Implementing Privileged Access Workstation
Overview
A Privileged Access Workstation (PAW) is a hardened device dedicated to performing sensitive administrative tasks. This skill covers PAW design using the tiered administration model, device compliance enforcement via Microsoft Intune or Group Policy, just-in-time (JIT) access provisioning, and integration with privileged access management (PAM) platforms like CyberArk and BeyondTrust.
When to Use
- When deploying or configuring implementing privileged access workstation capabilities in your environment
- When establishing security controls aligned to compliance requirements
- When building or improving security architecture for this domain
- When conducting security assessments that require this implementation
Prerequisites
- Windows 10/11 Enterprise with Virtualization Based Security (VBS)
- Microsoft Intune or Active Directory Group Policy
- CyberArk Privileged Access Security or BeyondTrust Password Safe (optional)
- Python 3.9+ with
requests,subprocess,json - Administrative access to target endpoints
Steps
- Audit current privileged access patterns and identify Tier 0/1/2 assets
- Configure device hardening baselines (AppLocker, Credential Guard, Device Guard)
- Enforce compliance policies via Intune or GPO
- Implement just-in-time access with time-limited admin group membership
- Integrate with CyberArk/BeyondTrust for credential vaulting
- Validate PAW configuration against CIS and Microsoft PAW guidance
- Monitor privileged sessions and generate compliance reports
Expected Output
- JSON report listing device compliance status, hardening checks, JIT access windows, and PAM integration verification
- Risk scoring per workstation with remediation recommendations