Not every administrator needs permanent access to highly privileged roles such as Global Administrator, Exchange Administrator, or Security Administrator. Permanent administrative permissions increase security risks because compromised accounts can be used to make critical changes across an organization.
To address this challenge, Microsoft provides Privileged Identity Management (PIM) as part of Microsoft Entra ID.Microsoft Entra ID PIM enables organizations to grant administrative privileges only when required and automatically remove them when the task is completed.
In this guide, you'll learn what Microsoft Entra ID PIM is, how it works, its benefits, common use cases, and best practices for implementation.
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) is a security feature that provides just-in-time access to privileged roles and resources.
Instead of assigning permanent administrator permissions, users receive eligible access and activate their roles only when required.
PIM helps organizations:
Many organizations still use permanently assigned administrator roles.
While convenient, this approach creates significant security risks.
An IT administrator is permanently assigned the Global Administrator role.
If that account is compromised through:
Attackers immediately gain unrestricted access to the Microsoft 365 environment.
PIM reduces this risk by requiring administrators to activate privileged roles only when needed.
PIM introduces a different access model.
This significantly reduces exposure to privilege-related attacks.
The user can activate the role when required but does not hold the permissions continuously.
The role is immediately active and available.
This is typically reserved for emergency accounts or service accounts.
The process of temporarily enabling a privileged role.
Organizations can require manager or administrator approval before activation.
Roles automatically expire after a configured period.
PIM can manage access to several resource types.
Examples include:
PIM can manage privileged access to Microsoft 365 Groups and security groups.
Administrators activate roles only when required.
Organizations can require MFA before role activation.
Managers or security teams can approve privileged access requests.
Regularly verify whether users still require privileged access.
Receive alerts when:
Track every activation, approval, and privileged operation.
Minimizes opportunities for attackers to exploit privileged accounts.
Administrators receive elevated access only when needed.
Supports regulatory requirements by documenting privileged access activities.
Administrators can easily review privileged access assignments and activations.
Combines well with Access Reviews and Identity Governance features.
Keep Global Administrator access eligible instead of permanently assigned.
Provide elevated permissions for migration projects and automatically remove them afterward.
Allow consultants and vendors temporary administrative access.
Security analysts can activate elevated permissions only during investigations.
| Feature | Permanent Roles | PIM |
|---|---|---|
| Always Active | Yes | No |
| Time-Limited Access | No | Yes |
| Approval Workflow | No | Yes |
| MFA Enforcement | Optional | Supported |
| Audit Visibility | Limited | Extensive |
| Security Risk | Higher | Lower |
Avoid permanent administrative assignments unless absolutely necessary.
Begin by securing Global Administrator accounts.
This provides an additional layer of protection.
Require approval for highly privileged roles.
Ensure security teams receive alerts about privileged access activities.
Remove unnecessary privileged assignments promptly.
PIM typically requires Microsoft Entra ID P2 licensing, which is included with Microsoft 365 E5 and EMS E5.
Yes. PIM can manage access to Azure subscriptions, resource groups, and other Azure resources.
Yes. Organizations can configure approval workflows before role activation.
Yes. MFA can be enforced as part of the activation process.
Organizations often deploy PIM but continue maintaining permanent Global Administrators.
Without reviews, unnecessary privileged assignments accumulate over time.
MFA should always be required for privileged role activation.
Keep activation periods as short as operationally possible.
Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management is one of the most effective security controls available to Microsoft 365 administrators. By providing just-in-time access, approval workflows, MFA enforcement, access reviews, and auditing capabilities, PIM significantly reduces the risks associated with privileged accounts.
Organizations seeking to improve Microsoft 365 security, strengthen compliance, and implement zero trust principles should consider PIM a foundational part of their identity security strategy.
Did You Know? Managing Microsoft 365 applications is even easier with automation. Try our Graph PowerShell scripts to automate tasks like generating reports, cleaning up inactive Teams, or assigning licenses efficiently.
Ready to get the most out of Microsoft 365 tools? Explore our free Microsoft 365 administration tools to simplify your administrative tasks and boost productivity.
© Your Site Name. All Rights Reserved. Design by HTML Codex