23 Sep Best Services for Preventing Lateral Movement via Identity Controls: Identity Security vs PAM and Zero Trust Alternatives

The best way to stop lateral movement is to control identity first, then add PAM and Zero Trust around it. Attackers do not “hack the network” like movie villains anymore. They steal a login. Then they hop from app to server to admin tool like a raccoon in an open kitchen.

Why lateral movement is such a pain

Lateral movement means an attacker gets into one place, then moves sideways. One laptop becomes one file share. One file share becomes one server. One server becomes domain admin. Bad day.

The scary part is simple. Most movement uses valid identity. Real usernames. Real tokens. Real sessions. Security tools may see “Bob logged in.” They may not see “Bob is asleep and someone in another country is using his account.”

That is why identity controls matter. They ask better questions:

• Is this user allowed to do this?
• Is this device trusted?
• Is this login weird?
• Does this account have too much power?
• Should this access expire in 30 minutes?

Identity Security: the best first layer

Identity security focuses on accounts, permissions, behavior, and risk. It protects both human users and machine identities. Think service accounts, API keys, admin roles, and old accounts nobody admits owning.

Good identity security tools help you find dangerous paths. For example, a help desk user may not look risky. But if that user can reset a server admin password, and that server admin can touch domain controllers, you have a quiet fire.

Best identity security services

• Microsoft Entra ID Protection and Microsoft Defender for Identity
  Great for Microsoft shops. They catch risky sign-ins, token abuse, strange directory behavior, and Active Directory attacks. If you live in Microsoft 365, start here.
• Silverfort
  Strong for extending MFA and access policy to legacy systems. That includes command-line tools, servers, databases, and old apps that usually make security teams sigh loudly.
• CrowdStrike Falcon Identity Protection
  Good for detecting credential misuse and identity-based attacks. It fits well if you already use CrowdStrike on endpoints.
• Okta Identity Threat Protection
  Useful for companies using Okta as the main identity provider. It ties user risk to access decisions. Risky user? Block, step up MFA, or limit access.
• Tenable Identity Exposure
  Strong for Active Directory weaknesses. It shows attack paths and misconfigurations before an attacker uses them.
• Semperis Directory Services Protector
  Best for teams that worry about Active Directory attacks and recovery. It helps detect changes, stop abuse, and recover faster.

Best fit: Use identity security when your main worry is stolen credentials, over-permissioned users, risky Active Directory paths, or weak MFA coverage.

Honestly, it feels like many companies still protect laptops better than admin accounts. That is backwards. A laptop is useful. A domain admin account is a skeleton key with coffee privileges.

PAM: the vault for powerful accounts

PAM means Privileged Access Management. It protects accounts with big power. Admins. Root users. Database owners. Cloud superusers. Break-glass accounts. The scary stuff.

PAM usually includes:

• Password vaulting
• Credential rotation
• Session recording
• Approval workflows
• Just-in-time access
• Least privilege controls

This is where PAM shines. If an attacker steals an admin password, PAM can make that password short-lived. Or hidden. Or useless without approval and MFA.

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Best PAM services

• CyberArk Privileged Access Manager
  A heavyweight choice. Strong vaulting, session control, and enterprise features. Best for large firms with complex admin needs.
• BeyondTrust Password Safe
  Strong for password and session management. Also good for endpoint privilege control when paired with other BeyondTrust tools.
• Delinea Secret Server
  Friendly for mid-sized teams. Easier to start with than some larger suites. Good vaulting and admin workflow support.
• One Identity Safeguard
  Solid for privileged sessions, approvals, and auditing. Useful in mixed infrastructure.

Best fit: Use PAM when you need to control admins, rotate secrets, record sessions, and reduce standing privilege.

The catch is that PAM can become shelfware if setup is painful. Expect grumbling if admins need 12 clicks and 45 extra seconds just to patch a server. Keep workflows tight. Security that people hate gets bypassed.

Zero Trust access: shrink the blast radius

Zero Trust is not one product. It is a rule: trust nothing by default. Check the user. Check the device. Check the risk. Allow only the app needed. Not the whole network.

Zero Trust access tools help replace broad VPN access. This matters a lot. A classic VPN can drop a user inside the network like a guest at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Bad idea.

Best Zero Trust access services

• Zscaler Private Access
  Good for private app access without exposing the network. Strong for large companies.
• Cloudflare Access
  Simple and fast for web apps, internal tools, and developer access. Nice for teams that want quick wins.
• Google BeyondCorp Enterprise
  Strong for browser-based access and device-aware controls. Good fit for Google-heavy teams.
• Tailscale
  Great for engineering teams and smaller groups. Uses WireGuard. Easy to love. Hard to overcomplicate.
• Palo Alto Prisma Access
  Strong for larger security teams that want Zero Trust access, secure web gateway, and network security in one stack.

Best fit: Use Zero Trust access when too many users can reach too many systems. It reduces what an attacker can touch after stealing one login.

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Identity Security vs PAM vs Zero Trust

Here is the simple version.

• Identity security finds and blocks risky identity behavior.
• PAM locks down powerful accounts and secrets.
• Zero Trust access limits what users can reach.

They are not enemies. They are the three bouncers at the club.

• Identity security asks, “Are you really you?”
• PAM asks, “Why do you need the master key?”
• Zero Trust asks, “Why are you trying to enter that room?”

What should you buy first?

If you are starting from a messy place, use this order:

1. Turn on MFA everywhere you can. Start with admins, VPN, email, cloud consoles, and remote access.
2. Map privileged accounts. Find domain admins, global admins, root users, service accounts, and stale accounts.
3. Add identity threat detection. Watch for impossible travel, token theft, strange Kerberos use, and privilege changes.
4. Deploy PAM for admin accounts. Vault secrets. Rotate passwords. Use just-in-time access.
5. Replace broad VPN access. Move private apps behind Zero Trust access.

For a Microsoft-heavy company, a strong starter stack could be Microsoft Entra ID Protection, Defender for Identity, and CyberArk or Delinea. Add Zscaler or Cloudflare Access when VPN risk gets annoying.

For a cloud-first startup, try Okta, Cloudflare Access, and Delinea or Tailscale. Keep it simple. Fancy controls do not help if nobody configures them.

Final pick

Best overall approach: combine identity security, PAM, and Zero Trust access. If budget is tight, start with identity security and MFA. Then protect privileged accounts with PAM. Then reduce network reach with Zero Trust access.

Lateral movement works because attackers borrow trust. Your job is to make trust expire fast. Make access specific. Make admin power temporary. Make weird behavior loud. Do that, and the raccoon leaves the kitchen hungry.