Overview
Privileged Session Recording and Management provides comprehensive capture, monitoring, and analysis of privileged user sessions—every keystroke, command, screen interaction, and file transfer performed by administrators on sensitive systems. This capability transforms privileged access from a trust-based model ("we trust our admins") to a verify-and-audit model ("trust but verify every action"). Recordings serve multiple purposes: real-time security monitoring allows SOC analysts to watch active sessions and intervene if suspicious activity occurs; forensic analysis enables security teams to reconstruct exactly what happened during a security incident; compliance evidence satisfies auditors who require proof that privileged activities are monitored; and knowledge sharing allows organizations to review sessions for training or troubleshooting purposes. Modern implementations go beyond passive recording to include behavioral analytics that baseline normal administrative patterns and alert on anomalies—detecting potential insider threats or compromised credentials before damage occurs.
Key Decisions
| Decision | Options | Recommendation | Notes / Gotchas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording scope | High-risk systems only, All servers, All privileged access including cloud | All privileged access including cloud consoles | Gaps in recording create blind spots for investigators |
| Recording method | Gateway/proxy-based, Agent on target, Hybrid | Gateway-based for centralized control; agent for edge cases | Gateway misses sessions that bypass it; agents add deployment complexity |
| Recording fidelity | Metadata only, Command capture, Full video, Keystroke + video | Full video + keystroke for Tier 0; command capture minimum for others | Full video consumes significant storage; plan capacity |
| Real-time monitoring | Recording only (passive), Alert-based, Live view + intervention | Alert-based with intervention capability for Tier 0 | Live monitoring requires 24/7 SOC capability |
| Behavioral analytics | None, Basic threshold alerting, ML-based anomaly detection | ML-based anomaly detection for large environments; threshold for smaller | ML requires tuning and may generate initial false positives |
| Storage architecture | Local storage, Cloud storage, Hybrid tiered | Hybrid: fast storage for recent, cloud/archive for long-term | Storage costs scale with retention; implement lifecycle policies |
Architecture & Reference Patterns
Pattern 1: Session Broker with Integrated Recording
PAM platform acts as session broker—administrators connect to PAM, PAM establishes session to target, all traffic passes through PAM layer where it is recorded. Provides unified recording for all protocols (RDP, SSH, web) with centralized management. Recording cannot be bypassed without bypassing PAM entirely.
Pattern 2: Jump Server Recording
Hardened jump server (bastion host) serves as mandatory entry point. All administrative sessions originate from and are recorded on the jump server. Web-based access (HTML5 RDP/SSH) eliminates client-side dependencies. Network rules prevent direct access that would bypass recording.
Pattern 3: Agent-Based Recording
Recording agents deployed on target systems capture session activity at the endpoint. Works for systems that cannot route through a proxy and captures local console sessions. Requires agent deployment at scale and depends on agent health.
Pattern 4: Cloud Console Recording via Browser Isolation
For cloud admin consoles, remote browser isolation (RBI) technology routes console access through a controlled browser instance. All interactions with AWS Console, Azure Portal, or GCP Console are recorded even though they occur in the cloud. Provides recording for API-driven administration.
Implementation Approach
Phase 0: Discovery
Inputs: Privileged access inventory, compliance requirements, current logging Outputs: Recording scope, compliance mapping, architecture requirements
Key activities:
- Inventory all privileged access vectors requiring recording
- Document compliance requirements for session recording (SOX, PCI-DSS, HIPAA)
- Assess privacy and legal requirements (consent, data residency, GDPR)
- Evaluate current logging capabilities and gaps
- Estimate storage requirements based on session volume and retention
- Identify real-time monitoring requirements
Phase 1: Design
Inputs: Scope, compliance requirements, legal review Outputs: Recording architecture, retention policy, monitoring procedures
Key activities:
- Design recording architecture (proxy, agent, hybrid)
- Define recording levels by system tier and risk
- Establish retention policies per compliance framework
- Design storage architecture (capacity, encryption, lifecycle)
- Create alert rules for suspicious activities
- Design real-time monitoring and intervention procedures
- Plan behavioral analytics implementation
- Design search and playback capabilities
Phase 2: Build & Integrate
Inputs: Design documents, recording platform, infrastructure Outputs: Deployed recording, configured policies, SIEM integration
Key activities:
- Deploy recording infrastructure (proxies, gateways, agents)
- Configure recording policies by system and user
- Implement alert rules for dangerous commands and anomalies
- Build SIEM integration for metadata and alerts
- Configure storage with encryption and lifecycle policies
- Deploy search and playback interface
- Set up access controls for recording review
- Test recording completeness and quality
Phase 3: Rollout
Inputs: Deployed infrastructure, policies, user notification Outputs: Active recording, trained reviewers, baseline metrics
Key activities:
- Enable recording in phases by system tier
