What does PAM do to protect password security?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) plays an essential role in protecting password security, particularly by ensuring that passwords conform to established security policies. This means that when PAM checks a password against specific criteria—such as complexity requirements (including length, character variety, and frequency of changes)—it helps prevent weak passwords from being used, which are often targets for unauthorized access. By enforcing such policies, PAM minimizes the risk of credential compromise, reducing the likelihood of successful attacks on privileged accounts.

This practice is vital because strong password policies can significantly enhance the overall security posture of an organization. The other choices, while relevant to password management in a broader sense, focus on different aspects of password security. Encrypting passwords, for example, helps protect them in transit or storage, storing passwords securely is crucial for data protection, and transferring passwords over secure channels ensures that they are not intercepted during transmission. However, the unique contribution of PAM lies in its enforcement of best practices regarding password strength and compliance with security standards.