A policy enforcement point is the part of an access-control system that applies rules and makes the allow/deny decision for each request. In identity and access management, a PEP often sits in front of an application or protected resource, checks the user’s authentication context and the current policy, and then either forwards the request or blocks it.
PEPs matter because they are a trust boundary: many downstream systems rely on their decision. If a PEP is bypassed, misconfigured, or vulnerable, attackers may reach data or functions they should not access. In real defenses, teams harden and patch PEPs, review policy logic, monitor denial and authentication logs, and validate session handling so the enforcement layer cannot be tricked into approving unauthorized activity.