Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
An administrator may need a powerful role for a task without needing it all week. NetSys helps design Microsoft Entra PIM around the work, the approvers and the emergency access your business needs, then pilots the operating process.
The short answer
Privileged identity management (PIM) in security means giving admin rights only when they are needed: roles are eligible rather than standing, a person activates one for a set window with MFA, a stated reason and approval where required, and it expires on its own. NetSys privileged identity management services set up and run Microsoft Entra PIM that way, confirming licensing first (Entra ID P2 or ID Governance), then piloting with real administrators and approvers and documenting the process. For managed clients it is part of the base agreement; otherwise the rollout is scoped as a project, with ongoing administration as a separate choice.
Begin with the administrators, vendors and tasks that currently need privileged access. Identify the lowest suitable role, when the task occurs and who can approve it. A technically correct approval workflow still fails operationally if the only approver is unavailable during the support window.
Separate the role rollout from the wider privileged-access program. Service-account credentials, network equipment and session recording may need other controls. Keep a documented emergency access path and test it rather than converting every assignment to the same activation policy.
Pilot activation, approval and recovery before broad enforcement
Review licenses and current assignments, agree eligibility and activation settings, then test representative administrators and approvers. Check successful activation, denied requests, expiry, notifications and the business task itself. Record permanent exceptions and an emergency access procedure. Handover identifies who owns approvals, periodic reviews, alert investigation and changes when people leave. Neither activation speed nor immediate termination of every downstream session should be assumed without testing the affected service.
What our Entra privileged identity management service includes
Role inventory and eligibility
Give each privileged task an accountable owner.
- Agreed Entra, Azure and group assignment inventory
- Role scope, eligible users and permanent exceptions
- License requirements for users, approvers and reviewers
Activation and approval design
Make the process workable during the support hours you need.
- Duration, authentication, justification and approval settings by role
- Primary and backup approvers with escalation responsibilities
- Pilot checks for successful, rejected and expired activations
Emergency access and safeguards
Keep recovery separate from ordinary activation.
- A documented emergency administrator access design
- Protection, monitoring and periodic testing responsibilities
- Changes coordinated with tenant access policies and administrator workflows
Reviews and handover
Know which evidence exists and who examines it.
- Assignment and activation records for the agreed scope
- Reviewer assignments, review cadence and exception decisions
- Operating notes and a separate ongoing management agreement
Role governance with an operating plan
Tell us which tenant or Azure roles you want to govern, who uses them and when approvals must be available. We will scope the licensing review, pilot, exceptions and operating responsibilities.
Who does the work: meet the NetSys team on our About page.
- Licensing and role boundaries established before rollout
- Approvers and emergency-access responsibilities identified in the scope
- Evidence and review duties connected to continuing administration
Entra PIM licensing, honestly
The first PIM question isn't technical. It's whether you already own it. Where PIM sits across the plans small businesses actually hold:
| Plan you may hold | Entra PIM included? | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | No (ships Entra ID P1) | Conditional Access yes; PIM needs a P2 step-up |
| Microsoft 365 E3 | No (Entra ID P1) | Same position: add P2 or move up |
| Microsoft 365 E5 | Yes (Entra ID P2 included) | PIM is ready to configure today |
| Entra ID P2 (standalone add-on) | Yes | Adds PIM to any base plan, per user |
| Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Yes (PIM included) | PIM plus deeper lifecycle and review tooling |
Per Microsoft's licensing documentation at this writing. We verify what your tenant actually holds before recommending anything. Often the answer is engineering, not new licenses.
What a PIM activation looks like
The whole point is that elevation becomes a fast, recorded ritual instead of a permanent state:
- Request. An eligible admin selects the role and states the business reason. Under a minute.
- Gate. MFA verifies the person; the most sensitive roles also wait for a second person's approval.
- Window. The role is active for the configured period: an hour for routine work, a shift for a project.
- Expiry. The role removes itself. No cleanup ticket, no forgotten admin.
- Record. The activation is logged, and scheduled access reviews re-confirm who should stay eligible.
Break-glass emergency accounts live outside PIM by design: governance should never be the reason you can't get into your own tenant during an incident.
Where we deliver Privileged Identity Management
Privileged Identity Management in Brooklyn, NY · Privileged Identity Management in Westchester County · Privileged Identity Management in Greenwich, CT · Privileged Identity Management in New Jersey · Privileged Identity Management in Orange County, NY · Privileged Identity Management in White Plains, NY. We also support clients remotely wherever their systems run. See all locations and service areas.
Privileged Identity Management FAQs
What is PIM in security?
