Unveiling the Hidden Threat: Eliminating Orphaned Non-Human Identities in Your Network
In the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, a significant yet often overlooked threat has emerged: orphaned non-human identities (NHIs). These include service accounts, API tokens, AI agent connections, and OAuth grants that, once created, can persist unnoticed within an organization’s infrastructure. Alarmingly, in 2024, such unmanaged NHIs were responsible for 68% of cloud breaches, surpassing traditional threats like phishing and weak passwords.
The Proliferation of Non-Human Identities
For every human employee, there are approximately 40 to 50 automated credentials operating within the system. These NHIs are essential for various automated processes and integrations. However, when projects conclude or employees depart, these credentials often remain active, retaining their privileges without oversight. This creates a fertile ground for cyber attackers who can exploit these dormant yet potent access points.
The Risks of Unmanaged NHIs
The rapid expansion of AI agents and automated workflows has led to an exponential increase in these credentials, many of which possess administrative-level access they may not require. A single compromised token can grant an attacker lateral movement across an entire environment. Compounding the issue, the average dwell time for such intrusions exceeds 200 days, allowing attackers ample time to exploit these vulnerabilities.
Challenges with Traditional Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Conventional IAM systems are primarily designed to manage human identities, often overlooking the complexities associated with NHIs. This oversight results in a significant security gap, as these non-human entities operate without the same level of scrutiny or lifecycle management as their human counterparts.
Addressing the Issue: A Proactive Approach
To combat the risks associated with orphaned NHIs, organizations should consider the following steps:
1. Comprehensive Discovery: Conduct a thorough scan to identify all non-human identities within the environment.
2. Permission Optimization: Implement a framework to ensure that service accounts and AI integrations have permissions appropriate to their functions, adhering to the principle of least privilege.
3. Automated Lifecycle Management: Establish policies that automatically revoke inactive or unnecessary credentials, reducing the window of opportunity for potential attackers.
4. Identity Cleanup Checklist: Develop and utilize a checklist to systematically address and eliminate orphaned NHIs.
By adopting these strategies, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture, mitigating the risks posed by unmanaged non-human identities.
