Understanding proxymng, the account that manages PSMP user accounts in CyberArk

PSMP is CyberArk’s gatekeeper for privileged sessions, but not every gatekeeper looks the same. When you’re trying to keep privileged access tidy and auditable, the right account really matters. In particular, the account designated for managing PSMP user accounts—proxymng—is the one to know and respect. If you’ve ever wondered who has the keys to the PSMP user roster, this is the character you’re looking for.

Meet the PSMP cast: a quick ace-to-face before we dive in

Let’s lay out the roles you’ll run into in most CyberArk PSMP setups, so the landscape becomes obvious.

• proxymng: The PSMP user-management specialist. This account is intentionally carved out to handle the creation, modification, and removal of users who can connect through the PSMP. It’s the dedicated control point for who gets to request and use privileged sessions via PSMP.

• admin: The overarching administrator. This one isn’t limited to PSMP user management; it has broad reach across the CyberArk environment. It’s powerful, but it’s not meant to be the sole handle for PSMP-specific tasks.

• usrmng: A general user-management role. It implies control over users, but it isn’t explicitly pegged to the PSMP system in the strict sense of managing PSMP-connected users.

• guest: The light-touch account with the smallest footprint. It’s not designed for managing privileged session users and should be kept isolated from tasks that impact access controls or session governance.

Why proxymng is the right choice for PSMP user administration

Here’s the thing: PSMP is all about who can connect to privileged targets and under what conditions. Managing the roster of PSMP users is a distinct responsibility. proxymng is built for that purpose—granted the exact permissions to add, remove, or alter user entries within the PSMP context, not the broader CyberArk estate.

Think of proxymng as the curator of access for PSMP-enabled pathways. It’s about scope. If you used admin or usrmng to handle PSMP users, you’d risk cross-contamination of duties, accidental overreach, or auditing blind spots. The PSMP layer benefits from a focused account that carries the specific rights needed to govern PSMP users without dragging in broader admin capabilities that aren’t required for day-to-day PSMP management.

From a security angle, least privilege isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a practical guardrail. proxymng is a natural fit because it concentrates authority where it belongs: PSMP user governance. This separation helps you track who did what in the PSMP space, and it reduces the chance that a misstep in one area spills into another.

What proxymng does, in practical terms

If you’re building or reviewing a PSMP deployment, here are the everyday actions proxymng is expected to perform:

• Create new PSMP user entries so that legitimate personnel can initiate privileged sessions.

• Modify existing PSMP user attributes when roles change, credentials are updated, or access windows shift.

• Deactivate or delete PSMP users who no longer require access, ensuring stale accounts don’t linger.

• Enforce PSMP-specific access controls, such as role-based permissions, approval requirements, and session correlation rules.

• Audit and log PSMP user-management actions to keep a clear, tamper-evident trail for security reviews.

The key is that these tasks are PSMP-centric. They are about who can log in to PSMP, what they can do there, and how those activities are tracked. That is a narrower, cleaner job than general user management or full-blown admin governance.

A mental model you can hold onto

Picture proxymng as the librarian of a restricted archive. The archive holds a catalog of people who may approach a vault. The librarian doesn’t author every vault entry; they curate who is listed, update names as roles shift, and remove access when someone moves on. Other staff may manage the physical doors or the broader library system, but the librarian’s focus remains on PSMP’s roster and its rules. This separation keeps the process transparent and auditable, and it helps the team respond quickly if someone’s access needs to be adjusted.

Connecting the dots: how proxymng fits into the bigger security workflow

PSMP environments thrive on clear governance. proxymng sits at an intersection where policy, identity, and session governance meet. In a mature setup, you’ll see:

• Role-based access control that ties proxymng permissions to the PSMP user lifecycle.

• Automated workflows for approving new PSMP user access and for revoking it when signals indicate it’s no longer required.

• Logging and monitoring that capture who touched PSMP user records and when, which is essential during incident reviews or compliance checks.

