Understanding Privileged Accounts

• Definition: Accounts with elevated access rights and permissions, allowing them to perform administrative tasks, access sensitive data, and modify system configurations. 
• Types: These accounts can belong to human users (like administrators) or non-human entities (like applications and service accounts). 
• Importance: They are crucial for organizations to function, but their elevated access makes them high-value targets for attackers. 
• Examples: Domain admins, local administrators, VIP user accounts, and service accounts are common types. 

Cybersecurity Risks

• Unauthorized Access: Attackers can exploit compromised accounts to gain access to sensitive systems and data. 
• Data Breaches: This specialized access allows attackers to steal, modify, or delete sensitive information. 
• System Disruption: Attackers can manipulate system configurations, disable security controls, or even take over IT infrastructure. 
• Internal Threats: Well-meaning employees can also misuse such accounts, either intentionally or unintentionally, by sharing sensitive data or granting unauthorized access.