1. Define Break-Glass Scenarios.

• Start by identifying the specific scenarios where break-glass access is required. These could include major incidents, compliance audits, or disaster recovery situations. Determine which cloud resources (like AWS EC2 instances, Azure databases, or GCP services) will require emergency access.

2. Set Up PagerDuty Services and Teams

• Configure PagerDuty services that correspond to the identified scenarios. Create teams in PagerDuty, ensuring that only authorized personnel are included in these teams for break-glass access. Each team should align with specific cloud resources and scenarios.

3. Integrate Cloud Services with PagerDuty

• Integrate your cloud services with PagerDuty. Use PagerDuty’s integrations with cloud providers to establish a connection between your cloud environment and PagerDuty. This ensures that PagerDuty can receive alerts and trigger actions in your cloud infrastructure.

4. Create Escalation Policies and Response Plays

• Develop escalation policies within PagerDuty for break-glass scenarios. These policies should outline the steps to be taken when an incident occurs, including who is notified and in what order. Additionally, set up response plays in PagerDuty to automate certain actions when a break-glass scenario is triggered.

5. Implement Access Control Mechanisms

• Integrate with self-serve access requests
  Streamline the process by allowing users to request access through the system rather than through personnel. Boost the adoption rate by integrating with IM platforms like Slack or MS Teams. Ensure all requests clearly specify who is asking, the necessary resource or role they need, how long they'll need it, and why.

• Define rapid approval process
  In emergencies, access shouldn't be a blocker. Require manual approvals strategically. Consider using automatic approval outside of workhours.

• Auto provisioning and deprovisioning
  Implement a JIT access solution that will speed up the granting and revoking of elevated permissions.

6. Configure Alerts for Break-Glass Access

• In PagerDuty, configure alerts that specifically relate to break-glass access. These alerts should be high priority and should trigger immediate notifications to the designated response team

7. Test the Break-Glass Procedure

• Regularly test the break-glass procedure to ensure it works as expected. Conduct drills that simulate real-world scenarios to validate the response time, access control, and coordination between PagerDuty and your cloud environment.

8. Monitor and Audit Access

• Continuously monitor the use of break-glass access. Utilize PagerDuty’s analytics and reporting features to track when and why break-glass access is used. Ensure that all instances of emergency access are logged for auditing and compliance purposes.

9. Review and Update as Needed

• Periodically review the break-glass access setup in PagerDuty. Update the escalation policies, response plays, and team configurations as necessary to adapt to changes in your cloud environment or organizational structure.

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By following these steps, you can implement a robust break-glass access system with PagerDuty, ensuring that your organization can respond swiftly and effectively to critical incidents in your cloud infrastructure.