How TechIDManager Could Have Prevented This Incident
In the reported case, IT worker Mohammed Taj, after being suspended in July 2022, used his privileged system access to alter credentials and disrupt services—causing over £200,000 in business damage . This kind of insider threat highlights critical gaps in credential management and access revocation.
TechIDManager, a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution designed for MSPs, offers several mechanisms that would have drastically reduced this risk:
1. Unique, Non‑Shared Admin Accounts
TechIDManager enforces that every technician operates under a unique account, avoiding shared credentials. That means no one has blanket access to multiple systems—a key weak point in the Taj scenario . If Taj had only ever used one tightly-scoped account, his ability to pivot would’ve been limited.
2. Automated, Just‑In‑Time (JIT) Privilege Provisioning
With JIT access, elevated permissions are granted only when needed and only for the duration of the task. Once the task completes, access is revoked. Taj’s continuous access post-suspension would have been automatically revoked—preventing the subsequent breach .
3. Instant Access Deactivation Across All Systems
Powered by centrally managed agents across domains, Azure AD, and local machines, TechIDManager allows admins to immediately disable a technician’s account everywhere with a single click . This would have blocked Taj the moment suspension occurred.
4. Frequent Password Rotation + Encrypted Storage
Passwords in TechIDManager are automatically rotated regularly (often daily), and stored end-to-end encrypted—only decryptable by the specific technician’s local key. Even if Taj tried to repurpose credentials, they’d be invalid.
5. Audit Trails & Forensic Visibility
Every credential request and access event is logged, timestamped, and tied to a specific technician. This provides accountability and enables rapid incident response—making it harder for someone to hide unauthorized access.
In summary: TechIDManager’s principles—unique identity enforcement, JIT access, automated deprovisioning, rotating credentials, and detailed audit logs—form a robust defense against insider threats. Had such a system been in place, once Taj was suspended, his access would have been cut off instantly, his credentials rendered ineffective, and any abnormal attempts to break in would have been traceable.
Contact us if you’d like to explore more about TechIDManager’s architecture, deployment, or comparable PAM integrations.
