Privileged access is a prime target for cyber adversaries, acting as the most critical entry point to sensitive systems and data. The rise in complexity of IT environments, particularly with cloud migrations, has led to an increase in both human and non-human identities. This expands the attack surface, complicating identity and access management. According to Mandiant's 2025 M-Trends report, stolen credentials have overtaken email phishing as the second-most common method of initial access, involved in 16% of breaches in 2024. This trend is driven by infostealer malware and social engineering tactics, highlighting the urgent need for organizations to bolster their identity security measures. Effective privileged access management (PAM) is essential for minimizing risks. The article emphasizes the need to redefine what constitutes a privileged account, extending beyond traditional roles like domain admins to include developers, service accounts, and API keys. These accounts often have extensive access yet receive less scrutiny. A comprehensive PAM strategy should inventory all accounts—human and non-human—classifying them by business impact and assigning least-privilege entitlements. Regular attestation of these accounts in the identity and access management system is necessary to maintain security. The article also discusses the importance of understanding dependencies linked to privileged accounts. Many organizations fail to recognize the broader scope of privilege, limiting their focus to high-profile accounts. This oversight can leave critical dependencies vulnerable, such as jump servers and management workstations. Mandiant's engagement principles aim to help organizations better categorize and assess privileged accounts, focusing on reducing the number of accounts with excessive permissions. Effective tiering of these accounts is crucial for a robust PAM strategy, as it helps to manage risk and control access more effectively.