Best Compliance and Audit Alternatives to CyberArk

Most major compliance frameworks address privileged access in some form. SOC 2 requires access controls and monitoring for systems handling customer data. PCI-DSS has specific requirements for privileged access to cardholder data environments. HIPAA mandates access controls for systems with protected health information. NIST 800-53 and ISO 27001 both include detailed privileged access requirements. SOX compliance requires controls over access to financial systems. GDPR requires appropriate access controls for personal data processing systems.

No compliance framework mandates a specific vendor. Auditors evaluate whether your controls meet the framework requirements, not which tool you use. Alternatives like BeyondTrust, Delinea, and even modern platforms like Teleport and StrongDM can satisfy compliance requirements as long as they provide the necessary access controls, audit logging, session recording, and reporting capabilities that your specific compliance framework demands.

Key audit evidence includes who accessed which privileged accounts and systems, when access occurred and how long it lasted, what actions were taken during privileged sessions, whether credentials were rotated according to policy, who approved access requests, records of access reviews and certifications, and evidence that least-privilege principles are enforced. The specific evidence needed varies by compliance framework.

CyberArk PSM provides the deepest session recording with video, keystroke logging, and command capture. BeyondTrust offers comparable recording through its session management module. StrongDM differentiates with query-level logging for databases. Teleport provides session recording with playback for SSH and Kubernetes sessions. Delinea and ManageEngine PAM360 offer basic but functional session recording. The right choice depends on whether you need depth of recording or breadth of coverage.