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Dual Control is a feature that requires the approval of another user before accessing a password. It is based on a Master Policy rule that applies to all accounts attached to platforms that have this rule enabled. However, there may be situations where a group of users needs to access a password without approval, such as in an emergency or for troubleshooting purposes. In this case, an exception can be made by granting the group the ‘Access safe without confirmation’ authorization on the safe in which the account is stored. This authorization bypasses the Dual Control workflow and allows the group to retrieve the password without waiting for approval. However, the password retrieval will still be audited and recorded in the Vault.

 The purpose of the HeadStartInterval setting in a platform is to instruct the CPM to initiate the password change process X number of days before expiration. This setting is used when the platform has the One Time Password feature enabled, which means that the passwords are changed every time they are retrieved by a user. The HeadStartInterval setting defines the number of days before the password expires (according to the ExpirationPeriod parameter) that the CPM will start the password change process. This gives the CPM enough time to change the password before it becomes invalid, and ensures that the user will always receive a valid password when they request it1. The HeadStartInterval setting can be configured in the Platform Management settings for each platform that supports One Time Passwords. The default value is 0, which means that the CPM will start the password change process on the same day as the password expiration date1.

The other options are not the purpose of the HeadStartInterval setting in a platform:

A. It determines how far in advance audit data is collected for reports. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not affect the audit data collection or reporting. The audit data is collected by the Vault server and stored in the Audit database, and the reports are generated by the PVWA or the PrivateArk Client based on the audit data2.

C. It instructs the AIM Provider to ‘skip the cache’ during the defined time period. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not affect the AIM Provider or the cache mechanism. The AIM Provider is a component that enables applications to securely retrieve credentials from the Vault without requiring human intervention. The cache mechanism is a feature that allows the AIM Provider to store credentials locally for a limited time, in case of a temporary network failure or Vault unavailability3.

D. It alerts users of upcoming password changes x number of days before expiration. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not alert users of anything. The HeadStartInterval setting only instructs the CPM to initiate the password change process, not to notify the users. The users do not need to be aware of the password changes, as they are performed automatically by the CPM and do not affect the user experience1. References:

1: Privileged Account Management, Min Validity Period subsection

2: Reports and Audits

3: Application Identity Manager

Customers who have the ‘Access Safe without confirmation’ safe permission on a safe where accounts are configured for Dual control, do not need to request approval to use the account. The ‘Access Safe without confirmation’ safe permission allows users to access accounts without confirmation from authorized users, even if the Master Policy or an exception enforces Dual Control1. This means that users who have this permission can bypass the workflow process and access the account password or connect to the target system immediately. This permission can be granted to users or groups on a safe level by the safe owner or another user with the Manage Safe authorization2. References:

1: Dual Control, Advanced Settings subsection

2: CyberArk Privileged Access Security Implementation Guide, Chapter 3: Managing Safes, Section: Safe Authorizations, Table 2-1: Safe Authorizations

 A Reconcile account can be assigned in the Privileged Vault Web Access (PVWA) at both the account level and within the platform configuration. At the account level, a Reconcile account password can be defined which will override the account specified in the platform1. In the platform configuration, you can navigate to Platform Management, select the platform, edit it, and then expand Automatic Password Management to enter the values in the ‘ReconcileAccountSafe’ and ‘ReconcileAccountName’ fields, which will apply to all accounts attached to that specific platform2.

References:

CyberArk Docs - Reconcile Password1

CyberArk Community - Associate reconcile account with a specific platform

The time access restrictions for a safe are configured in the PrivateArk Administrative Client, which is a graphical user interface that allows users to manage safes and their properties. The time access restrictions are set in the Time Access Restrictions tab of the Safe properties window. This tab enables users to specify the days and hours when the safe can be accessed. If the time access restrictions are turned off, the safe can be accessed at any time. References: PrivateArk Safe management, Advanced Safe Management

Add To Pending: Unmanaged privileged account

Rotate Credentials: Suspected credential theft

Reconcile Credentials: Suspicious password change

Comprehensive Explanation: In CyberArk’s Privileged Threat Analytics (PTA), automatic remediations are actions that can be configured to respond to specific security events. For the event of an unmanaged privileged account, the remediation “Add To Pending” is used to add the account to the pending accounts queue. When there is a suspected credential theft, “Rotate Credentials” is the remediation that initiates a password change. Lastly, for a suspicious password change event, “Reconcile Credentials” is the remediation that ensures the credentials are correct and valid1.

References:

CyberArk Docs: Configure security events

 CyberArk’s Privileged Threat Analytics (PTA) can be configured to send alerts to a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system and via Email. SIEM systems are used for real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware, while email alerts can be sent to individual or group email addresses for immediate notification1.

References:

CyberArk Docs: Send PTA Alerts to Email1

Comprehensive Explanation: The Privileged Threat Analytics (PTA) sensors are designed to collect specific types of data to detect potential security threats. For the alert category of Unmanaged privileged account, the Network Sensor and PTA Windows Agent are responsible for collecting the relevant data. Similarly, for the alert category of Anomalous access to multiple machines, data is collected from Logs, the Vault, and optionally from AWS and Azure. The Suspicious activities detected in a privileged session category relies on data from Logs, the Vault, and optionally from AD, AWS, and Azure. Lastly, the Suspected credentials theft category also utilizes the Network Sensor and PTA Windows Agent for data collection.

References:

CyberArk’s official training materials and documentation provide detailed information on PTA sensors and the types of data they collect for different alert categories.

 When managing SSH keys, the CPM stores the public key on the target server. The CPM generates a new random SSH key pair and updates the public SSH key on the target machine. The public SSH key is stored in the home directory of the privileged user on the target machine, usually in the file ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. The public SSH key is not stored in the Vault, as this would be redundant and unnecessary. The public SSH key cannot be generated from the private key, as this would defeat the purpose of asymmetric encryption. References:

Manage SSH Keys

SSH Key Manager

Use SSH Keys