That’s how fast a zero day can turn into a full compromise. Access that should have expired stayed alive. Privilege that should have been scoped exploded into total control. This is the risk you face without Just-In-Time (JIT) access.
Zero day risk is no longer confined to unpatched software. Attackers exploit dormant credentials, long-lived API keys, and over-permissioned accounts. The window between compromise and discovery keeps getting shorter — but the time credentials stay valid is often infinite. That’s the gap JIT closes.
Just-In-Time access provisions credentials only when they are needed, and revokes them immediately after. Users operate with least privilege by design. Even if a zero day lands, there’s nothing to steal that lasts longer than the task. Session-based, ephemeral credentials make post-exploit movement harder, reduce blast radius, and contain scope before you start investigating.