Securing Non-Human Identities with Federated Credential Rotation

Understanding Non-Human Identities (NHIs) and Their Risks

Active Directory Federation Services, or AD FS, offers a way to simplify user access while strengthening security policies. But what exactly are non-human identities, and why are they important to protect?

• Non-human identities (NHIs) include machine identities, workload identities, service accounts, and other non-user accounts. These identities are used by applications, services, and automated processes to access resources.

• These identities are vital for automating processes, enabling application communication, and managing cloud infrastructure. For example, in retail, automated inventory systems use NHIs to communicate with suppliers and update stock levels.

• Unlike human users, NHIs often lack robust security practices. This makes them prime targets for attackers.

• Compromised NHI credentials can grant attackers access to sensitive data, critical systems, and cloud resources. This can lead to significant financial and reputational damage.

• Static credentials, embedded secrets, and a lack of rotation policies significantly increase the attack surface. For instance, hardcoded API keys in a healthcare application could expose patient data if compromised.

• NHI-related breaches are often difficult to detect and can result in significant financial and reputational damage.

• Manual credential management is time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to scale across complex environments. This is especially true in large financial institutions with many systems and applications.

• Hardcoded credentials in configuration files or code repositories pose a major security risk.

• A lack of centralized visibility and control over NHI credentials hinders effective security monitoring and incident response.

As we’ve seen, NHIs play a crucial role in modern IT infrastructure, yet they introduce significant security risks if not managed properly. The next section will explore the limitations of traditional credential management and why a new approach is needed.

Introducing Federated Credential Rotation

Federated credential rotation is a game-changer in how organizations secure their non-human identities. But what makes this approach so effective?

Federated identity allows non-human identities (NHIs) to authenticate across different security domains. It uses a trusted intermediary, like Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), to verify credentials. This setup is especially useful when NHIs need to access resources in cloud environments or third-party systems.

For example, a retail company might use federated identity to allow its inventory management system (an NHI) to access supplier databases without directly sharing credentials. This approach enhances security and simplifies access management.

Federated credential rotation takes this a step further by automating the periodic updating of NHI credentials across federated environments. Instead of relying on static, long-lived credentials, this process ensures that NHIs use short-lived, frequently rotated tokens. This significantly reduces the risk of credential compromise.

By minimizing the lifespan of credentials, federated credential rotation limits the window of opportunity for attackers. If a credential is compromised, the attacker's access is automatically revoked when the token expires. This confined access helps to prevent lateral movement and data breaches.

The use of Web Authentication Broker is used by the enrollment client to get a security token, when the authentication policy is set to Federated authentication, according to Microsoft documentation.

Automating the rotation of credentials offers many advantages.

• Enhanced Security: Minimizing the lifespan of credentials significantly reduces the risk of credential theft and misuse.
• Simplified Management: Centralized control and automation streamline the credential management process.
• Improved Compliance: Organizations can better adhere to industry regulations and security best practices by implementing robust rotation policies.
• Reduced Overhead: Automation decreases the operational burden and minimizes the potential for human error.

As we’ve seen, federated credential rotation offers a robust solution for securing NHIs in complex environments. Next, we'll explore the benefits of this approach in more detail, focusing on how it enhances security, simplifies management, and improves compliance.

Implementing Federated Credential Rotation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Federated credential rotation is like giving each non-human identity a new keycard every so often, making it harder for unauthorized access to occur. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of credential compromise.

Selecting the right federation technology is the foundation for implementing federated credential rotation. Consider your environment and security needs to determine the best fit.

• Evaluate various federation protocols and technologies. OAuth 2.0, SAML, and OIDC each offer unique features and capabilities. Your choice will depend on the specific requirements of your applications and the standards supported by your identity provider.
• Select a solution that supports automated credential rotation. Automation is key to reducing administrative overhead and ensuring consistent security. The technology should seamlessly integrate with your existing identity provider.
• Consider scalability, performance, and ease of integration. Your chosen technology should handle your current workload and future growth. It should also integrate smoothly with your existing systems to avoid disruptions.

A well-designed credential rotation policy is essential for effective security. This policy should clearly define how often credentials are changed and how compromised credentials are handled.

• Define a clear and consistent rotation schedule. The frequency of rotation should be based on a risk assessment. High-risk systems should have more frequent rotations than low-risk ones. Compliance requirements may also dictate rotation frequency.
• Establish procedures for handling credential compromise and revocation. Your policy should outline steps for immediately revoking compromised credentials and issuing new ones. This helps limit the damage from a potential breach.
• Implement strong access controls. Limit the scope of compromised credentials. By implementing appropriate access controls, you can minimize the damage an attacker can do with compromised credentials.

