GitHub users accidentally leaked 12.8 million passwords and access keys in 2023, with most still working days later. That same year, nearly 100% of Okta's customer support users had their full names and passwords stolen. The majority of them were Okta admin, aka IT people whose job was to implement Okta identity governance and protection for legitimate users.
While you can't prevent all breaches, banning standing privileges and applying zero-trust principles (aka "never trust, always verify") is the smartest approach.
A key element of this is enforcing just-in-time access (JIT).
What is just in time access control?
Unlike standing access, JIT only grants human and non human users access to systems when they actually need it, and that access instantly gets removed when they're done.
You get immediate benefits across security, operations, and compliance when you take away standing privileges:
Shrinks your attack surface
Just in time privileged access management cuts down on security risks by eliminating permanent admin accounts. Instead of having dozens of people with always-on access to critical systems, you only give elevated permissions when someone actually needs them for specific job functions for a defined period.
Simplifies compliance
Regulatory frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS increasingly expect organizations to implement least privilege access controls.
JIT helps you meet these compliance requirements by creating detailed user logs of every access request, showing who requested access, why they needed it, who approved it, and exactly how long they kept it.
Improves your cloud security posture management
When accounts get compromised - and they will - data breaches are contained automatically by time bound access. For instance, a bad actor can gain access to an employee's account, but they can't jump into your production systems and sensitive data. The required permission just doesn't exist.
Same goes for malicious insiders, even end users with access to high risk accounts and privileged activities.
Streamlined access request management
Employees can use self-service portals to request temporary privilege elevation, then have those approved automatically. This frees up your IT service management team for more meaningful work instead of constant access event management. This boosts productivity, cuts incidents, and pays for itself quickly through cost savings while giving you a strong security posture.
Jira cloud doesn't have native JIT access support
If your team already lives in Jira Service Management (JSM) for tickets, incidents, and service requests, then adding JIT access capabilities here makes perfect sense. You won't need to train users on new systems or force context switching between platforms.
Unfortunately, Jira doesn't have built-in JIT access features.
How Jira handles access provisioning
JSM uses Atlassian's standard permission system, which gives users fixed roles like "Agent" or "Administrator" that stay active until someone manually changes them.
This setup is the opposite of limited time JIT access, which needs permissions that automatically turn off after a set time. JSM's permission system simply wasn't built to handle temporary access that expires on its own.
Identity Provider Integration
JIT access also requires deep connections with automated workflows and security systems that Jira doesn't have, such as:
- Managing access privileged accounts - JSM can't create, control, or rotate high-level passwords
- Advanced authentication - While Jira supports multi-factor authentication, it can't require extra security steps for elevated jit access request
- Credential management - No ability to handle shared and ephemeral accounts or service credentials to request jit access
- Security reports - JSM's reports focus on tickets and service metrics, not elevated access patterns and privileged sessions
How to enforce just in time access in Jira cloud
To implement just in time access for your users, look for privileged access management tools like Multiplier specifically built to work inside Jira.
Setup is pretty straightforward. You can try it right now– go to the Atlassian Marketplace, find Multiplier, click "Try it free" and pick your Jira site.
How Multiplier's JIT access for Jira works
- First, users submit access requests through Multiplier's self-service internal app stores in JSM. This creates a familiar experience within tools they already use daily. The request includes specific resources needed, how long they need access, why they need it, and relevant business context.
- Next, Multiplier automatically validates requests against your predefined policies and routes them to the right approvers. The system checks user roles, resource sensitivity, compliance requirements, and approval hierarchies. This ensures requests reach the right people without manual routing on your part.
- After approval, automated provisioning kicks in. Multiplier creates accounts, assigns permissions, and configures access in identity providers like Okta or Azure AD. Privileged users get notifications when access is ready, so they can start work immediately.
- Finally, revoking access automatically happens when time expires, tasks complete, or usage limits are hit. The system maintains comprehensive audit trails for compliance reporting. Plus, Multiplier generates audit-ready reports for SOC 2 Type 2 and other compliance frameworks.
As examples, here are some popular ways our users use Multiplier inside their Jira instance:
Just in time access in Okta
You can automate user administration in Okta from Jira, and manage your Okta apps.
For example, when a new employee starts and HR creates a JSM ticket, Multiplier can automatically provision their Okta account, add them to the right groups like "Sales-Team" or "Marketing-Users," and give them access to applications like Salesforce or Slack.
When they leave, a Jira offboarding ticket can trigger automatic removal from all Okta groups and apps.
Azure AD / Entra ID just in time access
Multiplier can provision new AD users from a Jira ticket, assign them to the right organizational units, give them Office 365 licenses, and add them to security groups that control access to company resources. The system also handles removing access to your Azure portal and reclaiming those licenses when people leave.
JIT for Google Workspace
With Multiplier, you can automate user administration in Google Workspace from Jira, and manage your Google Workspace apps.
This covers everything from creating Gmail accounts to managing Google Drive access and Google Groups membership. Offboarding can handle transferring Google Drive files to managers and removing all access.
JumpCloud JIT Integration
This is particularly useful for organizations that need to manage both user accounts and device access, since JumpCloud controls not just app access but also VPN connections, WiFi access, and device management.
Through Multiplier for Jira, you can automatically add contractors to VPN groups, give employees access to specific applications, manage device policies, and handle both user and system access.
Self-service portal in Slack
Instead of filling out formal requests, team members can just head to the Multiplier app on the sidebar and /request temporary access to private channels, admin privileges, or external applications, and approvers can grant access with a single click without leaving Slack.
Practical JIT Access Implementation Tips
Regardless of what you want JIT access for, keep these in mind:
Start with your highest risk privileged accounts. Focus on third-party contractors, domain administrators, and DevOps teams first.
Then configure Multiplier's pre-built JSM workflows for common access scenarios like contractor onboarding. You get proven templates that work right out of the box.
Next, focus on integration points between your ITSM platform and identity providers.
Use Multiplier's automated validation and routing to reduce manual approval bottlenecks that slow down legitimate privileged access requests. Set up request and approval processes with real-time logging and monitoring capabilities.
Don't forget about emergencies. Plan break-glass procedures for when normal approval workflows are too slow for critical situations. Also, leverage Multiplier's Vanta integration for one-click upload of access review evidence. This simplifies compliance reporting significantly.
Try JIT Access on Jira for Free
Just-in-time request access fixes the problem of people having permanent access to stuff they don't always need, while keeping your team productive.
In particular, Multiplier turns Jira into an enterprise-grade access management system that gives you better security, easier compliance reports, and faster access requests - all without switching tools or bringing in more cloud resources.
Try it free for a month and see how it works with your existing setup. You can also book a demo for a one-on-one walkthrough of the Multiplier identity and access management platform.
