM) as tools that manage and protect accounts, credentials and commands that offer an elevated level of technical access to administer or configure systems and applications. Available as software, SaaS or hardware appliances, PAM tools manage privileged access for people (system administrators and others) and machines (systems or applications). PAM tools fall into two categories: those focused on privileged accounts (discovering, securing credentials, vaulting, rotating, and brokering access with session control) and those focused on privileged commands (providing command control by allowing specific actions and optionally elevating privileges temporarily). All PAM tools provide visibility and observability through tracking, recording, and auditing privileged access. The combination of controls enables just-in-time privilege management to enforce least privilege principles.
Vendors must, among other requirements:
A: This research evaluates 11 vendors in the Privileged Access Management market across four distinct tool categories: Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM), Privilege Elevation and Delegation Management (PEDM), Secrets Management, and Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM). The research assesses vendors based on their ability to execute (including product capabilities, viability, sales execution, pricing, market responsiveness, marketing execution, customer experience, and operations) and completeness of vision (including market understanding, marketing strategy, sales strategy, product strategy, business model, vertical/industry strategy, innovation, and geographic strategy). The evaluation covers capabilities for managing privileged access for both people and machines across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
A: This research should be used by security and risk management leaders, IAM professionals, IT infrastructure teams, and vendor selection committees who are evaluating, selecting, or replacing PAM solutions. It is particularly valuable for organizations that need to: understand the competitive landscape of PAM vendors; compare vendor capabilities across PASM, PEDM, secrets management, and CIEM; make informed decisions when shortlisting vendors for RFPs; understand market trends and emerging capabilities in PAM; assess vendor viability and strategic direction; align PAM tool selection with specific use cases such as remote access, DevOps secrets management, or cloud entitlement management; meet cybersecurity insurance requirements; and mature their PAM practices beyond basic controls.
A: Vendors must provide centralized management and enforcement of privileged access by controlling either access to privileged accounts and credentials OR execution of privileged commands (or both). They must also manage and broker privileged access to authorized users (system administrators, operators, help desk staff) on a temporary basis. Additionally, vendors must meet at least 3 of 5 technical categories: credential vaulting, session management/remote access, secrets management, agent-based privilege elevation (PEDM), or cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM).
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A: Ability to Execute focuses on current capabilities and market presence - evaluating product quality, financial viability, sales effectiveness, pricing, customer experience, and operational execution. It measures how well vendors deliver today. Completeness of Vision assesses future strategy and innovation - examining market understanding, product roadmap, business model, innovation capacity, and strategic direction across markets, industries, and geographies. It evaluates vendors' ability to anticipate and shape future market needs.