--- name: implementing-delinea-secret-server-for-pam description: 'Implements Delinea Secret Server for privileged access management, covering secret vault configuration, role-based access policies, automated password rotation, session recording, and Active Directory/cloud integration. Use when centralizing privileged credential management, replacing spreadsheet-based secrets, automating password rotation, or meeting PAM compliance (SOX, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53). ' domain: cybersecurity subdomain: identity-access-management tags: - PAM - Delinea - Secret-Server - privileged-access - password-vault - credential-management version: '1.0' author: mahipal license: Apache-2.0 nist_csf: - PR.AA-01 - PR.AA-02 - PR.AA-05 - PR.AA-06 mitre_attack: - T1078 - T1110 - T1556 - T1098 - T1003 mitre_f3: version: '1.1' tactics: - reconnaissance - initial-access - positioning techniques: - id: T1555.005 name: 'Credentials from Password Stores: Password Managers' tactic: reconnaissance source: attack - id: T1110 name: Brute Force tactic: initial-access source: attack - id: F1006 name: Account Takeover tactic: initial-access source: f3 - id: F1006.002 name: 'Account Takeover: Exposed Login Credential' tactic: initial-access source: f3 - id: F1005 name: Account Manipulation tactic: positioning source: f3 --- # Implementing Delinea Secret Server for PAM ## When to Use - Organization needs centralized privileged credential management across hybrid infrastructure - Compliance requirements mandate privileged access controls (SOX, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, NIST 800-53) - Service accounts and shared credentials are stored in spreadsheets or plaintext files - Need to implement automated password rotation for privileged accounts - Require session recording and keystroke logging for privileged user activity - Migrating from manual PAM processes to an enterprise vault solution **Do not use** for standard end-user password management; Delinea Secret Server is designed for privileged and shared account credential management requiring enterprise-grade controls. ## Prerequisites - Delinea Secret Server license (On-Premises or Cloud) - Windows Server 2019/2022 for on-premises deployment with IIS and SQL Server - Active Directory service account with read permissions for discovery - SSL/TLS certificate for web interface encryption - Network connectivity to target systems for password rotation - PowerShell 5.1+ for automation scripts ## Workflow ### Step 1: Deploy Secret Server Infrastructure Install and configure the Secret Server application server: ```powershell # Pre-installation checks for on-premises deployment # Verify IIS is installed with required features Import-Module ServerManager Install-WindowsFeature Web-Server, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-Mgmt-Console # Verify SQL Server connectivity $sqlConn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection $sqlConn.ConnectionString = "Server=sql01.corp.local;Database=master;Integrated Security=True" $sqlConn.Open() Write-Host "SQL Server connection successful: $($sqlConn.ServerVersion)" $sqlConn.Close() # Create Secret Server database Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance "sql01.corp.local" -Query @" CREATE DATABASE SecretServer GO ALTER DATABASE SecretServer SET RECOVERY FULL GO "@ # Download and run Secret Server installer # Navigate to https://thy.center/ss/link/SSDownload for latest version # Run setup.exe and follow the installation wizard # Post-installation: Configure application pool Import-Module WebAdministration Set-ItemProperty "IIS:\AppPools\SecretServer" -Name processModel.identityType -Value SpecificUser Set-ItemProperty "IIS:\AppPools\SecretServer" -Name processModel.userName -Value "CORP\svc-secretserver" ``` ### Step 2: Configure Secret Templates and Folder Structure Define secret templates and organize the vault hierarchy: ```powershell # Connect to Secret Server API $baseUrl = "https://pam.corp.local/SecretServer" $creds = @{ username = "ss-admin" password = $env:SS_ADMIN_PASSWORD grant_type = "password" } $token = (Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/oauth2/token" -Method POST -Body $creds).access_token $headers = @{ Authorization = "Bearer $token" } # Create folder structure for organizing secrets $folders = @( @{ folderName = "Windows Servers"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false }, @{ folderName = "Linux Servers"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false }, @{ folderName = "Network Devices"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false }, @{ folderName = "Cloud Accounts"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false }, @{ folderName = "Service Accounts"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false }, @{ folderName = "Database Accounts"; parentFolderId = -1; inheritPermissions = $false } ) foreach ($folder in $folders) { Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/folders" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($folder | ConvertTo-Json) } # Create custom secret template for database credentials $template = @{ name = "Database Credential" fields = @( @{ name = "Server"; isRequired = $true; fieldType = "Text" }, @{ name = "Port"; isRequired = $true; fieldType = "Text" }, @{ name = "Database"; isRequired = $true; fieldType = "Text" }, @{ name = "Username"; isRequired = $true; fieldType = "Text" }, @{ name = "Password"; isRequired = $true; fieldType = "Password" }, @{ name = "Connection String"; isRequired = $false; fieldType = "Notes" } ) } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/secret-templates" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($template | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) ``` ### Step 3: Configure Discovery and Account Onboarding Set up automated discovery of privileged