Just-in-Time Access: The Hidden Lever for Uptime in Critical Infrastructure

The Problem with Standing Privileges

Persistent accounts inflate the attack surface and extend the window for credential abuse. JIT limits both the time and scope of access.

How JIT works

Just-in-Time access replaces the traditional model of permanent credentials with dynamic, time-bound authorization. Instead of maintaining standing privileges, access is provisioned only when required and only for the specific task at hand.

The process typically follows four stages:

1. Request and Approval
   A user or third party initiates a request to access a system. This can be routed through an approval workflow, often integrated with identity governance tools, so access is granted only when there is a legitimate operational need.

2. Scoped Provisioning
Access is narrowly defined. The user does not receive blanket credentials but only what is needed—for example, a specific device, database, or function. This principle of “least privilege” is enforced in real time, not just as a static policy.

3. Time Limitation
Access exists only for a defined window—minutes or hours rather than days or weeks. Once the task is complete, the credentials automatically expire. There is no lingering account that an attacker could hijack later.

4. Automatic Revocation and Audit
When the session ends, privileges are revoked immediately, leaving no standing access. At the same time, a full audit trail is generated, creating a record of who accessed what, when, and why – vital for both security operations and regulatory compliance.

Modern JIT implementations can also integrate contextual factors such as device health, geolocation, or time of day, aligning with Zero Trust principles. This ensures access is not only short-lived but also adaptive to risk signals.

In effect, JIT transforms access control from a static perimeter defense into a dynamic, demand-driven process. It makes access ephemeral, verifiable, and proportionate – qualities that directly protect uptime in critical infrastructure.

Impact on Uptime

1. Reduced attack surface via time‑bounded access. 

2. Automated, auditable workflows lower human error and improve change control. 

3. Controlled third‑party access for external vendors is scoped and short‑lived.

4. Regulatory alignment with necessity‑based, documented access. 

Regulatory Drivers: NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act

Two major EU regulations make Just-in-Time access not only a best practice, but a compliance necessity.

• NIS2 Directive obliges operators of essential and important entities to enforce strict access control. Access must be necessity-based, time-bound, and auditable. Standing privileges directly contradict this requirement. JIT access provides the traceability and least-privilege enforcement needed to demonstrate compliance.

• Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) targets the manufacturers and vendors of digital products. It requires that software and hardware for critical infrastructure be “secure by design and by default.” This includes embedded mechanisms for strong identity and access control. JIT access is one of the clearest ways for vendors to meet this obligation by ensuring no unnecessary standing access is built into their products.

Taken together, NIS2 and CRA align demand and supply: operators are required to remove standing access, while vendors are required to ship products with secure access mechanisms built-in. JIT is therefore not only an operational safeguard but a regulatory baseline.

The AI Factor: Why JIT Matters Even More

The rise of AI changes the threat landscape. Automated tools can now scan for vulnerabilities, exploit weaknesses, and misuse credentials at a speed and scale no human attacker could match. Stolen accounts with standing privileges become especially valuable targets, as AI-driven bots can exploit them within minutes.

By eliminating permanent access, Just-in-Time access reduces that value to near zero. Credentials exist only for the task at hand, are short-lived, and tightly scoped—making them much harder for automated AI-driven attacks to weaponize. In an era where adversaries are augmented by machine intelligence, removing standing privileges is no longer optional. It is a fundamental control for resilience.

Conclusion:

JIT access is not a marginal security feature. It is a strategic tool to safeguard uptime. By enforcing just-enough, just-in-time access, automating revocation, and embedding auditability, critical infrastructure gains resilience and continuity precisely when needed.