Privileged User Manager® (“PUM ”) is a low cost, high quality software application designed to manage and monitor the use of administrator accounts over a network of UNIX and Linux based systems. These ‘super user’ accounts, such as ‘root’ on UNIX or Linux, provide great flexibility to the systems administrator and other power users, but expose the end user organization to potential security and legislative compliance headaches unless the use of these accounts is actively controlled and audited. PUM ensures that privileged access is granted only to those who need it and then only on the systems to which they require that level of access. The access can be further limited by time windows and to various subsets of commands. In all cases all activity is indelibly audited.