Outgrew the vault? Add a gateway that enforces and records
Password vaults solve storage and rotation. They do not solve session accountability. Wardengate sits in front of your targets — and your existing vault — to broker access with evidence built in.
to first brokered session
Helm or Compose deploy — not a six-month agent rollout
gateway for every protocol
SSH, RDP, databases, and Kubernetes through one policy engine
audit export bundles
Evidence your GRC team can hand to auditors without reconstruction
control plane option
Run on your infrastructure — no mandatory SaaS lock-in
Session brokering vs. credential storage
Teams that 'have PAM' because they bought a vault often discover the gap at audit time. Wardengate closes the loop between checkout and proof.
| Capability | Wardengate | Password / secrets vault |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Broker sessions — credentials injected at connect, never exposed | Store and rotate static secrets — checkout still manual |
| Operator workflow | Connect through gateway with native clients | Check out password, copy to clipboard, connect separately |
| Session accountability | Every session recorded with identity and policy version | Vault logs show checkout — not what happened on the target |
| Shared accounts | Eliminated — every session tied to a named identity | Shared break-glass accounts often remain in the vault |
| Third-party access | Time-bound entitlements without sharing vault entries | Vendor checkout or standing shared credentials |
| Integration | Works with HashiCorp Vault, CyberArk, and cloud secret stores | Vault is the system of record — brokering is separate |
When teams switch
When a vault alone is not enough
- You bought a vault but operators still SSH with personal keys because checkout is too slow.
- Auditors want proof of what happened during a session, not just that a password was retrieved.
- Break-glass accounts in the vault are the most-used entries in the system.
- You need RDP and database paths under the same control as SSH credentials.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to replace my vault?
- No. Wardengate integrates with HashiCorp Vault, cloud secret managers, and enterprise vaults for credential injection at connect time. The gateway becomes the enforcement and evidence layer.
- What is the difference between a vault and a PAM gateway?
- A vault stores secrets. A gateway brokers access — terminating protocols, enforcing policy, injecting credentials ephemerally, and recording sessions. Most compliance failures happen at the session layer, not the storage layer.
Vault deployed but sessions still opaque?
Layer gateway enforcement on your existing secrets
Keep your vault as the system of record. Add Wardengate as the front door operators actually use — with recording and exports included.