What is the Difference Between MFA and PAM?

Only 10.2% of organizations use fully-onboarded privileged access management (PAM) solutions. Therefore, you may be wondering about the difference between privileged access management tools and MFA. Are these technologies the same thing, or do they have specialist roles? 

That’s the topic of this post. We look at what sets the two technologies apart and whether to implement them in your enterprise. By the end, you should have a clearer idea of the security they offer and what to use them for. 

What is the Difference Between MFA and PAM?

MFA (multi-factor authentication) authenticates legitimate system users while PAM manages access rights and determines individuals’ privileges on the network. 

For example, multi-factor authentication might involve entering a hexadecimal password and confirming the user’s identity via another channel (i.e. sending a six-number passcode to their phone). Meanwhile, PAM could include activities by software or administrators to limit authenticated user access to specific files or network management tools. 

Even so, MFA and PAM can work together. MFA is best for defending against external threats, while PAM is superior for deterring and catching internal “bad actors.”

For example, suppose a hacker obtains a legitimate user password using keylogging malware installed on an employee’s device. Two-factor authentication prevents them from accessing critical systems, even if they have the password. 

By contrast, PAM reduces the threat from authentic users. The software can detect harmful activities and lock users out of specific systems or data if it believes it is under threat. 

What is the Difference between an IAM Engineer and a PAM Engineer?

An IAM (identity and access management) engineer is a professional who focuses on managing the access rights of all employees across an organization. Their job is to add or remove users, define what they can access, and approve colleague requests to get into specific systems. By contrast, PAM focuses on accounts with privileged access rights (i.e. those capable of making substantive changes to company systems and data). Roles include monitoring user sessions to detect suspicious activity and applying just-in-time access policies (only allowing employees to use specific areas of the network when their jobs require it). 

PAM vs IAM vs IGA (identity governance and administration) is another area of confusion. IGA is a form of meta-security, ensuring companies follow established regulations and guidelines when reviewing user privileges. Don’t confuse it with the other two. 

Why is MFA more Secure Than 2FA?

MFA can be more secure than 2FA (two-factor authentication) if it requires additional authentication steps. For example, 2FA might require entering a password and clicking a link sent to the user’s email address. By contrast, MFA could include entering answers to secret questions, logging a passcode sent via SMS, and using an authenticator device. 

Another 2FA vs MFA example could be as follows: 

• 2FA: Enter a password and confirm login via an email link
• MFA: Enter a password, click a link sent to an authenticator app on a primary terminal, enter an SMS passcode sent to the user’s phone

However, the 2FA-MFA meaning can be interchangeable, and in the two-factor case, they are identical.

MFA vs 2FA vs SSO (single sign-on) is another debate. While MFA and 2FA are highly secure, they aren’t always efficient. It takes time to enter passwords, click links, and answer secret questions. SSO gets around this by allowing users to log in to a platform once from multiple locations. Users can have “trusted devices” that grant them access quickly. 

What Does PAM Mean in IAM?

The primary IAM and PAM difference is who they target: PAM deals with a subset of IAM users. As noted above, PAM concerns managing access for privileged users, while IAM focuses on all users (including those who don’t have special network administrator rights). 

What is the Difference Between Privileged Identity Management and Privileged Access Management?

Privileged identity management (PIM) and PAM are broadly similar activities (with many professionals using the terms interchangeably). However, PIM deals with issues one level up by ensuring that only authorized individuals have privileged accounts and that they only retain them for as long as necessary. PAM tools, such as Lumos are more concerned with specific methods to enhance security (i.e. implementing just-in-time access).

What is PAM Software Used For?

Ultimately, IAM and PAM tools improve security and prevent internal threats from harming company networks or data. Companies can use them for: 

• Enforcing the principle of least privilege
• Monitoring privileged user sessions and checking for harmful activity
• Reducing the manual work involved in granting and managing access

Contact Lumos today to schedule a free demo and discover how easy PAM and MFA are when you have the right software.