What Is Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP)?

Zero Standing Privileges Explained

ZSP represents the ultimate goal of modern PAM, building on foundational access models and just-in-time access.

The shift is driven by the rise of complex, multi-cloud environments where traditional network perimeters are obsolete. In these fluid ecosystems, many identities, especially service accounts, DevOps teams, and developers, require high-level, temporary access to critical resources. Static, "always-on" permissions for these accounts create a massive, 24/7 security gap.

ZSP addresses this by shifting the default state from minimal persistent access to no persistent access. The system does not rely on securing an existing privileged account; it creates an ephemeral security perimeter around the identity, resource, and task. This temporary, hyper-focused granting of permission(s) eliminates standing risk and makes every privileged action traceable and auditable.

ZSP and Other Access Models

Understanding ZSP requires distinguishing it from its predecessors and related security frameworks.

ZSP and Just-in-Time (JIT) Access

ZSP is a comprehensive security philosophy, while JIT is primarily a provisioning mechanism.

Table 1: ZSP vs Predecessors and Related Security Frameworks

ZSP and Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)

The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is a foundational concept that states users should be granted only the minimum access required to perform their jobs, often resulting in accounts having some baseline level of standing access. ZSP is the complete, modern realization of PoLP, enforcing the principle not just in scope, but also in time, achieving zero persistent, unnecessary access. It is PoLP taken to its logical, most secure conclusion.

ZSP and the Zero Trust Architecture

Zero trust is a strategic security model based on the mantra "never trust, always verify." ZSP is a necessary component for successful zero trust implementation. You cannot achieve Zero Trust if high-risk standing privileges still exist. ZSP provides the granular identity controls needed to enforce "always verify" access across the control plane. This alignment creates a highly effective defense against modern threats.

The Critical Risk of Standing Privileges

Standing privileges are a high-value target for adversaries, representing a major exposure point that provides a necessary condition for advanced attacks.

Lateral Movement and Privilege Escalation

If an attacker compromises a non-privileged account, their immediate goal is to escalate to a privileged account. If a privileged administrator's credentials are stolen, often through phishing or brute-force attacks, the standing privilege grants the attacker immediate, unrestricted access. Traditional privileged access management (PAM) helps, but if standing privileges exist, an attacker can move laterally across the network and access sensitive systems undetected.

The Cloud Complexity Challenge

The risk is magnified in cloud environments where entitlements are complex and interconnected across IaaS and SaaS platforms. Even a user with an apparently non-privileged account may possess excessive or unused entitlements via nested roles.

This excess access, known as "permission sprawl," is a form of standing privilege. This complexity is why solutions like Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) are essential tools for identifying and eliminating these excessive, persistent permissions to enable ZSP.

Key Benefits of Adopting ZSP

Implementing a ZSP strategy delivers quantifiable security and operational benefits across the enterprise.

Maximized Attack Surface Reduction

ZSP significantly reduces the attack surface by eliminating persistent targets that threat actors seek. When privileges exist only for a few minutes and are tied to a specific, legitimate task, a compromised credential in the wrong hands is rendered useless. This proactive approach halts Unit 42 observed tactics, such as credential misuse and lateral movement, at their earliest stages.

Simplified Regulatory Compliance

Global regulations, including GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX, strictly mandate the PoLP and comprehensive auditing of access to sensitive data. ZSP inherently aligns with and simplifies these requirements. By automatically granting and revoking time-bound access, ZSP generates a perfect, transparent audit trail that proves compliance without the need for complex, manual access reviews.

Mitigation of Insider Threat Risk

By forcing every privileged action to be authorized, monitored, and time-restricted, ZSP dramatically mitigates risk from both malicious and accidental insider threats. Even a trusted employee cannot use standing access to perform unauthorized actions outside the scope of their immediate, approved task. The system enforces the security policy, not human judgment.

A Practical Roadmap for ZSP Implementation

Transitioning to a true zero standing privileges model is a multi-step journey centered on moving away from persistent "always-on" permissions toward a model of dynamic, temporary elevation.

Step 1: Discover and Map Standing Privileges

The first step is gaining complete visibility into all effective permissions across the environment. You cannot eliminate what you haven't identified.

This requires a comprehensive audit to map every human and machine identity against all granted entitlements. Use CIEM tools to analyze existing access policies, identify over-provisioned accounts, and pinpoint "dormant" privileges. This establishes a clean baseline where the default state for every identity is zero access.

Step 2: Define Just-in-Time (JIT) Elevation Policies

Instead of assigning permanent roles, create policy templates that define the conditions under which an identity can "blink" into existence or elevate its status.

Policies must be governed by the PoLP but executed via time-bound triggers. You must define:

• The Scope: Exactly which resources can be accessed.
• The Duration: How long the window stays open (ideally measured in minutes or hours).
• The Context: Requirements such as a valid IT support ticket number or MFA verification.

Step 3: Integrate with PAM and IAM for Orchestration

To prevent ZSP from becoming a bottleneck, the elevation process must be fully automated through your Identity and Access Management (IAM) and PAM stack.

A request for privileged access should trigger an automated, friction-free workflow:

1. Authentication: Verified via your Identity Provider (IdP).
2. Validation: Automated policy check against the ticketing system.
3. Dynamic Provisioning: The system creates a temporary credential or attaches a policy to the identity in real-time.
4. Notification: Immediate logging and alerting for security teams.

Step 4: Continuous Monitoring and Automated Revocation

ZSP is only effective if the "cleanup" is guaranteed. Continuous monitoring ensures that sessions are tracked in real time and that no "identity sprawl" occurs after a task is finished.

The system must be configured for automated and immediate revocation. Once the task is completed or the time window expires, the system must destroy the temporary credentials or detach the elevated policy. This ensures the identity instantly reverts to its zero-privileges state, effectively closing the window of exposure and leaving no standing credentials for attackers to exploit.

Zero Standing Privileges FAQs