Why Privileged Access Management (PAM) Alone Can’t Stop Modern Attacks

The PAM Security Gap

PAM is essential for managing and securing privileged accounts, yet it wasn’t designed to spot active threats in real time. When attackers hijack credentials, elevate privileges, or traverse hybrid environments, you need purpose-built threat detection to fill those visibility gaps.

How Attackers Evade PAM

1. Stolen & Misused Credentials

PAM enforces access policies, but it cannot detect when a legitimate privileged account is compromised.

2. Privilege Escalation & Insider Threats

PAM secures privileged accounts, but it does not detect unauthorized privilege elevation or abuse.

3. Lateral Movement Across Hybrid Environments

PAM controls access points, but it lacks visibility into attacker movement beyond initial access.

The Real-World Consequences of PAM Visibility Gaps

In the Scattered Spider scenario below, PAM enforces privileged access—but its scope is focused on predefined account activities. To detect identity-based attacks that don’t match those patterns, you need continuous behavior monitoring.

PAM Secures Privileged Accounts—Vectra AI Secures What Comes Next

PAM is critical for enforcing privileged access, but it doesn’t monitor behavior once a user is authenticated. When attackers leverage stolen credentials or escalate privileges, you need continuous detection to catch them in the act. 

PAM enforces access controls and password management, but:

• What if an attacker already has a privileged account? PAM does not detect real-time credential misuse.
• What if the attack moves across multiple cloud and SaaS environments? PAM does not monitor for cross-platform attacker movement.
• ‍What if attackers escalate privileges inside the cloud? PAM grants permissions but does not detect unauthorized privilege elevation in real time.

How Vectra AI Fills the Gap

PAM controls privileged access, but it does not detect active threats or identity abuse. The Vectra AI Platform provides real-time detection of identity-based threats, stopping attackers before they escalate.

• Detects Privileged Account Takeovers – AI-driven monitoring uncovers identity compromise and unauthorized access.
• Stops Privilege Escalation & Insider Threats – Tracks attacker activity even when credentials appear legitimate.
• Works alongside PAM – Complements PAM by providing real-time identity threat detection beyond access control.

With Vectra AI, you can stop attackers who exploit privileged accounts—before they cause real damage.

How Vectra AI Complements PAM

PAM controls privileged access, while Vectra AI detects active threats beyond authentication. Here’s how they compare:

Vectra AI doesn’t replace PAM—it enhances it by detecting identity-based threats that access management alone cannot stop.