An overprivileged identity is a user, service account, or machine identity that holds more permissions than required for their actual job function — creating unnecessary risk if the identity is compromised.
⚙️ How Does It Work?
Identified through IGA access reviews, PAM audits, and CIEM tools that compare granted permissions to actually used permissions. Remediation involves removing excess entitlements and right-sizing access to least privilege.
📍 Where Is It Used?
Universally prevalent — studies show 70-80% of cloud IAM permissions are never used, and many enterprise users accumulate excess permissions over time through role changes and project assignments.
💡 Real-World Example
A data analyst was temporarily given database admin access to help with a migration 18 months ago. The migration is long finished but the admin access was never removed. An IGA access review identifies the overprivilege; removing it closes a critical attack path.
🔗 Related Terms
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