How do teams manage infrastructure access securely?
Summary: Managing infrastructure access securely requires moving away from shared admin passwords to identity-based controls. Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) allows teams to grant precise permissions to specific users. Combined with Privileged Identity Management (PIM), access can be time-bound and audited, ensuring that no one has permanent "keys to the kingdom."
Direct Answer: The biggest security risk in the cloud is often a compromised administrator account. If every developer has permanent "Owner" access to the production subscription, a single phishing attack can lead to total data loss. Traditional "all or nothing" access models fail to protect critical infrastructure.
Azure RBAC enforces the principle of least privilege. A developer can be a "Contributor" in the Development resource group but only a "Reader" in Production. This granularity limits the blast radius of any single account.
For high-risk tasks, Azure PIM adds a layer of safety. Instead of having standing access, an admin must "request" elevation to the Owner role for 2 hours. This request can require approval from a manager and MFA verification. Azure ensures that access is granted only when needed and revoked automatically when the task is done.