How To Manage and Secure Non-Human Identities

Key Takeaways

The number of non-human identities continues to increase as businesses embrace automation. However, this rapid growth has also introduced new security risks.
Many traditional identity management systems tend to overlook non-human identities, causing inconsistent security measures that could create security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
Businesses should focus on security measures such as enforcing least privilege access, strong authentication, and automated identity management to protect themselves from these vulnerabilities and to ensure compliance.

Regardless of size, modern businesses want to compete within their industry. Those looking to scale operations increasingly adopt automation and cloud services to improve efficiency. The shift has led to an increase in the use of non-human identities (NHIs)—entities such as API keys, service accounts, certificates, and tokens—that exist within many corporate environments.

For organizations of all sizes, these non-human identities are essential. They enable seamless integrations and help automate business processes, but they can also introduce unique security issues that can lead to exposure or exploit.

Understanding Non-Human Identities

The term “non-human identities” refers to digital entities that need authentication for system access. These are not tied to human users, but are instead considered so-called “machine accounts” or keys. Entities such as service accounts, trust certificates, bots, and even API keys should be considered non-human identities.

Organizations are increasingly relying on automation and interconnected systems and applications. The number of NHIs is growing exponentially with every business that tries to automate or go onto the cloud. According to a report, the proliferation of IoT devices and automated processes has significantly expanded the footprint of non-human identities.

Managing these identities is complex, due to their proliferation and the many varied ways they can be utilized. Their roles within organizations are also critical since non-human identities often operate continuously. Their role within task automation means they often have access to sensitive data and essential processes, usually without direct oversight. Furthermore, traditional identity and access management (IAM) solutions may not adequately address the unique needs or risks of non-human identities.

The security implications of poorly managed non-human identities are significant. Weak authentication mechanisms, misconfigured permissions, and inadequate monitoring can leave these entities susceptible to attacks.

Cybercriminals often target non-human identities, seeking to exploit vulnerabilities for malicious purposes. Therefore, understanding and managing non-human identities is a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Challenges in Managing Non-Human Identities

Among the primary challenges in managing non-human identities is visibility, or the lack thereof. One common thread among organizations is their lack of a comprehensive inventory of all non-human identities within their systems. This process tends to create security blind spots, which can lead to gaps in their cybersecurity posture. According to Forbes, even a small business likely has dozens to hundreds of NHIs, and bad actors target them due to many users’ lack of understanding.

Another challenge is the dynamic nature of non-human identities. One common process for NHIs is that organizations consistently create, run, and decommission them in rapid succession. This is also more common in agile business environments, where automation means better flexibility.

Additionally, NHIs often receive elevated privileges, mostly to perform their functions without the need for oversight. Many users don’t consider that such elevated access can be impersonated or intercepted by offensive cybersecurity techniques such as man-in-the-middle attacks.

Integrating NHIs across various platforms and services adds another layer of complexity in the mix. Each platform may have different protocols and standards for identity management. This can be an issue if you want to implement a unified security strategy. Many providers want to lock you within their ecosystem, which adds further complications.

Moreover, there are no global, unified standard practices for NHI management. This lack of standardized practices can lead to inconsistent security measures, further increasing vulnerability.

Best Practices for Securing Non-Human Identities

Managing NHIs means organizations should have a proactive approach. This goes beyond traditional user authentication methods, which should include security best practices. Businesses need to establish strong authentication, enforce access controls, and continuously monitor for anomalies.

1. Maintain a Comprehensive Inventory

To effectively secure non-human identities, organizations must first identify and inventory every NHI in their environment. The goal should be a clear understanding of where these identities exist and their general function.

DevSecOps teams may struggle to apply proper governance and controls, so a centralized inventory helps track ownership, purpose, and access levels. Automated discovery tools can further streamline this process, continuously scanning networks and cloud environments for unmanaged non-human identities that may pose security risks.

2. Implement Least Privilege Access

Applying the principle of least privilege (PoLP) ensures that NHIs will only have as much permission as necessary to perform their intended tasks. Overprivileged service accounts and API keys are open risks to your cybersecurity, increasing the attack surface of your networks.

Many organizations should explore enforcing role-based and attribute-based access controls (RBAC/ABAC). This can help limit the scope of permissions and prevent unnecessary access from external sources.

3. Enforce Strong Authentication and Secure Credential Management

Weak or exposed credentials remain a primary attack vector for cyber threats targeting non-human identities. Organizations constantly strive to enforce stronger authentication within their environments, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), wherever possible. MFA is a common security practice for human entities, but emerging solutions are just now beginning to support machine-to-machine (M2M) authentication.

In cases where MFA or M2M is not a possibility, organizations should explore implementing cryptographic certificates or token-based authentication. These processes can help reduce reliance on static credentials. Secure storage and management of credentials are also crucial in helping to prevent unauthorized access.

4. Automate Identity Lifecycle Management

Proper management of non-human identities entails handling them throughout their entire lifecycle, from creation to deactivation. While this normally means manual management processes, automation can simplify the process. Automation helps streamline identity provisioning, which can help lead to processes following the Principle of Least Privilege.

Just-in-time (JIT) access is another potentially critical strategy that can help reduce risk by granting permissions only as needed. Rather than permanent access, JIT provisioning ensures that NHIs are only granted access for a specific task or time frame.

Protect Your NHIs with Expert Guidance

Managing and securing non-human identities can be a complex process, but this is an essential aspect of modern cybersecurity. These identities can become weak points in an organization’s security framework without proper oversight.

Ensuring robust non-human identity security requires expertise in identity governance, risk management, and compliance. This is where partnering with a trusted advisory firm becomes invaluable.

LBMC provides comprehensive cybersecurity and identity management solutions tailored to your organization’s needs. Our team of experts can help you implement strong identity governance frameworks, automate security processes, and ensure compliance with industry standards. Visit LBMC Cybersecurity to learn how to strengthen your organization’s security posture and protect your non-human identities from emerging threats.

Content provided by Van Steel, Shareholder, LBMC Cybersecurity.

Understanding Non-Human Identities

Challenges in Managing Non-Human Identities

Best Practices for Securing Non-Human Identities

1. Maintain a Comprehensive Inventory

2. Implement Least Privilege Access

3. Enforce Strong Authentication and Secure Credential Management

4. Automate Identity Lifecycle Management

Protect Your NHIs with Expert Guidance

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