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.

Microsoft LAPS: A Legacy Option with Limitations

Microsoft’s traditional LAPS offering works well, but only in certain environments. It’s designed for Active Directory (AD) joined workstations that are connected to the office network. That makes it a good fit for older, on-prem setups and a poor choice for hybrid and remote teams, where machines are either off network or joined to Azure AD instead of a traditional domain.

Microsoft Intune LAPS: A Modern Take with Narrow Focus

To address more modern environments, Microsoft introduced Intune LAPS, a feature within its mobile device management (MDM) platform. This version allows local admin password rotation for Intune-enrolled devices, storing credentials securely in Azure AD.

While Intune LAPS is a solid improvement over its legacy counterpart, it’s still limited to local admin passwords on Intune enrolled devices, and requires specific licensing which can make managing multiple client environments expensive.
Intune LAPS also lacks integrations with the tools you use most such as IT Glue or Hudu, making it harder to unify workflows across your team.

CyberQP LAPS: Built for You

CyberQP LAPS goes beyond local admin password management and is built to meet the needs of both MSPs and internal IT teams. In contrast to Microsoft’s solutions, we support both domain joined and non-domain joined workstations. It works for all workstations no matter where they are located in an easy to use SaaS platform that does not require Active Directory.

Key advantages of CyberQP’s solution:

• Works without Active Directory or Intune
• Rotates passwords for local, AD, M365/Azure, and service accounts
• Includes Just-in-Time (JIT) privilege elevation
• Integrates with tools you already use like IT Glue and Hudu
• Available through a user-friendly SaaS platform
• No costly licensing add-ons required

With CyberQP, password rotation is just one part of a larger Zero Trust Platform. Technicians can request access through secure workflows, local admin rights are granted temporarily with full auditability, and passwords are rotated automatically, thus, reducing the risk of misuse and lateral movement.

For growing IT teams looking for flexibility, scalability, and tool consolidation, CyberQP offers a more complete and practical solution. From password rotation and privilege elevation to identity verification and platform integrations, CyberQP is designed to secure modern environments while making life easier for your helpdesk.

Take a tour of our platform.

CyberQP redefines Zero Trust Helpdesk Security with leading-edge Privileged Access Management (PAM) and End-User Access Management (EUAM) solutions. Our platform enables secure elevated access for both technicians and end users, along with robust self-serve and identity verification capabilities. Backed by SOC 2 Type 2 certification, we empower IT professionals to eliminate identity and privileged access security risks, enforce compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. Our mission is simple: “Empowering Access, Redefining Privilege” for help desks around the globe. Learn more at https://cyberqp.com/tours/

When a major retailer like Marks & Spencer suffers a breach, the headlines usually focus on external attackers, exposed data, or regulatory fallout. But the real cause is often more mundane and more preventable. At the core of many modern cyber incidents lies a quiet but dangerous pattern: Identity sprawl and uncontrolled privilege access. 

The recent M&S hack is a stark reminder of what happens when internal credentials, misconfigured access, or excessive privilege go unchecked. And while most security platforms chase high-velocity threats with buzzwords like AI and threat hunting, IT Professionals and SMBs need something simpler and more practical: better identity discipline. 

This is where automation and privilege control tools like CyberQP come into play not as flashy defenses, but as foundational preventative identity hygiene. 

Most cyber incidents begin with a foothold: a technician account with too many rights, a service account nobody rotates, or a shared credential that’s still active months after offboarding. These aren’t elite zero-days they’re cracks created by Identity sprawl. 

In the M&S case, like many before it, attackers likely moved laterally via misused credentials and privilege escalation. It’s an uncomfortable truth: a single identity with too much access is often all it takes. 

We’ve entered a phase of cybersecurity where most breaches are caused by what isn’t happening—credentials not being rotated, access not being removed, and identities not being verified. 

In contrast to EDRs and firewalls that react after the fact, CyberQP sits quietly between identity and access, enforcing good habits at scale. 

• Audit your local admin footprint – how many devices have static elevated accounts?
• Rotate credentials automatically – especially shared or legacy service accounts.
• Remove standing access – move toward time-based or request-based privilege.
• Verify every user identity – especially at the helpdesk layer.

CyberQP was built with these workflows in mind—because small, invisible gaps are where breaches start, and automation is the only way to close them at scale.

The M&S breach won’t be the last headline. But for SMEs, the goal isn’t to win the security arms race—it’s to build quiet, repeatable identity hygiene into your operations. CyberQP doesn’t just reduce risk—it reduces the opportunity for mistakes.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes to stop the next breach.

CyberQP redefines Zero Trust Helpdesk Security with leading-edge Privileged Access Management (PAM) and End-User Access Management (EUAM) solutions. Our platform enables secure elevated access for both technicians and end users, along with robust self-serve and identity verification capabilities. Backed by SOC 2 Type 2 certification, we empower IT professionals to eliminate identity and privileged access security risks, enforce compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. Our mission is simple: “Empowering Access, Redefining Privilege” for help desks around the globe. Learn more at https://cyberqp.com/tours/