In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, one of the emerging threats that businesses must contend with is the rise of Non-Human Identities (NHI). These identities, which include bots, service accounts, and IoT devices, play critical roles in modern IT environments but also introduce unique security challenges. This blog explores the types of NHIs, their prevalence compared to human identities, the limitations of traditional Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solutions, and how businesses can effectively manage and mitigate risks associated with NHIs.
Difference Between Human and Non-Human Identities
Understanding the distinction between human and non-human identities is important for effective security, risk balance, compliance, monitoring and proactive controls. While both types of identities are used to access systems and data, they differ significantly in their behaviors, management needs, and security risks.
Human Identities: These represent individual users and are typically associated with people within the organization, such as employees, contractors, or partners. Human identities are often managed through traditional Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) processes like user provisioning, role-based access control, and compliance checks. Human users interact with systems through user interfaces and require access to various resources based on their roles, often requiring periodic authentication and permission updates.
Non-Human Identities: These are not tied to individual people but to machines, services, and automated processes. They include IoT devices, APIs, service accounts, bots, and other automated tools (more about types of NHI in following section). NHIs often operate without direct human oversight, running in the background to perform tasks such as data synchronization, service integrations, or application communication. As such, their behaviors can be harder to monitor and control, making them a prime target for attackers.
Because NHIs operate autonomously or semi-autonomously, their access is often persistent, with the potential for much broader reach than a single human user might have. Their security risks are compounded by their lack of human oversight and the possibility of them being configured with excessive privileges.
Common Drivers of Non-Human Identities
The rise of Non-Human Identities is largely driven by the increasing complexity and automation in modern IT environments. Several factors contribute to their proliferation:
Automation: The growing trend toward automation in business processes, including DevOps, cloud orchestration, and robotic process automation (RPA), requires non-human identities to perform tasks without manual intervention. Bots and service accounts are essential for automating system maintenance, data processing, and application management.
Cloud Adoption: As more businesses move to the cloud, they increasingly rely on IoT devices, APIs, and other cloud services that need non-human identities to operate seamlessly across distributed environments. These identities enable communication between applications and cloud resources, but also multiply access points that must be secured.
IoT and Digital Transformation: The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) is another major driver. Each connected device—whether it’s a smart sensor in a factory, a wearable in a healthcare system, or a home automation device—requires a unique identity to authenticate and communicate with other systems. These devices generate significant amounts of data and interactions, making them integral to digital transformation strategies but also a vulnerability if not properly managed.
Microservices and APIs: In the modern application landscape, microservices and APIs play a vital role in enabling agility and flexibility. Each service, API, and container may require a distinct non-human identity to manage secure access to other systems or databases. This leads to an explosion of identities that must be closely monitored.
Security and Compliance Requirements: Many security and compliance frameworks require specific controls around privileged access, which often involves creating non-human identities like service accounts with elevated permissions. These accounts are critical for maintaining security and compliance but can be a weak link if misconfigured or inadequately managed.
Types of Non-Human Identities (NHI)
There are several types of NHI; few types of NHIs include:
Service Accounts: These are accounts used by applications or services to interact with other applications or systems. They often have elevated privileges and are essential for automation and integration tasks.
Bots: Automated scripts or programs that perform repetitive tasks. Bots can range from simple automation scripts to sophisticated AI-driven processes.
IoT Devices: Internet of Things (IoT) devices include everything from smart thermostats to industrial sensors. Each device typically has its own identity and access requirements.
APIs: Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) allow different software systems to communicate. Each API call can represent a non-human interaction that needs to be secured.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA): RPA bots are used to automate business processes. These bots often require access to multiple systems and data sources.
Containers & Images: Provide consistent and isolated environments for running applications, crucial for maintaining security in cloud-native applications.
Cloud Services: Offer scalable and flexible resources for various applications, necessitating secure management of access credentials to prevent unauthorized access.
DevOps Tools: Essential for continuous integration and delivery pipelines, requiring secure handling of secrets and credentials to maintain the integrity of the development process.
Software Supply Chain: Involves various tools and processes that need secure access to ensure the integrity and security of software development and deployment.
