To effectively secure NHIs, organizations must enhance visibility and governance through comprehensive discovery and inventory solutions, AI, and machine learning. Robust life cycle management, automation of identity processes, and adherence to zero trust principles are essential to reduce the attack surface and ensure secure operations. Digital certificates play a crucial role as trust anchors, and their proper management is vital to prevent data breaches. The article concludes by highlighting the need for strategic focus and resources from executive leadership to address NHI security, given its increasing importance due to recent cyber incidents.
Key takeaways:
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- The rapid growth of non-human identities (NHIs) poses significant security challenges, especially for large organizations.
- Visibility and decentralization are major challenges in securing NHIs, leading to inconsistent governance and diluted accountability.
- Organizations need to adopt advanced strategies like digital certificate management and least-privilege access enforcement to secure NHIs.
- Effective communication of NHI security risks and mitigation efforts to executive leadership is crucial for obtaining necessary resources and strategic focus.