What Is Just-in-Time Access (JIT)?
Just-in-time (JIT) addresses the problem of excessive privilege by assigning elevated privileges on a limited, as-needed basis. This eliminates accounts with standing, elevated privileges on corporate systems.
Many cyberattacks involve compromised privileged accounts, which attackers target to take advantage of their increased access. JIT access helps to eliminate this risk by reducing the access that an account has and aligning access management with the principle of least privilege and the zero trust security model.
Why Just-in-Time Access Matters
Overprovisioned accounts are a common challenge for enterprise security. Most cyberattacks involve attackers gaining access to a privileged account, then leveraging the associated privileges to achieve their goals. When users are assigned privileges that they don’t need – or don’t always need – this expands the range of accounts that an attacker can target.
JIT access is important because it helps to reduce the risk associated with privileged accounts. Instead of allowing standing, “always on” privileges, JIT offers access on an as-needed basis. This allows privileged access to be turned off by default and only activated after a risk review is completed.
JIT access is also important for compliance with regulatory requirements and corporate zero trust programs. Overprovisioned accounts may violate requirements to control access to protected data and increase an organization’s risk of a reportable data breach.
Core Components of Just-in-Time Access
JIT access is implemented using a combination of temporary privileges managed via automated context-aware policies and provisioning/deprovisioning. Additionally, these policies must be supported by security controls to ensure that access can be granted as needed while eliminating the risk of access control bypasses.
Key Components of Just-in-Time Access
Temporary Privileges
JIT access replaces standing privileges with temporary, time-bound ones. Instead of permanent access, an account has access for a certain amount of time or the length of a particular session. This is well-suited to admin tasks, third-party vendor access, and other scenarios where certain privileges are only needed intermittently.
This reduces the impact of a compromised account by decreasing the amount of damage that can be done with it. If access is denied or expires, the attacker lacks the privileged access, unlike with “always on” privileges.
Context-Aware Policies
JIT access differs from persistent privileges because access is granted on an as-needed basis. However, for this to be a useful distinction, the system needs a means of determining whether an access request is legitimate.
JIT access uses contextual information (user, device, location, and other risk signals) to define a risk score for a request, which is used to determine whether the request should be granted or if additional authentication is needed. Policies can also be denied to always block access under certain scenarios, such as access requests outside of business hours or from unknown devices.
Automated Provisioning and Deprovisioning
After an access decision is made, privileges need to be provisioned to the account and deprovisioned at the end of the time window or session. Automation is critical to doing so without negatively impacting normal business.
With automation, JIT access reduces IT overhead and enhances security posture. Automatic deprovisioning eliminates the risk that privileges remain at the end of a user session. Additionally, logging and auditing of all access decisions and actions enhances visibility and simplifies compliance.
How Just-in-Time Access Works in Practice
In practice, JIT access is an automated process that should be largely invisible to the user. For example, consider the case where a contractor needs access to corporate resources for two hours to complete a task.
This would look something like the following:
- The contractor makes a request for access
- Access request is evaluated based on context and corporate policies
- If approved, privileges are automatically granted to the user
- The contractor has access for two hours
- At the end of two hours, privileges are automatically and instantly revoked
With JIT access, the contractor can access any corporate resources that they have a legitimate need to across cloud, on-prem, and remote sites. However, the risk to the business is limited since access is restricted to a single session or time window and granted on a case-by-case basis.
Benefits of Just-in-Time Access
As companies work to adopt zero trust, JIT access is vital to implement least privilege access at scale. By doing so, organizations not only advance their zero trust goals but can also enhance security, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.
Security and Compliance Benefits of JIT Access
Security Benefits
JIT access is primarily designed to enhance an organization’s security posture. Some of the primary benefits that it offers include:
- Reduced threat of account takeover (ATO) attacks
- Detection and prevention of lateral movement by attackers within an organization’s environment
- Decreased risk associated with insider threats.
Compliance & Audit Benefits
In addition to reducing an organization’s risk of data breaches and other reportable incidents, JIT access also offers additional compliance benefits, including:
- Audit logs for access requests
- Alignment with access management requirements of GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other regulations
- Proof of least privilege access management
- Reduced risk of fines and penalties due to unauthorized access to protected data
Operational Efficiency
JIT access is designed to enhance security without introducing additional workload for operations teams. Key elements of this include:
- Automated privilege provisioning and deprovisioning
- Detection of overprovisioned accounts
- Support for incident detection and remediation
Cato Networks and Just-in-Time Access
The Cato SASE Cloud Platform implements JIT access as part of its converged, identity-aware Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) function. ZTNA is included in each of Cato’s global network of PoPs, enabling seamless, scalable identity and access management (IAM) and policy enforcement across an organization’s entire IT environment. This integration eliminates the need for point security solutions and enables real-time policy enforcement with continuous validation.
FAQs about Just-in-Time Access
What problem does Just-in-Time access solve?
Just-in-time (JIT) access addresses the issue of overprovisioned accounts, which are commonly targeted and used by cyberattackers. JIT access grants limited access on an as-needed basis and automatically revokes it upon expiration, limiting the damage that a compromised account can do.
How does JIT differ from traditional access models?
Traditional access models grant persistent access to various resources even if this access is only needed sporadically. In contrast, JIT enforces least privilege and revokes access after a set time. As a result, JIT access is more aligned with zero trust security principles and more secure.
Does JIT access support compliance needs?
Yes, JIT access aligns with least privilege access requirements mandated by various regulations and generates audit logs of all access requirements. This makes it easier for organizations to demonstrate that they’ve properly controlled access to protected data and resources.
Is JIT access only for administrators?
No, JIT access applies to all digital accounts, including IT admins, third-party vendors, and end users. For example, a contractor may be granted temporary access to specific applications within an organization’s environment. The goal of JIT access is to apply the principle of least privilege universally, not just for admins.
How does Cato enable Just-in-Time access?
The Cato SASE Cloud Platform implements JIT access as part of its ZTNA function, applying identity-aware, context-driven policies. Access is granted only for specific apps and for defined time windows. Policies are enforced globally via the SASE cloud backbone with real-time revocation.
Can JIT access work with MFA?
Yes, JIT access can be layered with MFA for stronger access management. Cato integrates with IAM/MFA providers for seamless policy enforcement.
How does JIT scale across hybrid and multi-cloud?
The Cato SASE Cloud Platform implements JIT uniformly across cloud, data centers, and remote access. Centralized enforcement avoids the inconsistencies and overhead associated with bolt-on or point JIT access solutions.