• Regular reviews of PSMP access lists to ensure alignment with current roles and responsibilities.

If you’re setting things up or validating a deployment, ask yourself: Is there a distinct proxymng role with PSMP-focused rights? Are PSMP user actions clearly linked to proxymng in audit logs? Are split duties respected so no single account bears all the weight?

Common questions that come up (and clear answers)

• What happens if someone uses admin to manage PSMP users? It’s doable, but not ideal. Admin has broader powers; using it for PSMP user management muddies the audit trail and increases risk if someone’s permissions get misaligned. Better practice is to funnel PSMP user tasks through proxymng, keeping a clean boundary between PSMP governance and global administration.

• Could usrmng handle PSMP users? The label says “user management,” but PSMP is a specific system with its own governance needs. If proxymng isn’t in play, you lose the precise PSMP-focused control, which can weaken accountability.

• Is the guest account ever appropriate for PSMP tasks? Not really. Guest is designed for minimal access, not for governance of user accounts or privileged session controls. It’s the kind of account you want to keep at the periphery, not in the PSMP center.

Real-world touchpoints and guardrails

In real-world networks, you’ll often see these guardrails around proxymng:

• Clear ownership: proxymng is owned by the security or privileged access management team, not by the same people who run daily IT operations.

• Segregated duties: proxymng is separate from admin and from routine user management to avoid conflicts of interest and to support solid auditing.

• Regular reconciliation: periodic checks ensure that proxymng’s access aligns with current authorization records. That means reviewing who has proxymng access and why, and confirming that those individuals still need it.

• Strong authentication and logging: proxymng usage should be protected with multi-factor authentication and comprehensive logs so every change is detectable.

A light analogy to keep things memorable

If PSMP is a busy nightclub for privileged connections, proxymng is the bouncer who checks the guest list, hands out wristbands, and notes who left. The admin might be the club owner with broad oversight; usrmng could be the guest management team, and the guest would be someone with a one-off pass who shouldn’t be running around the VIP area. Keeping proxymng as the gatekeeper for PSMP user management helps the club run smoothly without losing sight of who’s actually allowed in and what doors they’re allowed to open.

Practical tips for teams working with proxymng

• Document the scope: write down exactly what proxymng can do in your PSMP environment. The tighter the scope, the easier to govern.

• Align with policy: connect proxymng privileges to your organization’s access-control policies. Make sure approvals, revocations, and role changes follow a defined path.

• Separate duties: ensure that the person who manages PSMP users isn’t the same person who approves privileged sessions. This separation adds a safety net.

• Audit diligently: keep an immutable trail of changes made by proxymng. When in doubt, review and compare logs to user activity records.

• Practice clean handoffs: when someone rotates out of a PSMP-facing role, revoke proxymng access promptly and reassign the responsibilities to the next qualified person.

A concise recap to anchor the idea

• proxymng is the dedicated account for PSMP user management, the go-to for creating, updating, and removing PSMP users.

• admin, usrmng, and guest serve broader or different purposes; they aren’t substitutes for proxymng in PSMP governance.

• Keeping proxymng separate helps maintain tight control, clear auditing, and safer privileged access.

• In practice, you’ll want strong policy alignment, auditable logs, and careful separation of duties around proxymng activity.

Final thought: the small but mighty pivot that keeps PSMP trustworthy

Security isn’t built on massive, flashy gestures. It’s often the small, well-placed decisions that keep the system resilient. Designating proxymng as the PSMP-specific gatekeeper for user management is such a decision. It creates clarity, supports precise access control, and makes auditing straightforward. When you map out a PSMP deployment, give proxymng its own well-defined place in the story. The result isn’t just a safer setup—it’s a calmer, more confident one.

If you’re reviewing a PSMP deployment or planning enhancements, keep proxymng front and center. Confirm its scope, ensure it’s backed by strong authentication and logging, and verify that all PSMP user changes flow through this dedicated channel. After all, every good security posture benefits from a focused, deliberate approach to the parts that touch privileged access most directly.