Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP)
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is a security concept designed to address a critical issue in modern IT environments: limiting long-term access rights. Traditional models often grant users or systems standing privileges that remain active indefinitely, increasing the risk of misuse or unauthorized access. ZSP challenges this approach by providing access only when needed and revoking it immediately afterward.
This article explores what ZSP is and how it reshapes access management.
Standing Privileges: A Security Risk You Can’t Ignore
Standing privileges is a term that describes broad user access privileges that are essentially “always on.” In other words, a user with standing privileges to critical IT resources always has those privileges, regardless of whether that user needs access to those resources at this time or, indeed, forever.
Standing privileges run counter to one of the Zero Trust framework’s core philosophies—the principle of least privileged access. This principle argues that users should only have access to the exact resources they need to do their job at a given time, and no more than that. Typically, any organization with network infrastructure, critical data, or assets always has some privileged accounts. In fact, traditional PAM tools rely on the creation of these accounts and privileges.
As the need for privileged access provisioning has grown in complex environments, enterprises face challenges in achieving ZSP. Administrative and maintenance access, including broad privileges, persistent shared accounts, superuser and root accounts, never-offboarded 3rd party privileges, and password-based access to systems and applications, all contribute to the growth of standing privileges.
Standing privileges also create the risk of excessive access. If user credentials with standing privileges are compromised, a hacker could have unencumbered access to all of the IT resources those credentials can access, at all times.
Other risks of standing privileges include credential theft, which exposes privileged accounts to phishing, brute force, and credential-stuffing attacks. Insider threats arise when employees or contractors misuse persistent admin rights intentionally or accidentally. Lateral movement allows attackers to exploit compromised privileged accounts to infiltrate deeper into a network.
Beyond security risks, standing privileges can lead to regulatory non-compliance. Frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS mandate strict privilege management to minimize excessive access and meet compliance requirements. Failure to limit privileges increases audit failures, legal penalties, and data exposure.
Even advanced PAM solutions fail to resolve these issues fully. Password vaults, for example, still store credentials that can be exposed. Organizations looking to achieve compliance and reduce their risk of data breaches should prioritize eliminating the number of accounts with standing privileges and moving toward a zero standing privilege framework.
Unpacking The Shift to Zero Standing Privileges
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is a term coined by technology research and advisory firm, Gartner, to describe the target state for privileged access in an organization to minimize the risk of stolen credentials, privilege abuse, breaches, data loss, and non-compliance.
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is crucial for modern cybersecurity, eliminating persistent administrative access in favor of a dynamic, on-demand model. Rooted in Just-in-Time (JIT) access, it grants privileges only when needed and revokes them immediately after use. This dramatically reduces the attack surface, as no user or system retains ongoing administrative rights that could be exploited.
Gartner's summary of their Remove Standing Privileges Through a Just-in-Time PAM Approach research states: "The existence of privileged access carries significant risk, and even with PAM tools in place, the residual risk of users with standing privileges remains high. Security and risk management leaders engaged in IAM must implement a zero standing privileges strategy through a just-in-time model."
ZSP aligns with Zero Trust and least privilege principles by ensuring that privileges are tightly controlled and ephemeral. This makes ZSP a more robust solution for organizations seeking to mitigate risks tied to excessive or standing privileges. By removing the concept of standing privileges altogether, ZSP provides a more secure and future-proof alternative.
However, organizations face several technical and human barriers to ZSP adoption. Cultural resistance arises when users accustomed to persistent privileges fear productivity disruptions. Lack of awareness and training makes adaptation difficult, as employees may not fully understand how ZSP improves security. Technical complexity adds another layer of difficulty, requiring automation, policy-driven controls, and advanced infrastructure.
Integration challenges also occur when existing IAM or PAM solutions must align with ZSP, often requiring updates or new configurations. Compliance concerns affect regulated industries, where frameworks like NIST 800-207 and ISO 27001 mandate strict access controls. Additionally, managing Just-in-Time (JIT) access without automation can create bottlenecks, delaying essential tasks and overloading security teams.
Strategic planning and automation help overcome these challenges. Automated privilege provisioning ensures access is granted and revoked dynamically, using ephemeral certificates or short-lived tokens to eliminate long-term risks. AI-driven analytics streamline privilege decisions, reducing manual intervention and improving efficiency.
The Building Blocks of Zero Standing Privileges
To understand how Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) operates, it’s important to break down its key components. Each element is critical in creating a secure, resilient framework for managing elevated access.
Just-in-Time (JIT) access eliminates persistent privileges by granting them only when required and revoking them immediately after use. This approach significantly reduces the time window in which an attacker could exploit elevated access. JIT access can take several forms:
On-demand privilege elevation, where users request temporary administrative access under pre-defined policies.
Ephemeral credentials, which replace static passwords with short-lived authentication tokens or certificates.
Time-restricted access, which automatically revokes privileges after a specific duration.
JIT aligns closely with Zero Trust principles, ensuring privileged access remains both controlled and time-bound. By denying continuous elevated access, JIT strengthens your defenses against both insider threats and external attackers.
Dynamic privilege elevation ensures that access decisions adapt in real time based on contextual factors such as a user’s role, location, device security, or behavioral patterns. This level of responsiveness enables organizations to enforce granular access control, which limits users to the exact permissions they need for specific tasks. Key mechanisms include:
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which defines access based on job functions.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), which evaluates multiple factors like device compliance or user behavior to grant access.
