#iso27002/2022/EN

## 8.2 Privileged access rights

| Control type | Information security properties           | Cybersecurity concepts | Operational capabilities        | Security domains |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| #Preventive  | #Confidentiality #Integrity #Availability | #Protect               | #Identity_and_access_management | #Protection      |

**Control**
The allocation and use of privileged access rights should be restricted and managed. 

**Purpose**
To ensure only authorized users, software components and services are provided with privileged access rights.

**Guidance**
The allocation of privileged access rights should be controlled through an authorization process in accordance with the relevant topic-specific policy on access control (see 5.15). The following should be considered:

a\) identifying users who need privileged access rights for each system or process (e.g. operating systems, database management systems and applications);

b\) allocating privileged access rights to users as needed and on an event-by-event basis in line with the topic-specific policy on access control (see 5.15) (i.e. only to individuals with the necessary competence to carry out activities that require privileged access and based on the minimum requirement for their functional roles);

c\) maintaining an authorization process (i.e. determining who can approve privileged access rights, or not granting privileged access rights until the authorization process is complete) and a record of all privileges allocated;

d\) defining and implementing requirements for expiry of privileged access rights;

e\) taking measures to ensure that users are aware of their privileged access rights and when they are in privileged access mode. Possible measures include using specific user identities, user interface settings or even specific equipment;

f\) authentication requirements for privileged access rights can be higher than the requirements for normal access rights. Re-authentication or authentication step-up can be necessary before doing work with privileged access rights;

g\) regularly, and after any organizational change, reviewing users working with privileged access rights in order to verify if their duties, roles, responsibilities and competence still qualify them for working with privileged access rights (see 5.18);

h\) establishing specific rules in order to avoid the use of generic administration user IDs (such as “root”), depending on systems’ configuration capabilities. Managing and protecting authentication information of such identities (see 5.17);

i\) granting temporary privileged access just for the time window necessary to implement approved changes or activities (e.g. for maintenance activities or some critical changes), rather than permanently granting privileged access rights. This is often referred as break glass procedure, and often automated by privilege access management technologies;

j\) logging all privileged access to systems for audit purposes;

k\) not sharing or linking identities with privileged access rights to multiple persons, assigning each person a separate identity which allows assigning specific privileged access rights. Identities can be grouped (e.g. by defining an administrator group) in order to simplify the management of privileged access rights;

l\) only using identities with privileged access rights for undertaking administrative tasks and not for day-to-day general tasks \[i.e. checking email, accessing the web (users should have a separate normal network identity for these activities)\].

**Other information**
Privileged access rights are access rights provided to an identity, a role or a process that allows the performance of activities that typical users or processes cannot perform. System administrator roles typically require privileged access rights.

Inappropriate use of system administrator privileges (any feature or facility of an information system that enables the user to override system or application controls) is a major contributory factor to failures or breaches of systems.

More information related to access management and the secure management of access to information and information and communications technologies resources can be found in ISO/IEC 29146.
