Sectona PAM Decommission

This document provides step-by-step instructions for safely decommissioning a Sectona Privileged Access Management (PAM) system. Its objective is to ensure all critical data (logs, records, configurations) are preserved before removal, and that the system and its components are cleanly removed from the environment in a controlled manner.

Pre-requisites

Before proceeding with decommissioning, perform the following preparatory steps:

Back up PAM data and logs:

• Export all system logs and audit trails from the Sectona PAM console. For example, Sectona’s System Trail (audit) feature logs all configuration changes and administrative actions. Save or export these trails (e.g. via System > System Trail in the PAM UI) for compliance purposes.
  Back up session video logs and command logs. Sectona stores session recordings (video logs) by default in ./ApplicationData/VideoLogs/ on the application server or if stored in a dedicated Drive. Use the PAM console to export video recordings as needed. The UI allows you to export session videos (in .WMV format) by selecting a session in video player mode and clicking the export icon.

Export reports if needed:

• If specific reports or records are needed (e.g. Canned Reports or audit reports), use the PAM Analytics interface to export or download them (Sectona provides PDF/CSV export of reports from the Analytics > Reports section).Y

• You can also export command logs (metadata logs) from the PAM console. Navigate to Analytics > Reports > Session Metadata and download the relevant metadata logs as required.

Validate backups:

• Verify that all backups are complete and accessible. Ensure the backups are stored securely.
  

Decommission Options
Two general approaches can be used to decommission Sectona PAM, depending on whether you will fully remove the server or only uninstall the software:

Option 1 – Delete the PAM VM or Server
Simply power off and delete the Sectona PAM virtual machine or, if on physical hardware, power it down. If this was a dedicated server, securely erase or wipe the disk drives (e.g. using disk sanitization tools) to remove any residual data. This option is
fastest if the entire server is being retired.

Option 2 – Uninstall Only the PAM Application
If the server hardware or VM is to be repurposed for other uses, you can uninstall just the Sectona PAM software while leaving the OS intact. Follow these numbered steps in order:

1. Run the Sectona Application Installer : Select the Uninstall action to remove the main Sectona web/application component. This launches the uninstaller. (Insert screenshot: Sectona Application Installer with Uninstall option)

2. Run the Sectona Vault (Database) Installer: On the same server (or on the database server if separate), launch the Sectona Vault Storage Host installer and select Uninstall to remove the Vault service.
   (Insert screenshot: Sectona Vault Installer with Uninstall option)

3. Delete remaining files on the Application drive: After the uninstallers
   complete, manually remove any leftover files in the PAM application folder. For example, delete the contents of D:\Sectona\ (or the mounted Sectona
   application drive). This includes folders like SpectraPAM or any files in the
   Sectona directory.
   (Insert screenshot: Application drive with residual Sectona files)

4. Delete remaining files on the Vault drive: Similarly, delete any remaining data on the Vault storage drive. Remove folders such as Sectona Vault Storage
   Host\SectonaVaultStorage\* (including MySQLBin, VaultStorage, and the VaultStorage.cnfg file). These steps fully clear out the PAM data.
   (Insert screenshot: Vault drive with Sectona folders)