- Validate recording coverage and quality
- Train security team on session review and search
- Implement user consent/notification per legal requirements
- Configure behavioral analytics baselines
- Test real-time monitoring and session termination
- Establish baseline metrics for normal activity
Phase 4: Operate
Inputs: Operational recording, monitoring procedures, analytics Outputs: Security monitoring, compliance evidence, threat detection
Key activities:
- Monitor recording coverage and identify gaps
- Review sessions flagged by alerts or analytics
- Support incident investigations with session playback
- Generate compliance evidence for audits
- Manage storage capacity and retention lifecycle
- Tune alert rules and analytics to reduce false positives
- Conduct periodic access reviews for recording data
Deliverables
- Session recording architecture document
- Recording policy matrix (what to record, at what fidelity)
- Alert and analytics rule set
- Retention schedule by system classification
- Investigation playback procedures
- Privacy notice and consent documentation
- Compliance evidence generation guide
- Storage capacity planning model
- Behavioral baseline documentation
Risks & Failure Modes
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Early Signals | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recording bypass through direct access | M | H | Network traffic outside proxy; unrecorded sessions | Network segmentation; firewall enforcement; anomaly detection |
| Storage exhaustion stops recording | M | H | Storage alerts; recording failures | Capacity monitoring; tiered storage; retention automation |
| Alert fatigue leads to missed threats | H | H | Analyst complaints; ignored alerts; incident post-mortems | Alert tuning; risk-based prioritization; automation |
| Recording data breach exposes sensitive activity | L | H | Unauthorized access; data exfiltration | Encryption; access controls; DLP; audit recording access |
| Privacy violation from recording without consent | M | M | Legal complaints; regulatory action | Legal review; consent banners; clear policies |
| Behavioral analytics false positives overwhelm SOC | M | M | Many alerts, few true positives; analyst fatigue | Tuning period; feedback loop; gradual rollout |
KPIs / Outcomes
- Recording coverage: Percentage of privileged sessions recorded (target: 100% for in-scope)
- Alert response time: Mean time from alert to analyst review (target: fewer than 15 minutes for critical)
- Investigation support time: Time to retrieve session for investigation (target: fewer than 4 hours)
- False positive rate: Percentage of alerts that are benign (target: fewer than 20% after tuning)
- Storage utilization: Percentage of allocated storage used (monitor trend)
- Behavioral detection rate: Anomalies detected vs. actual incidents (track effectiveness)
Workshop Questions
Security / IAM
- What privileged activities require recording for security and compliance?
- What constitutes suspicious behavior that should trigger alerts?
- Who should have access to view recorded sessions?
- What real-time monitoring and intervention capability do you need?
- How should behavioral analytics inform your security monitoring?
App Owners
- What administrative activities on your systems require recording?
- Are there activities that should NOT be recorded (sensitive data display)?
- How would you want to be notified of suspicious activity on your systems?
- What is acceptable recording impact on session performance?
- What investigation support do you need when incidents occur?
Operations / Helpdesk
- What search capabilities do you need for troubleshooting (time, user, target, command)?
- How long do you need recording access for operational purposes?
- How should recording notifications be displayed to administrators?
- What training do analysts need for session review?
- How should recording integrate with incident management?
Requirements Gathering Checklist
- [Security] Define recording scope by system tier and access type
- [Security] Document suspicious activities requiring alerts
- [Security] Establish access control model for session recordings
- [Security] Define real-time monitoring requirements
- [Security] Specify behavioral analytics requirements
- [Compliance] Map recording to regulatory frameworks (SOX, PCI, HIPAA)
- [Compliance] Document retention requirements by classification
- [Compliance] Identify legal hold requirements
- [Legal] Review privacy requirements (consent, notification, GDPR)
- [Legal] Document data residency requirements
- [Architecture] Estimate storage capacity based on volume and retention
- [Architecture] Design HA requirements for recording infrastructure
- [Architecture] Plan network architecture for proxy-based recording
- [Operations] Document investigation request and playback procedures
- [Operations] Define analyst training requirements
- [Operations] Establish recording quality monitoring procedures
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AU-3 Content of Audit Records - Audit record content requirements
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AU-14 Session Audit - Session recording requirements
- NIST SP 800-92 - Guide to Computer Security Log Management - Log and recording management
- CIS Controls v8 - Control 8: Audit Log Management - Audit and monitoring controls
- PCI DSS v4.0 - Requirement 10: Log and Monitor Access - Payment card recording requirements
- CyberArk PSM Documentation - Session recording implementation
- BeyondTrust Session Monitoring - Session recording capabilities
- Delinea Session Recording - Session management documentation
- SANS - Insider Threat Monitoring - Behavioral monitoring best practices