PIM, privileged identity management, is the control that decides who holds admin rights and for how long. Instead of a standing admin account that is always worth stealing, a person is eligible for a role and activates it only for the task, with MFA, a reason and sometimes a second person's approval, and the role expires on its own. An illustrative example: an office manager eligible for the role that resets passwords activates it for an hour, does the resets, and holds no admin rights the rest of the week.
What is included in privileged identity management services?
At NetSys: a licensing check; an inventory of Entra, Azure and group role assignments; eligibility and the lowest suitable role for each task; activation settings per role, covering duration, MFA, justification and approval; primary and backup approvers; emergency access accounts designed, protected and tested outside PIM; a pilot with real administrators and approvers; scheduled access reviews; and handover notes naming who owns approvals, reviews and alert investigation.
How does a PIM rollout work?
Licensing and current assignments are reviewed first, then eligibility and activation settings are agreed role by role. Representative administrators and approvers test successful, denied and expired activations, along with the business task each role exists for, while permanent exceptions and the emergency access procedure are recorded. Enforcement widens once the pilot works, and access reviews are scheduled so people who no longer need a role lose eligibility.
Does Business Premium include Microsoft Entra PIM?
Business Premium includes Entra ID P1, which alone does not provide PIM. PIM requires Microsoft Entra ID P2 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance licensing for the applicable users. Bundles and add-ons can supply those entitlements. Review eligible and time-bound role holders, relevant group users, approvers and reviewers against Microsoft’s current licensing guidance rather than assuming one administrator license covers everyone.
Is an active assignment always permanent?
No. Active means the role is currently assigned; that assignment can be time-limited or permanent. Eligible means the person can activate the role when required conditions are met. The rollout should decide both the assignment type and its duration, document exceptions and verify that the resulting access supports the agreed job.
Will PIM vault passwords or record every administrator session?
No. Entra PIM governs supported role and group assignments and provides related audit information. Password vaulting, service-account credential handling and session recording across other systems require separate capabilities. Our privileged access management service scopes those broader requirements; buying PIM alone does not establish complete privileged-access coverage.
What happens if nobody can approve access?
Define backup approvers, escalation and the support window before relying on approval gates. Emergency access accounts need their own protected and monitored process. Test representative lockout and unavailable-approver scenarios. The correct design balances restricted routine access with a recovery method that does not depend on the same failure.
What do we need before NetSys can start?
Three things: the names of your Microsoft 365 plans, a list of everyone who currently holds an admin role, and the name of whoever will approve activations of the sensitive roles. Licensing is confirmed first. Entra PIM needs Microsoft Entra ID P2 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance for the people who hold, approve or review roles, and if your plan does not include it the add-on is licensed for those people only, not for the whole company.
What affects the cost and rollout schedule?
For NetSys managed clients, PIM is part of the base agreement, and Microsoft's licensing is the main outside cost: Entra ID P2 or ID Governance for the people who hold, approve or review roles. For a standalone rollout, the number and types of roles, current assignments, tenant or subscription boundaries, available licenses, approval coverage and review requirements determine the work. The proposal should separate configuration, cleanup, testing and training from continuing approvals or administration. We agree timing after identifying the dependencies and pilot scope.
Who handles support and escalations?
Activation requests go to the approvers you name, each with a backup, and failed activations go to the NetSys help desk, staffed seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern. If nobody can get in during an incident, the emergency access accounts kept outside PIM are the way back, and emergency service is available around the clock. Handover names who investigates PIM alerts and who runs each access review.
How does privileged identity management improve security?
It shrinks the time an admin account is worth stealing. Roles stay eligible until someone activates one for a set window, with MFA and, for the most sensitive roles, a second person's approval. Every activation is logged, and access reviews remove people who no longer need a role, so a stolen password alone does not grant admin rights.
Which privileged identity management solution fits a small business?
For a business on Microsoft 365, usually Microsoft Entra PIM, because it is built into the tenant and licensed per user through Entra ID P2 or ID Governance. Dedicated platforms such as CyberArk, BeyondTrust or Delinea add password vaulting and session recording. Our PIM vs PAM page explains when you need both.
Sources and technical references
Guides on this topic
- How to roll out PIM without locking yourself out
- Privileged identity management, defined
- Compare role governance with broader PAM controls
- Scope passwords, service accounts and vendor access
- Review the tenant security baseline
- Coordinate administrator device management
- Entra ID P1 vs P2: whether your plan already includes PIM
- Microsoft 365 E3 vs E5 compared, before you license PIM
- Privileged access management software for small business
Give privileged roles a defined purpose and operating owner.
Share your role inventory, current licensing and approval requirements. We will scope the pilot, emergency access and continuing review process.