CyberArk is one of the most widely adopted privileged access management (PAM) platforms in the world, known for transforming how organizations secure, monitor, and manage privileged accounts and credentials. It brings comprehensive identity security controls, vault-based credential management, and advanced threat analytics into a single platform where critical security operations actually get done.
Many IT, security, and compliance teams use CyberArk not just for credential protection, but for orchestrating complete privileged access workflows and maintaining regulatory compliance across hybrid environments.
What Is CyberArk?
CyberArk is a specialized privileged access management (PAM) and identity security platform designed to protect organizations' most sensitive accounts and credentials. Users leverage its digital vault to securely store privileged credentials, monitor high-risk sessions, and enforce least privilege policies across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
Originally built to address the growing threat of credential-based attacks, CyberArk now supports comprehensive identity governance, AI-powered threat detection, and automated compliance workflows. Its user base spans from mid-sized enterprises to Fortune 500 companies, with strong adoption among IT security teams, compliance officers, and infrastructure administrators who need to secure privileged access at scale.
What is CyberArk used for?
CyberArk addresses the critical challenge of securing privileged accounts that attackers frequently target to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.
The common use cases for CyberArk include:
- Privileged Credential Management - Centralized vault stores and automatically rotates privileged passwords, eliminating hardcoded credentials and reducing credential theft risks
- Session Monitoring and Recording - Real-time oversight of privileged activities with complete session recordings for compliance audits and forensic investigations
- Cross-Departmental Access Workflows - Automated approval processes spanning IT, HR, and Finance for software access requests, onboarding, and system provisioning
- Compliance and Audit Preparation - Customizable reporting and tamper-proof audit trails that support SOX, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR compliance initiatives, streamlining regulatory reviews
- Threat Detection and Response - AI-powered analytics identify suspicious privileged account behavior, enabling rapid incident response and threat containment
- DevOps Secrets Management - Secures API keys, certificates, and application secrets in CI/CD pipelines, preventing credential exposure in code repositories
Key Features of CyberArk
The platform's comprehensive privileged access security capabilities include:
- Digital Vault provides encrypted storage for privileged credentials with policy-driven access controls and automated rotation schedules that eliminate static password risks.
- Privileged Session Management enables real-time monitoring and recording of all privileged activities, supporting both compliance requirements and security incident investigations.
- Just-in-Time Access grants temporary privilege elevation only when needed, minimizing standing access that attackers can exploit for lateral movement.
- Threat Analytics leverages machine learning to detect anomalous privileged account behavior, providing early warning of potential insider threats or credential compromise.
- Cross-Platform Integration connects with identity providers, SIEM systems, and business applications through 50+ native integrations, eliminating manual coordination overhead.
- Secrets Management for Applications secures non-human identities including API keys, certificates, and service account credentials used by automated processes and applications.
- Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication dynamically adjusts authentication requirements based on risk factors, strengthening security without impeding legitimate access.
CyberArk Pros & Cons
CyberArk delivers enterprise-grade privileged access security but requires careful planning for successful implementation.
CyberArk Pros
- Industry-leading security with AES 256-bit encryption, comprehensive audit trails, and proven protection against advanced persistent threats
- Robust compliance support for regulations like SOX, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS with automated reporting and tamper-proof session recordings
- Extensive integration ecosystem supporting hybrid environments, cloud platforms, and modern DevOps toolchains
- Scalable architecture that grows with organizational complexity while maintaining performance and security standards
CyberArk Cons
- High implementation complexity requiring specialized expertise and potentially lengthy deployment timelines for full value realization
- Premium pricing model with per-identity (and in some products, per-user) licensing that may be cost-prohibitive for smaller organizations or budget-conscious teams
- Learning curve challenges for administrators and end users, necessitating comprehensive training programs and change management
- Infrastructure requirements including dedicated servers and substantial storage capacity for session recordings and audit data
CyberArk Pricing
CyberArk operates on a solution-based pricing model with offerings tailored to specific identity types and security needs. To get the exact pricing details, get in touch with their sales team.
When CyberArk Isn't Enough: Meet Siit
While CyberArk excels at privileged access management, many organizations still struggle with cross-departmental process coordination. You're not just managing privileged credentials, you're manually orchestrating complex workflows that span Security, IT, HR, and Finance teams.
Siit eliminates this coordination overhead by automating complete security processes across departments:
- End-to-End Security Workflow Automation: Siit orchestrates the entire privileged access lifecycle, from initial request through security review, manager approval, to system provisioning, without manual handoffs between teams.
- Works Where Your Security Team Lives: Unlike CyberArk's portal-centric approach, Siit operates directly within Slack and Teams where security professionals already communicate, capturing access requests and orchestrating approvals without disrupting existing workflows.
- Intelligent Security Orchestration: Siit doesn't just pass tickets between departments, it executes sophisticated multi-step security workflows, handling conditional approvals, credential provisioning, and compliance documentation automatically.
- Coordination Overhead Elimination: Stop being the "human middleware" between security functions. Siit eliminates the substantial operational capacity security teams waste on manual coordination between PAM administrators, compliance teams, and business units.
CyberArk Alternatives
Several platforms offer privileged access management capabilities, though each serves different organizational needs and deployment preferences.
All tools listed below can be integrated with Siit's business process orchestration platform:
- BeyondTrust provides comprehensive PAM with strong session management and user-friendly interfaces, ideal for organizations seeking mature privilege controls with simplified administration
- Delinea (Thycotic) focuses on endpoint privilege management and seamless directory integration, particularly suited for Windows-heavy environments requiring flexible access policies
- HashiCorp Vault delivers API-driven secrets management optimized for DevOps workflows, supporting organizations with cloud-native architectures and automation-first approaches
- One Identity Safeguard offers role-based privilege management with extensive customization capabilities, designed for large enterprises with complex governance requirements
- Infisign combines human and machine identity management with AI-powered analytics, targeting modern organizations seeking unified identity security platforms
