Comprehensive Guide to Endpoint Privilege Management

To maximize network security by leveraging ManageEngine Endpoint Central's Application Control, we have curated a list of expert-recommended application control policies.

1. Minimal application privileges to combat insider attacks

   While users across the enterprise require varied levels of application access privileges, unnecessary elevated privileges pose security risks, including insider attacks and targeted credential hacking.
   Enabling elevated privileges to the required users can be managed instantaneously by grouping applications that require elevated privileges and mapping them to user groups, based on the usage and the elevated access requirements. This approach implements the principle of least privilege (POLP), reducing the risk of insider attacks.

2. Revoke local admin privileges from standard users or users who don't require them

   To keep such security risks at bay, it is recommended to Admin credentials provide unrestricted access to critical systems as it is the highest level of privileges within an enterprise. Granting these to users without proper precautions can put the enterprise's entire digital infrastructure at risk, in the event of an insider attack or through malicious threat actors.
   To mitigate risks, limit access to admin credentials by creating a list of authorized users who should retain their local admin privileges while removing privileges for all the other users.

3. Just-in-Time access - for unforeseen cases of elevated privilege requirements

   While elevated privileges should be limited, temporary access may be needed for specific tasks to standard or unrelated users.
   For instance, a sysadmin in the organization may need to perform a software installation or a system update that requires admin-level privileges on an end-user system. Since the end-user doesn't require admin-level privileges, this might turn out to be a roadblock.
   To tackle such instances, admins can deploy Just-in-Time access - a form of temporary elevated privilege management. With this functionality, elevated privilege access can be set for a specific window, and upon its completion, the elevated privileges would automatically be revoked. While this provides the optimal window and privileges for the required task completion, it also ensures that users aren't presented with permanent admin privileges, thereby reducing further chances of insider attacks.