Each type of NHI plays a critical role in maintaining the security and efficiency of modern digital environments. Proper management and security of these identities are essential to prevent unauthorized access and potential breaches.
The Ratio of NHI to Human Identity
In many organizations, the number of NHIs can far exceed the number of human identities. According to industry estimates, NHIs can outnumber human identities by a ratio of 50:1 or even higher. This proliferation of NHIs underscores the need for robust identity management practices that extend beyond human users.
Why Traditional IGA Solutions Are Not Adequate for NHIÂ
Traditional IGA solutions are primarily designed to manage human identities, focusing on user provisioning, access requests, and compliance reporting. However, NHIs present unique challenges that these solutions are not equipped to handle:
Complexity and Scale: NHIs often operate at a scale and complexity that traditional IGA solutions cannot manage effectively. For example, IoT devices and APIs can generate millions of interactions daily.
Dynamic Nature: NHIs can be highly dynamic, with identities being created and decommissioned rapidly. Traditional IGA solutions may struggle to keep up with this pace.
Privilege Management: NHIs often require elevated privileges, making them attractive targets for attackers. Managing these privileges requires specialized tools and approaches.
Lack of Visibility: Traditional IGA solutions may not provide adequate visibility into the activities and behaviors of NHIs, making it difficult to detect anomalies and potential security threats.
Planning an NHI ProgramÂ
To effectively manage NHIs, businesses need to develop a comprehensive NHI program that includes the following steps:
Inventory and Classification: Identify and classify all NHIs within the organization. This includes understanding their roles, access requirements, and potential risks.
Policy Development: Develop policies and procedures specifically tailored to NHIs. This includes defining access controls, authentication methods, and monitoring requirements.
Tool Selection: Choose tools and technologies that are designed to manage NHIs. This may include specialized identity management solutions, privileged access management (PAM) tools, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems.
Continuous Monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring to detect and respond to anomalies in NHI behavior. This includes using machine learning and AI to identify patterns and potential threats.
Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits of NHI activities and access controls to ensure compliance with policies and identify areas for improvement.
Risk Mitigation StrategiesÂ
To mitigate the risks associated with NHIs, businesses should consider the following strategies:
Least Privilege Principle: Apply the principle of least privilege to NHIs, ensuring they have only the access necessary to perform their functions.
Segmentation: Segment NHIs from critical systems and data to limit the potential impact of a compromised identity.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implement MFA for NHIs where possible to add an additional layer of security.
Behavioral Analytics: Use behavioral analytics to monitor NHI activities and detect deviations from normal behavior.
Incident Response Planning: Develop and test incident response plans that include scenarios involving NHIs.
ConclusionÂ
Non-Human Identities are an indispensable part of modern IT ecosystems, but they introduce significant security risks. As digital environments become increasingly complex, it’s essential to implement specialized identity management practices to safeguard these identities. Traditional IGA solutions fall short in addressing the unique challenges posed by NHIs, so businesses must adapt by developing comprehensive NHI management programs, leveraging advanced tools, and adopting proactive risk mitigation strategies.
By gaining a deep understanding of NHIs and addressing the specific risks they present, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity posture and mitigate potential threats before they cause harm.
CredenceIA helps Organizations Address the Hidden Threat Of Non-Human Identities (NHI) in CybersecurityÂ
CredenceIA offers comprehensive cybersecurity planning, assessment, implementation, and managed services solutions to help organizations balance efficiency and effectiveness in managing their existing security initiatives. CredenceIA Consulting’s team is dedicated to helping organizations reduce their risk of attack, streamline regulatory certification and compliance, elevate cybersecurity defenses with IGCG, improve operational efficiencies, improve access governance, and increase end-user engagement. Our experienced team helps CISOs with making business cases for modern IAM, IGA programs with effective SOD controls implementation, stay compliant, and provide a foundation for effective program planning from requirements to organizational change management.
CredenceIA helps businesses address NHIs as part of its Cyber Insurance Service. To learn more about how CredenceIA's Cyber Insurance Services can help you safeguard your business, reduce risk, and integrate your cybersecurity posture with your insurance strategy, visit our Cyber Insurance Services page.
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