When SentinelOne disclosed a breach in mid-2024, it offered a broader insight into today’s cybersecurity challenges: even robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms benefit from complementary access governance layers. The breach, stemming from a misconfigured third-party analytics integration, underscores the vulnerability of sensitive metadata when proper privilege controls are not in place.

To their credit, SentinelOne responded with transparency and urgency, filing a public SEC 8-K and initiating remediation steps. The incident offers a timely reflection on how privilege creep and unmonitored non-human identities can unintentionally expand an organization’s risk surface.

Incidents like this are not uncommon and should not be viewed as exclusive to any one provider or platform. In fact, they reinforce a vital lesson: cybersecurity is a shared, layered effort. SentinelOne remains a trusted and effective EDR solution. But like all tools, it works best when integrated into a broader ecosystem that includes Privileged Access Management (PAM).

Access Drift Happens

Over time, permissions tied to a third-party analytics tool expanded beyond their intended scope. Known as privilege creep, this access drift can occur silently, particularly in rapidly growing or complex environments.

Visibility Challenges

The exposure likely persisted for some time before being detected. As many IT teams are aware, detecting anomalies—particularly those originating from non-human identities—requires active session monitoring and audit trails, not just endpoint alerts.

Proactive Access Governance Makes a Difference

Once the issue was identified, SentinelOne acted quickly to revoke access and reconfigure permissions. These are essential, practical steps that highlight the value of ongoing access reviews and automated lifecycle management.

Solutions like CyberQP’s QGuard and QDesk help organizations layer in proactive identity and access controls alongside endpoint defenses:

• Just-in-Time Access: Reduce risk by granting temporary access for defined tasks.
• Credential Rotation: Eliminate standing privileges by continuously updating credentials.
• Non-Human Identity Controls: Secure and monitor service accounts to ensure their permissions don’t accumulate unchecked.
• Session Logging & Alerts: Provide the visibility necessary to respond quickly to unusual activity.

With these controls in place, organizations can prevent access drift and reduce the chance of unintended exposure.

EDR is indispensable for detecting threats at the endpoint. SentinelOne excels in this domain. Yet incidents like this highlight the importance of pairing EDR with upstream controls, those that govern who has access in the first place. This is echoed by industry reports from Verizon’s DBIR and guidance from CISA, which emphasize the ongoing prevalence of credential-based breaches.

• Augment Your Endpoint Strategy: Layer PAM to manage identities and access with precision.
• Automate Entitlement Reviews: Regularly audit and expire permissions that are no longer necessary.
• Monitor Service Accounts Closely: Non-human identities should be part of your zero-trust strategy.
• Commit to Least Privilege: Enforce it as a principle across the organization, not just for compliance, but for resilience.

This incident serves as a shared reminder that no one is immune to access risk, not even security leaders. But with tools like QGuard and QDesk, organizations can reinforce their security stack and minimize exposure.

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Many IT environments still grant broad, persistent access to technicians, contractors, and internal users, often without clear justification or active oversight. These standing privileges may seem convenient, but they represent a major liability. Excessive access expands the attack surface, increases the risk of lateral movement during a breach, and complicates audit readiness.

Least privilege access (LPA) offers a proven alternative. It ensures users only receive access to the systems and data they need, nothing more, and only when they need it. No more standing admin rights. No more blind spots. This approach significantly reduces risk exposure while helping teams meet compliance standards with minimal disruption.

For modern IT teams, especially those managing multiple environments or clients, enforcing least privilege access is not just a best practice, it’s the foundation of a strong privileged access management (PAM) strategy. 

LPA isn’t about limiting productivity. It’s about aligning access with need, controlling permissions with surgical precision. That means granting the least amount of privilege necessary for a task, and revoking it immediately after.

When applied consistently, least privilege prevents privilege creep, limits exposure in the event of a credential compromise, and helps block unauthorized lateral movement across networks. For helpdesk teams, this means moving away from shared or persistent admin accounts in favor of just-in-time (JIT) access with strong identity verification and full session logging.

With the right privileged access management platform in place, enforcing least privilege becomes efficient, scalable, and audit-ready, a critical advantage for fast-moving IT teams.

1. Contain Identity-Centric Threats:
According to Expel’s Threat Report, 68% of security investigations now involve identity-based threats, and incidents involving compromised credentials are on the rise. Limiting access based on the principle of least privilege dramatically shrinks the potential blast radius of a stolen account, reducing attacker mobility and dwell time.

2. Meet Compliance and Insurance Requirements:
Frameworks like CIS Controls, HIPAA, and SOC 2 emphasize minimizing privilege, enforcing strong identity controls, and maintaining audit trails. Least privilege access supports these goals by restricting access and generating the documentation needed for compliance and cyber insurance eligibility.

3. Improve Operational Efficiency:
Teams that rely on manual access provisioning are often overwhelmed with low-value requests and account cleanups. Implementing least privilege access with self-serve, policy-based approvals cuts through this noise. It gives technicians the access they need to do their jobs without overwhelming system admins or opening the door to unnecessary risk.

4. Scale Securely with Your Business:
As MSPs and internal IT teams scale, so do access needs. Without automation and structure, managing user privileges across multiple environments becomes unmanageable. By integrating least privilege access into a modern privileged access management platform like CyberQP, IT leaders can enforce consistent policies across clients, departments, and regions.

Despite the benefits, many organizations delay adopting least privilege access due to perceived complexity or resource constraints. Here’s how to tackle the most common obstacles.

• Limited Visibility: Begin by auditing who has access to what. Many teams are surprised by how many dormant or over-permissioned accounts exist. This visibility is a cornerstone of any serious privileged access management effort.

• Cultural Pushback: Change can be met with resistance, especially if admins believe least privilege access will slow them down. Emphasize how tools like CyberQP streamline secure access through JIT elevation and fast, verified approvals.

• Tool Limitations: Older systems may not support fine-grained or time-based access. Choosing the right PAM solution, one built for MSPs and hybrid IT environments, is key. CyberQP is purpose-built to address these challenges while maintaining operational agility.

SMBs and MSPs face more pressure than ever, from regulators, insurers, and attackers alike. According to the Verizon DBIR, 88% of ransomware breaches involve SMBs, and over half stem from compromised credentials. Cyber insurance providers are now requiring strong PAM practices to maintain coverage, including zero standing privileges and audit-ready controls.

With identity as the new perimeter, access is the new vulnerability. Enforcing least privilege access is no longer optional; it’s essential. CyberQP enables teams to adopt this strategy with confidence, combining ease of use with enterprise-grade security.

Learn how CyberQP helps enforce least privilege access and transform your approach to privileged access management. Explore our platform and book a demo today.