Step-up authentication, which requires additional security measures, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), for high-risk actions.
By applying these methods, you enforce the principle of least privilege, ensuring users never hold more access than necessary. This dynamic, context-driven approach reduces security risks while maintaining operational efficiency.
Credential-free authentication removes the reliance on passwords or long-lived credentials, which are frequent targets for attackers. Passwords are vulnerable to theft through phishing, brute-force attacks, and credential reuse. Even privileged credentials stored in secure vaults can become high-value targets. In contrast, ZSP reduce these risks by utilizing alternatives like:
Ephemeral certificates, which are issued dynamically for authentication and expire after a session.
Biometric authentication, using physical traits like fingerprints or facial recognition for access.
Public key infrastructure (PKI), which replaces traditional passwords with cryptographic keys.
By eliminating standing credentials, you reduce the attack surface and improve overall security posture.
Finally, continuous monitoring and auditing ensure that privileged activities remain justified, secure, and compliant. Real-time tracking of access activities detects anomalous behavior and enables immediate response to unauthorized attempts. Effective monitoring within a ZSP framework includes:
Session recording, which logs privileged activity for forensic analysis.
Behavior analytics, which uses AI to identify deviations from normal access patterns.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) integration, which centralizes logs to detect threats and ensure regulatory compliance.
Continuous auditing provides transparency and accountability, reinforcing the security and trustworthiness of your ZSP implementation.
The Future of ZSP: Trends, Innovations, and Optimization
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in AI, machine learning, and the increasing complexity of IT environments. Staying ahead of these developments is crucial for securing privileged access and maintaining compliance in an interconnected digital landscape. Organizations must adapt to these shifts to strengthen security and streamline identity-based access management.
AI and machine learning are reshaping ZSP by enabling automated, risk-based privilege decisions. AI-driven tools analyze access patterns to detect anomalies, such as unusual login times or geographic locations, identifying potential insider threats or compromised accounts. Adaptive authentication dynamically adjusts security layers based on real-time risk signals, reducing false positives while preventing unauthorized access.
Identity Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) integration are transforming ZSP implementation. IAM governs identity lifecycle management, while PAM controls privileged access—ZSP bridges these systems by enforcing Just-in-Time (JIT) access through identity-based controls. Features like federated identity management allow users to access multiple systems securely with a single identity, eliminating standing privileges while ensuring a seamless user experience.
ZSP is also critical for cloud and multi-cloud security, where privileged credentials must be temporary and tightly controlled. It replaces long-term access keys with ephemeral authentication tokens, aligning with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to verify privileged access at multiple layers.
Continuous improvement via regular audits, AI-driven behavior monitoring, and policy refinements is essential to address evolving risks and regulatory updates. Organizations that adopt AI-driven, cloud-integrated ZSP frameworks gain stronger security, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Secure, Scalable, and Seamless: PrivX™ Zero Trust Suite Brings ZSP to Life
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) redefines access management by combining security with operational efficiency. It’s a preventative measure against unauthorized access and a framework for streamlining privilege allocation. As organizations face evolving risks, ZSP offers a scalable, proactive approach to protecting critical systems. Adopting this model isn’t simply about compliance—it’s a strategic investment in resilience, trust, and long-term security.
SSH has developed a comprehensive set of Just-in-Time (JIT) Zero Trust solutions that support Gartner's approach for Zero Standing Privileges for user or machine ID authentication. This helps mitigate the risks associated with managing digital keys, privileged passwords, and other secrets (such as API tokens or certificates) by greatly reducing their numbers in IT infrastructures.
For organizations looking to enforce Zero Standing Privileges with a modern, automated approach, PrivX™ Zero Trust Suite offers JIT access, passwordless authentication, and seamless multi-cloud integration. It eliminates standing credentials by using ephemeral certificates, automates access provisioning, and ensures full visibility with session monitoring and auditing.
Wanna see how PrivX™ makes Zero Standing Privileges work in reality? Request a personalized demo to explore our first-rate solution today.
FAQ
What is Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP)?
Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is a security model that removes persistent privileged access, granting permissions only when required. It aligns with Just-in-Time (JIT) access principles, ensuring that privileges are dynamically assigned and revoked, minimizing the attack surface and enhancing Zero Trust security.
How do Zero Standing Privileges improve security?
ZSP improves security by eliminating long-lived privileged accounts, reducing risks associated with credential theft and insider threats. It ensures privileged access is temporary, policy-driven, and continuously monitored, preventing unauthorized escalation and lateral movement within networks.
What are the main challenges of implementing ZSP?
Challenges include user resistance, technical complexity in integrating ZSP with existing systems, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks like NIST 800-207 and ISO 27001. Organizations must automate access provisioning, enforce policy-driven controls, and implement continuous monitoring to address these issues.
How does ZSP differ from traditional Privileged Access Management (PAM)?
Unlike some privileged access models that rely on standing credentials, ZSP enforces Just-in-Time access and eliminates persistent privileged accounts. It uses ephemeral authentication methods instead of password vaulting, reducing exposure to credential-based attacks and ensuring privilege escalation is dynamic and tightly controlled.
Can Zero Standing Privileges be applied in cloud environments?
Yes, ZSP is highly effective in cloud environments. It eliminates static cloud credentials by using ephemeral authentication tokens and Just-in-Time access, ensuring privileged actions are tightly controlled across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments while supporting compliance and Zero Trust principles.
