Just-In-Time Access

Just-in-time (JIT) access, also known as just-in-time privileged access management, entails providing users with granular access to specific resources only for the finite moments needed. A JIT access model minimizes the threat windows when access can be exploited by external attackers or misused by insiders.

Traditional access control methods provision permissions broadly and for an indefinite period, resulting in excessive permissions and higher risk of cyber exposure. The goal of a just-in-time permissions and access model is to grant ephemeral access to resources only as needed, reducing excess periods of access to sensitive systems or data. In addition, JIT access minimizes the risks of accumulated access privileges over time (privilege creep).

Providing only temporary or time-bound access is also an essential component of adhering to the principle of the least privilege and for enabling zero trust.

Just-in-time access is important to today's organizations because it mitigates the risks associated with standing privileges and access. Standing privileges are those privileges which are persistent, meaning they are "always on" and enabled. This means the permissions and access can always be used—whether by an insider, malware, or attacker.

The more accounts with unchecked privileges, and the longer the duration they have access, the more attack vectors exist on the network. Because accounts with standing privileges have constant access, they represent a continuous cyber threat. In the event of a breach where a privileged identity or account is compromised, the attackers gain access to their privileges.

Standing access for vendor accounts is a common risk. Many organizations have poor visibility into the security hygiene of their vendors. With many organizations having dozens, if not hundreds, of vendors that need access, standing privileged access presents a substantial risk.

Today, the sprawl of standing permissions and privileges is exponentially worse because of the expansion of cloud environments. According to Orca Security's 2025 State of Cloud Security report, "most organizations are now multi-cloud by design, with 55% leveraging two or more cloud providers."

The Cloud Security Alliance also ranks identity and access management as one of the top threats to cloud computing, citing risks such as "excessive permissions and misconfigured settings."

An ideal security state would entail the elimination of all standing privileged access. This desired end state is referred to as zero standing privileges (ZSP). However, some automation accounts, such as service accounts, may need to be in an always-on state to effectively orchestrate workflows.

Learn more about standing privileges and zero standing privilege.

A just-in-time access model provides considerable benefits, including:

• Reduced cyber risk: Privileged threat windows and attack surfaces may be minimized more than 90%. This equates to lower risk and impact of cyberthreats, such as ransomware, malware, insider threats, and more.

• Regulatory compliance: Least privilege and limited standing privileged access are key parts of numerous regulatory and compliance frameworks. In addition, just in time permissions and access minimizes the number of privileged sessions, making it easier to audit privileged activity.

• Cyber Insurance qualification: Enforcement of least privilege is a foundational security control required by most cyber insurers to qualify for coverage and get the best rates. Cyber insurers appreciate controls just as JIT access that can curb cyber threats and lower risk

• Reduced workload: JIT access automation removes manual processes and much of the decision-making burden from IT. For instance, dynamically determining and provisioning amongst the tens of thousands of cloud permissions is manually infeasible. JIT access also gives the right users what they need, when the need it, without hassle.

Any digital organization can benefit from brokering and removing access in adherence to a just-in-time privileged access model. This includes, but is not limited to banking and finance institutions, healthcare organizations, and government agencies. It's also crucial for SaaS companies, which often handle large amounts of sensitive user data.

Individual teams or roles within organizations, such as administrators and DevOps, often require privileged access. These users can utilize just-in-time principles to enhance security (JIT PAM). For example, rather than giving a developer unlimited access to a production server to deploy updates, provide just-in-time access that is active only for the finite moments necessary to deploy the updates.

Vendor access and break glass access are also important use cases.

JIT permissions can be used to provide temporary elevation of access for other roles as well, such as marketing, HR, and even sales. Wherever applied, JIT access helps to improve an organization's security posture.