Securing Non-Human Identities

The text discusses the growing importance and risk associated with non-human identities in IT security, particularly focusing on workload identities used in multi-cloud and agile environments like DevOps. It highlights how cyber-attacks involving non-human identities are increasing, emphasizing the need for organizations to reassess their legacy Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategies. The document identifies different types of non-human identities, including device, IT admin, software, and automation, explaining that these identities typically interact with various IT resources. The complexity and volume of these identities pose significant management challenges, requiring robust policies and tools to ensure security and compliance. Effective management includes the removal of embedded passwords, implementing least privilege access, and using lifecycle management for permissions. Microsoft Entra Workload Identities and Permissions Management are described as tools designed to manage and secure these identities, offering visibility, control, and risk detection across multi-cloud environments.

• Unmanaged non-human identities present a severe risk to IT security.
• Non-human identities were used in high-profile attacks like SolarWinds and LastPass.
• Non-human identities often lack sufficient Privileged Access Management (PAM) coverage.
• Workload identities in cloud environments are targets for cyber attackers.
• Microsoft Entra Workload Identities uses AI to manage and secure workload identities.
• Permissions Management in Microsoft Entra automatically deletes unused permissions after 90 days.
• Admins can create conditional access policies for workload identities in Microsoft Entra.
• There has been a significant increase in non-human identities due to decentralized cloud and software procurement.
• The Permissions Creep Index measures risk based on permissions granted vs. used.
• Collaboration and data sharing have escalated the use of non-human identities.

• "Unmanaged non-human identities number in the millions and present a serious risk to IT security."
• "Workload identities, a type of non-human identities (or identities for apps and services), are of particular interest to attackers."
• "Multi-cloud access and agile working environments such as DevOps have increased the usage of non-human identities."
• "Cyber attackers can use stolen or leaked credentials to conduct credential stuffing attacks on non-human identities, such as bots or applications."
• "Organizations need to reevaluate legacy IAM strategies designed for non-human identities."
• "The number of non-human identities will continue to multiply and will interact with each other more often, and across more domains."
• "Microsoft Entra Workload Identities allows admins to view new and unused workload identities and review whether they still need access to certain resources."
• "Cloud Identity and Entitlement Management software helps govern cloud entities by offering visibility into unnecessary permissions, detecting potential threats, and enforcing consistent access regulations across all cloud platforms."
• "It is essential that all organizations identify where and how non-human entities interact with their IT systems."
• "Permissions Management in Microsoft Entra can automatically delete permissions that have been unused for more than 90 days, granting additional permissions on-demand for just-in-time access for cloud resources."