accounts across the environment: ```powershell # Configure Active Directory discovery source $adDiscovery = @{ name = "Corporate AD Discovery" discoverySourceType = "ActiveDirectory" active = $true settings = @{ domainName = "corp.local" friendlyName = "Corporate Domain" discoveryAccountId = 12 # Service account secret ID ouFilters = @( "OU=Servers,DC=corp,DC=local", "OU=Workstations,DC=corp,DC=local" ) } scanInterval = 86400 # 24 hours } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/discovery" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($adDiscovery | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) # Configure local account discovery for Windows servers $localDiscovery = @{ name = "Windows Local Account Discovery" discoverySourceType = "Machine" active = $true settings = @{ machineType = "Windows" accountScanTemplate = "Windows Local Account" dependencyScanTemplate = "Windows Service" } } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/discovery" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($localDiscovery | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) # Import discovered accounts as secrets # After discovery runs, review and import found accounts $discoveredAccounts = Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/discovery/status" -Headers $headers Write-Host "Discovered $($discoveredAccounts.totalAccounts) accounts" Write-Host " - Domain Admins: $($discoveredAccounts.domainAdmins)" Write-Host " - Local Admins: $($discoveredAccounts.localAdmins)" Write-Host " - Service Accounts: $($discoveredAccounts.serviceAccounts)" ``` ### Step 4: Implement Password Rotation Policies Configure automated password rotation with complexity requirements: ```powershell # Create password rotation policy $rotationPolicy = @{ name = "High-Security 30-Day Rotation" rotationIntervalDays = 30 passwordRequirements = @{ minimumLength = 24 maximumLength = 32 requireUpperCase = $true requireLowerCase = $true requireNumbers = $true requireSymbols = $true allowedSymbols = "!@#$%^&*()-_=+[]{}|;:,.<>?" } rotationType = "AutoChange" autoChangeSchedule = @{ changeType = "RecurringSchedule" recurrenceType = "Monthly" dayOfMonth = 1 startTime = "02:00" } } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/remote-password-changing/configuration" -Method POST ` -Headers $headers -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($rotationPolicy | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 4) # Configure Remote Password Changing (RPC) for Windows accounts $rpcConfig = @{ secretId = 100 # Target secret autoChangeEnabled = $true autoChangeNextPassword = $true privilegedAccountSecretId = 50 # Account used to perform the change changePasswordUsing = "PrivilegedAccount" } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/secrets/100/remote-password-changing" -Method PUT ` -Headers $headers -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($rpcConfig | ConvertTo-Json) # Configure heartbeat monitoring to verify credential validity $heartbeat = @{ enabled = $true intervalMinutes = 60 onFailure = "SendAlert" alertEmailGroupId = 5 } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/secrets/100/heartbeat" -Method PUT ` -Headers $headers -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($heartbeat | ConvertTo-Json) ``` ### Step 5: Configure Session Recording and Monitoring Enable session recording for privileged access sessions: ```powershell # Enable session recording policy $sessionPolicy = @{ name = "Full Recording Policy" recordSessions = $true recordKeystrokes = $true recordApplications = $true maxSessionDurationMinutes = 480 requireComment = $true requireTicketNumber = $true ticketSystemId = 1 # ServiceNow integration settings = @{ videoCodec = "H264" videoQuality = "High" captureInterval = 1000 # milliseconds storageLocation = "\\\\fileserver\\SSRecordings" retentionDays = 365 } } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/secret-policy" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($sessionPolicy | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) # Configure session launcher for RDP sessions $rdpLauncher = @{ launcherType = "RDP" enableRecording = $true enableDualControl = $true approverGroupId = 10 # Security team group connectAsSecretId = 100 settings = @{ useSSL = $true restrictedEndpoints = @("192.168.1.0/24") inactivityTimeout = 30 # minutes } } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/launchers" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($rdpLauncher | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) # Configure dual control / approval workflow $approvalWorkflow = @{ name = "Tier-0 Account Approval" requireApproval = $true approvers = @( @{ groupId = 10; requiredApprovals = 1 } ) accessRequestExpirationMinutes = 60 notifyOnApproval = $true notifyOnDenial = $true } ``` ### Step 6: Integrate with SIEM and Compliance Reporting Connect Secret Server events to security monitoring: ```powershell # Configure Syslog forwarding to SIEM $syslogConfig = @{ enabled = $true syslogServer = "siem.corp.local" port = 514 protocol = "TLS" facility = "Auth" severity = "Informational" events = @( "SecretView", "SecretEdit", "SecretCreate", "SecretDelete", "PasswordChange", "PasswordChangeFailure", "SessionStart", "SessionEnd", "LoginFailure", "LoginSuccess", "PermissionChange", "ApprovalRequest" ) } Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/configuration/syslog" -Method PUT -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($syslogConfig | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 2) # Generate compliance report $report = @{ reportType = "PasswordCompliance" dateRange = @{ startDate = (Get-Date).AddDays(-30).ToString("yyyy-MM-dd") endDate = (Get-Date).ToString("yyyy-MM-dd") } filters = @{ folderIds = @(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) includeSubFolders = $true } } $reportResult = Invoke-RestMethod "$baseUrl/api/v1/reports" -Method POST -Headers $headers ` -ContentType "application/json" -Body ($report | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3) # Display compliance summary Write-Host "PAM Compliance Report" Write-Host "=====================" Write-Host "Total Secrets: $($reportResult.totalSecrets)" Write-Host "Rotation Compliant: $($reportResult.rotationCompliant) ($($reportResult.rotationCompliancePct)%)" Write-Host "Heartbeat Healthy: $($reportResult.heartbeatHealthy) ($($reportResult.heartbeatHealthyPct)%)" Write-Host "Password Age > 90d: $($reportResult.passwordAgeViolations)" Write-Host "Orphaned Accounts: $($reportResult.orphanedAccounts)" ``` ## Key Concepts | Term | Definition | |------|------------| | **Privileged Access Management (PAM)** | Security framework for controlling, monitoring, and auditing elevated access to critical systems and data through credential vaulting and session management | | **Secret** | A stored credential or sensitive data item in the vault, including passwords, SSH keys, API tokens, and certificates | | **Remote Password Changing (RPC)** | Automated mechanism that connects to target systems to rotate passwords according to defined policies without manual intervention | | **Heartbeat** | Periodic check that validates stored credentials against target systems to ensure vault contents remain synchronized and functional | | **Dual Control** | Security mechanism requiring approval from a second authorized user before granting access to highly sensitive secrets | | **Discovery** | Automated scanning of infrastructure to identify privileged accounts, service accounts, and dependencies across Active Directory, servers, and network devices | | **Session Recording** | Capture of complete privileged session activity including video, keystrokes, and application usage for audit and forensic review | ## Tools & Systems - **Delinea Secret Server**: Enterprise PAM solution providing credential vaulting, password rotation, session recording, and privileged access workflows - **Delinea Distributed Engine**: Agent deployed in network segments to enable password changing and discovery across firewalled environments - **Secret Server REST API**: RESTful API for programmatic secret management, automation, and integration with DevOps pipelines - **Secret Server SDK**: .NET and PowerShell SDKs for application-level integration with Secret Server vault ## Common Scenarios ### Scenario: Migrating Shared Admin Credentials to Vault **Context**: An organization stores 500+ shared administrator credentials in Excel spreadsheets and password-protected documents. Auditors flagged this as a critical finding requiring remediation within 90 days. **Approach**: 1. Deploy Secret Server with SQL Server backend and configure HTTPS access 2. Design folder hierarchy mirroring the organizational structure (by department, system type, environment) 3. Create secret templates matching the credential types in use (Windows, Linux, database, network device) 4. Import existing credentials via CSV import or PowerShell bulk creation 5. Configure discovery to find undocumented privileged accounts across AD and local systems 6. Enable Remote Password Changing starting with non-production accounts to validate rotation 7. Roll out session launchers to replace direct RDP/SSH connections 8. Gradually enable dual control for Tier-0 accounts (Domain Admins, root accounts) 9. Configure SIEM integration and compliance reporting for audit evidence **Pitfalls**: - Not identifying all service account dependencies before enabling password rotation (causes service outages) - Enabling RPC for production accounts without testing in non-production first - Setting rotation intervals too short for service accounts that require coordinated restarts - Not configuring Distributed Engines for network segments separated by firewalls ## Output Format ``` DELINEA SECRET SERVER PAM DEPLOYMENT REPORT ============================================= Environment: Hybrid (On-Premises + Azure) Version: Secret Server 11.6 Deployment Mode: On-Premises (High Availability) VAULT STATISTICS Total Secrets: 1,247 Windows Credentials: 523 Linux/SSH Keys: 312 Database Accounts: 198 Network Devices: 87 Cloud API Keys: 127 PASSWORD ROTATION STATUS Auto-Change Enabled: 1,089 / 1,247 (87.3%) Rotation Compliant: 1,056 / 1,089 (97.0%) Heartbeat Healthy: 1,198 / 1,247 (96.1%) Failed Rotations (30d): 12 SESSION MANAGEMENT Active Sessions: 23 Recorded Sessions (30d): 4,567 Average Session Length: 22 minutes Approval Requests (30d): 189 (174 approved, 15 denied) DISCOVERY RESULTS Scanned Systems: 2,340 Discovered Accounts: 3,891 Onboarded to Vault: 1,247 (32.1%) Pending Review: 892 COMPLIANCE SOX Controls Met: 12/12 PCI-DSS Requirements: 8/8 Password Age Violations: 3 (remediation in progress) ``` --- Source attribution: mukul975 Original project: https://github.com/mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills/blob/54a798831d2266a3ca61ce68a7acb80b81160d57/skills/implementing-delinea-secret-server-for-pam/SKILL.md License: Apache-2.0 License information: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004 http://www.apache.org/licenses/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION 1. 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See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: mukul975 Original project: https://github.com/mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills/blob/54a798831d2266a3ca61ce68a7acb80b81160d57/skills/implementing-delinea-secret-server-for-pam/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Operations Roles: DevOps / SRE, IT Operations, Security Engineer Specialties: API Tools: Delinea Secret Server Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: aef099796377a722694d45ee9dd9478b7518d3b740849e9674cb26ea595cdf03