What are Non-Human Identities?

Introduction

In the intricate tapestry of digital systems, Non-Human Identities (NHIs) serve as the invisible guardians of access and authentication. They're the digital counterparts that navigate the realms of machine-to-machine interactions, shaping the integrity of our interconnected digital environments. But what exactly do we mean by "non-human identities"? 

Essentially, we're encompassing a broad spectrum. This includes not only classical service accounts, service principals, but also the access tokens, API keys, workloads, bots, and more. As we delve deeper into the corporate landscape, we encounter tokens, API keys, copilots, and bots requiring access to various tools, whether it's your Robotic Process Automation (RPAs) or any Large Language Models(LLMs). These identities become even more diverse as you venture into production environments, where you'll encounter data warehouses, Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, machine learning (ML) pipelines, and so forth.

These identities are dispersed across multiple teams, systems, and tools, each with its own unique technology stack. Some rely solely on passwords, while others utilize tokens, certificates or keys. Furthermore, as organizations strive for agility, teams connect various tools in the process, often involving identities that fall outside the perimeter of Identity Provider (IdP) systems. The proliferation of such identities is staggering; recent reports suggest that for every human account, there could be as many as 20 to 50 non-human accounts. This number tends to increase over time, particularly as organizations neglect to establish robust de-provisioning processes for these accounts. And the problem gets worse with the imminent surge in copilots and bots. 

Why NHI Management Matters

The risks associated with unmanaged NHIs are far-reaching, with potential consequences ranging from data breaches to operational disruptions. The absence of robust security measures, such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or biometric authentication leaves NHIs vulnerable to exploitation. To make matters worse, these NHIs have elevated privileges and have access to sensitive data. It's no surprise then, that non-human identities have emerged as a primary target for cyberattacks. Recent breaches, via a compromised service account, or malicious OAuth applications underscore the severity of the issue. In fact, according to 2024 Verizon DBIR, 32% of security incidents last year involved infiltrations via non-human elements and this number gets even higher if we consider the non-human identities involved in lateral moments post as breach.

Not all identities are the same

NHIs exhibit profound and fundamental differences from human identities in several crucial aspects. Some of those are:

• Lack of Source of Truth: While human identities are typically managed centrally through HRIS systems serving as a Single Source of Truth (SSoT), non-human identities are highly decentralized, existing within individual systems without a unified source of truth.

• Different “Joiner-Mover-Leaver” processes: Human identities are inherently tied to individuals and are systematically created or deleted as they join or leave an organization. In contrast, Non-Human Identities originate from machines, processes, and DevOps pipelines (workload identities), and they lack a structured lifecycle management process.

• Life cycle: NHIs are created and deleted based on business needs, making them difficult to manage. Moreover, they often languish in a state of neglect, remaining unchanged and orphaned for years, with credentials left unrotated, exacerbating security risks.

• Lack of Governance: Human identities must adhere to different compliance standards dictating user access reviews, whereas NHIs fall outside these requirements, lacking any review and governance processes.

• Scale: NHIs dominate the enterprise identity landscape, outnumbering human identities by a staggering ratio of 40 to 1.

Natoma's NHI Management Platform

Natoma's platform is built to streamline NHI management processes, offering features tailored to the needs of modern enterprises. It offers a comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges. By gaining critical insights into their NHI ecosystem, organizations can identify potential risks, automate lifecycle management tasks and take control of this sprawling problem. Case studies and testimonials attest to Natoma's effectiveness in bolstering cybersecurity measures and protecting against NHI-related threats. By providing tools and processes for identifying, prioritizing, and managing NHIs securely, Natoma empowers organizations to safeguard their digital assets effectively. 

Embarking on the journey to enhanced cybersecurity with Natoma is a straightforward process. With intuitive onboarding processes and a user-friendly interface, organizations can quickly deploy Natoma's platform and begin reaping the benefits of comprehensive NHI management. Natoma empowers businesses to take control of their NHI ecosystem and navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Charting a Course for Cybersecurity

As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, the importance of managing Non-Human Identities cannot be overstated. From protecting sensitive data to ensuring operational resilience, the secure management of NHIs is paramount. Natoma's NHI management platform offers a beacon of hope in this ever-changing landscape, providing organizations with the tools and insights needed to navigate the challenges ahead. Sign up for a demo today and chart a course towards enhanced cybersecurity and digital resilience.