The surge in non-human identities (NHI) such as service accounts, system accounts, IAM roles, API keys, tokens, and secrets has led to an increase in security incidents and data breaches. With this in mind, organizations are focusing on three key areas to enhance the security of NHIs.
Firstly, discovery and posture management are crucial in identifying and monitoring the vast number of non-human connections and credentials present in an organization. This includes conducting continuous discovery, inventory, and monitoring across all environments, both internally hosted and externally in SaaS applications. Organizations are advised to implement robust SaaS governance programs and leverage resources like the Cloud Security Alliance’s SaaS Governance Best Practices for Cloud Customers guide. Additionally, having innovative security tools that provide visibility and context is essential for prioritizing risks associated with NHIs. By utilizing connectivity maps and understanding permissions and privileged access levels, organizations can enhance their security posture and adhere to zero-trust principles.
Secondly, third-party breach response and credential rotation are critical when NHIs connect to external entities like business partners and SaaS providers. In the event of a security incident, it is important to quickly identify impacted credentials and rotate them efficiently to mitigate risks. Speed is key in breach response activities, and having documented processes, visibility, and automation can help organizations stay ahead of attackers and prevent further damage.
Lastly, anomaly detection plays a vital role in identifying unusual behavior associated with NHIs. By analyzing factors like IPs, geolocations, ISPs, and API activity, security teams can pinpoint potential threats or malicious activity. Modern security tools offer automated remediation workflows that can assist in rotating secrets or reducing permissions to address security threats promptly. Integration with existing security stacks empowers SOC and Security teams to respond effectively to anomalies and potential breaches.
By integrating discovery and posture management, third-party breach response, and anomaly detection, organizations can proactively manage the risks associated with NHIs. Given the complexity and scale of modern organizations with thousands of NHIs operating across various systems, manual risk mitigation is no longer feasible. Embracing modern IAM and ITDR tools is essential for effectively managing non-human identities and strengthening overall security measures.