The pandemic was a turning point for how organizations regard remote access. Now, employees and third parties accessing sensitive systems and data from outside the corporate network is a must-have, everyday requirement, not a nice-to-have or emergency-only situation.
In fact, the volume and diversity of work that contractors, vendors, and other third parties handle is exploding, as companies tighten their belts and hiring slows, and employees with specialized technical skills are increasingly difficult to find. In this new environment, organizations must balance remote productivity with remote security or risk falling behind.
What is Privileged Remote Access?
Privileged Remote Access (PRA) is a security approach that allows authorized users—such as IT administrators, contractors, and third-party vendors—to securely connect to critical systems and sensitive data without exposing the organization to cyber threats. Unlike traditional remote access solutions, which often provide broad access with limited oversight, Privileged Remote Access enforces strict security controls, ensuring users only have the access they need, when they need it, and nothing more.
A robust PRA solution incorporates multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify identities, just-in-time access to limit standing privileges, and continuous session monitoring to track activity in real-time. These controls help prevent unauthorized access, reduce the risk of credential theft, and provide detailed audit logs for compliance. By implementing Privileged Remote Access, organizations can maintain operational efficiency while protecting their most sensitive systems from cyberattacks.
Why do organizations need secure remote access?
Remote staff need immediate privileged access to systems to keep operations running. IT teams handle technical troubleshooting, configuration, patches and upgrades, development, testing, and more—all remotely. Meanwhile, business users need continuous access to applications, databases, and workflow tools to get their jobs done.
Managing this blossoming number of remote users is challenging for IT and security teams who are already overwhelmed by an increasingly complex attack surface, fighting a steady onslaught of cyberattacks. A process that creates a unique identity for each user on each system will soon become untenable. On the flip side, a system that encourages shared identities, privileged accounts, and passwords makes it impossible to enforce least privilege, zero trust best practices, and provide tracking of individual privileged behavior that auditors and compliance regulations require.
That’s why organizations partner with Delinea to incorporate Privileged Remote Access into their cybersecurity toolkit.
Secure Remote Access with Delinea Privileged Remote Access (PRA)
Delinea’s Privileged Remote Access simplifies and automates remote access management for the IT resources people need to be productive. With PRA, you enhance security and ensure seamless usability when allowing remote users access to servers and other systems within your network. You can confidently embrace third-party vendors, contractors, and a remote workforce with the required level of security controls.
PRA is delivered on the Delinea Platform and leverages Secret Server’s robust vaulting and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) capabilities to provide secure access for a remote workforce.
Enterprises measure the benefits of using Privileged Remote Access in many ways:
Convenience for your IT team
PRA securely manages remote employees and third parties with browser-based Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Secure Shell (SSH) solutions. All users need is a browser on any device to access PRA from anywhere.
Productivity for end users
Remote users and the IT operations teams that support them love that they don’t have to deal with the complexity and management headaches of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Without the need for workstation-based security tooling, PRA reduces the load on help desk teams. Instead, PRA establishes rapid, secure connections using an easy-to-install server gateway. This method improves connection speeds and avoids the disruption of random VPN drops.
With PRA, the onboarding of remote employees, contractors, and partners happens more quickly. PRA includes self-service access request workflows for just-in-time, just-enough privileges with approval, under controlled conditions. As a result, people can be productive right away and stay productive because they have access to the resources they need.
Security for your business
Because there is no direct network connection with PRA, you don’t need to worry about spreading endpoint viruses or malware from remote users into your network. In addition, there’s no jump host that can expose the broader network.
Your Virtual Private Clouds stay private because PRA's modern architecture avoids opening additional firewall ports.
PRA also provides the opportunity to apply more granular access controls than a course-grained VPN solution could ever make possible. In fact, because PRA is tightly integrated with Secret Server, privileged behavior of remote users is fully audited, which isn’t possible with traditional VPN-based or RDP-based solutions. Plus, access expires automatically after use, which means no more standing or forgotten privileges.
Using PRA is simple and intuitive. Here’s how it works:
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Launch Session The PRA web application establishes a secure connection to Secret Server and displays available credentials to the remote employee. The remote user simply clicks launch to create an RDP or SSH session. |
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Create Browser Session When the session is launched, PRA creates a new reverse tunnel directly to the protected resource. A browser tab containing the SSH/RDP session is opened. |
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End Session After the remote employee’s work is finished, the session is disconnected, the tunnel closed, and the secret access logged for auditing and reporting within Secret Server. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Privilege Remote Access important for your organization?
Cyber threats targeting privileged accounts are on the rise, and remote access is one of the most common entry points for attackers. Without strong security measures, bad actors can exploit weak authentication methods, steal credentials, and move laterally through networks undetected. Privileged Remote Access significantly reduces this risk by enforcing identity verification, session monitoring, and least privilege access.
Beyond security, PRA also helps organizations meet compliance requirements for frameworks like NIST, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS by ensuring strict control over who can access critical systems. It also streamlines third-party access, eliminating the need for VPNs or shared credentials. By securing privileged access in remote environments, organizations can prevent data breaches, maintain regulatory compliance, and confidently support a distributed workforce.
What are the best practices for Privileged Remote Access management?
Effective Privileged Remote Access management starts with a least privilege approach, ensuring users only have the minimum level of access required for their tasks. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification methods before granting access. Organizations should also enforce just-in-time access, where privileges are granted only when needed and automatically revoked after use, reducing exposure to potential threats.
Monitoring and auditing privileged sessions is another critical best practice. By capturing detailed logs and analyzing remote activity, organizations can detect anomalies, investigate incidents, and maintain compliance. Additionally, securing credentials through automated password rotation and eliminating hardcoded passwords further reduces the risk of unauthorized access. Finally, continuous training and awareness programs help employees and third-party users understand security risks and follow best practices, strengthening the organization’s overall security posture.
How do I implement Privileged Remote Access?
A successful Privileged Remote Access strategy begins with assessing current security risks and identifying gaps in existing remote access processes. Organizations should define clear access policies that specify who can connect to which systems, under what conditions, and for how long.
Selecting a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution that supports zero trust principles, real-time monitoring, and identity verification is essential to securing remote connections. Integration with existing security tools, such as SIEM platforms and endpoint protection solutions, ensures that Privileged Remote Access works seamlessly within the broader security ecosystem.
Finally, regular audits, policy reviews, and continuous improvement efforts help organizations stay ahead of emerging threats. By prioritizing security without sacrificing usability, businesses can confidently provide remote access while safeguarding their most critical assets.
The latest version of PRA is available on the Delinea Platform for a fully unified management console and user experience.
Secure privileged remote access for everyone
