What is a privileged access workstation (PAW)?

A privileged access workstation (PAW) is a highly secure and isolated computing environment used only for security-critical tasks. It is often a dedicated workstation or virtual machine that’s physically or logically separated from the broader network.

The goal of a PAW is to provide authorized users with a safe environment to carry out sensitive tasks, without risking security breaches that may happen on a general-use computer.

Here’s how you can set up a privileged access workstation inside your organizational network:

Phase 1 – Implementing PAWs

1. Start by choosing dedicated hardware that’s separate from general-use devices. Each PAW should have its own secure, isolated device, whether it’s a physical workstation or a virtual machine.
2. Install a secure, minimal version of your OS, such as Windows Enterprise or a hardened Linux version on the device. To keep the attack surface to a minimum, don’t install any non-essential software on the OS.
3. Configure a strong authentication mechanism for logging in to the PAW. Examples can be adaptive MFA or biometric authentication.
4. Limit PAW access permissions to only the necessary levels for each user. Users with access to the PAW should only be able to see and interact with the applications and data they need.
5. Disable or limit internet access for PAWs. Ideally, PAWs should only be forming the strictly necessary connections, like those to internal servers.
6. Add antivirus, anti-malware and other endpoint protection tools to the PAWs to protect them from common attack vectors.

Phase 2 – Deploying PAWs

1. Use a centralized device management tool to set policies, enforce compliance and push updates to each PAW.
2. Assign PAWs to specific users who need them, such as IT admins and system managers. Make it clear to all these users that PAWs are for security-critical tasks only.
3. Before rolling them out, run a final security check on each PAW to verify that it meets security standards. For example, you may scan for vulnerabilities, check that all security controls are in place and verify compliance with regulatory standards.
4. After deployment, keep an eye on device activity. Use monitoring tools to track logins, access patterns and any unusual behavior.

No, privileged access workstations don’t have to be physical devices. They can also be set up as virtual machines (VMs). However, when setting up a virtual PAW, you’ll need to apply extra security measures to make them as secure as physical workstations. Here are some tips:

• Separate the PAW VM’s network from general networks to minimize exposure to potential threats.
• Encrypt the sensitive data or configuration files stored in the VM, both at rest and in transit. This prevents unauthorized access in case of a data breach.
• Just like physical PAWs, virtual ones need to stay updated. Schedule regular patches for both the VM and any security software installed on it.

A PAW and a jump server, while both used to restrict access to sensitive resources, operate on fundamentally different principles.

As we saw above, PAWs are dedicated devices used by high-level users to perform sensitive tasks. On the other hand, a jump server is an intermediary device that gives users a way to connect to protected resources, without exposing those resources directly to the internet or other networks.

Other differences include:

• PAWs are generally assigned to a single user for private, secure use, while jump servers allow multiple users to access different resources.
• PAWs are used directly by admins to handle secure tasks, whereas jump servers are just gateways that control access to other systems.
• The focus of a PAW is to create a self-contained, isolated secure environment, while jump servers enforce network-level security by regulating access to critical resources.

Here are some best practices that will help you create hardened PAWs:

• Use PAWs strictly for privileged or sensitive tasks and nothing else. Never use them for personal browsing, email or other non-secure activities.
• Provide training to PAW users on how to operate them securely. Emphasize the importance of practices like avoiding unapproved software and reporting any unusual activity.
• Use a modern IAM solution to manage the lifecycle of PAW identities automatically.
• Block USB drives, external hard drives and other removable media to prevent data leaks or malware.
• Schedule automatic backups for all your PAWs to safeguard important data and configurations. This will allow you to quickly recover in case of an incident.

Finally, here are some tangible business benefits of using PAWs:

• PAWs add an extra layer of protection around sensitive data and reduce the risk of accidental exposure. This helps organizations demonstrate compliance with industry security standards, such as NIST CSF and PCI DSS.
• Data breaches, particularly those involving sensitive data, can be very expensive for businesses due to fines and remediation efforts. By using PAWs to secure privileged access, companies can reduce their risk of breaches and avoid these potentially high costs.
• PAWs can be configured to log and monitor all actions on high-privilege tasks. This makes it easy to trace any unauthorized activity back to a specific workstation/user, which is invaluable during breach investigations.
• With PAWs, authorized users can perform sensitive tasks directly on a hardened workstation without needing to go through lengthy approval workflows each time. This reduces user frustration and boosts productivity.