Automating the rotation process is critical for maintaining security without increasing administrative burden. Use automation tools and secret management solutions to streamline the process.

• Leverage automation tools and scripting languages. Automate credential generation, distribution, and updates. Use tools like PowerShell, Python, or Ansible to create scripts that handle these tasks automatically.
• Integrate with secret management solutions. Securely store and manage NHI credentials using solutions like HashiCorp Vault or CyberArk. These tools provide centralized control and auditing capabilities.
• Implement monitoring and alerting. Detect rotation failures and potential security incidents by monitoring the rotation process. Set up alerts to notify administrators of any issues that require immediate attention. SDK/API based integration is preferred to avoid configuration files.

Moving forward, we will look at how to monitor and maintain your federated credential rotation system to ensure the ongoing security of your non-human identities.

Technical Considerations and Best Practices

Technical considerations and best practices are crucial for ensuring the security and reliability of federated credential rotation. These practices help organizations minimize risks and maintain a robust security posture.

Protecting private keys is paramount to prevent unauthorized access. Employing secure key storage mechanisms is critical for maintaining the integrity of the entire system.

• Use Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) or secure enclave technologies to safeguard private keys. HSMs provide a tamper-resistant environment for storing and managing cryptographic keys. This ensures that even if the system is compromised, the keys remain protected.
• Implement strong access controls and auditing to prevent unauthorized key access. Limit access to keys based on the principle of least privilege and regularly audit key access logs. This helps detect and prevent insider threats and unauthorized activities.
• Regularly back up and test key recovery procedures. Ensure that keys can be recovered in the event of a disaster or system failure. Testing the recovery process helps validate its effectiveness and identify potential issues.

Continuous monitoring and auditing are essential for detecting and responding to security incidents. These practices provide visibility into the system's operation and help identify potential vulnerabilities.

• Implement comprehensive logging and auditing of all NHI authentication and authorization activities. Capture detailed logs of all access attempts, including the source, destination, and outcome. This data is valuable for security analysis and incident investigation.
• Monitor for anomalous behavior and potential security breaches. Establish baseline behavior patterns and set up alerts for any deviations from these patterns. This can help detect compromised credentials or unauthorized access attempts.
• Establish a clear incident response plan for handling compromised NHI credentials. Outline specific steps to be taken in the event of a security breach, including containment, eradication, and recovery. This ensures a swift and effective response to minimize damage.

Integrating legacy systems into a federated environment can be challenging. These systems often lack support for modern protocols and security standards.

• Identify legacy systems that do not support modern federation protocols. Conduct a thorough assessment of all systems to identify those that require special handling. This assessment should include an evaluation of their security posture and compliance requirements.
• Develop mitigation strategies, such as wrapping or proxying, to integrate these systems into the federated environment. Wrapping involves adding a layer of abstraction to the legacy system to enable it to communicate with the federated environment. Proxying involves using a secure proxy server to mediate access to the legacy system.
• Prioritize the migration of legacy systems to more secure and modern architectures. Develop a migration plan that addresses the security and compliance requirements of the federated environment. This may involve replacing legacy systems with modern alternatives or upgrading them to support modern protocols.

Implementing these technical considerations and best practices enhances the security and efficiency of federated credential rotation. Next, we will discuss how to monitor and maintain your federated credential rotation system to ensure the ongoing security of your non-human identities.

The Role of Zero Trust in NHI Security

Zero Trust is not just for human users; it's a critical framework for securing non-human identities (NHIs) too. Applying these principles ensures that every access request is rigorously verified, regardless of its origin.

• Zero Trust mandates verification for every access request. This means that NHIs, like applications or services, must prove their identity and authorization each time they request access to a resource. For example, an automated billing system in a financial institution should not automatically access customer data; instead, it should authenticate and authorize for each transaction.
• Implement microsegmentation to limit the blast radius of potential breaches. This involves dividing the network into isolated segments, restricting NHIs to only the resources they need. If an attacker compromises an NHI in one segment, they cannot easily move to other parts of the network.
• Continuously monitor and validate NHI identities and privileges. This goes beyond initial authentication. Continuously assessing the behavior of NHIs helps detect anomalies that could indicate a compromised identity.

Granting NHIs excessive permissions creates unnecessary risk. Implementing least privilege access is crucial for minimizing the potential damage from compromised NHIs.

• Grant NHIs only the minimum necessary permissions. An NHI should only have access to the specific resources and actions it needs to perform its intended function. For instance, a retail application that updates product prices should not have permission to access customer payment information.
• Regularly review and adjust NHI privileges. Business requirements change, and NHI privileges should adapt accordingly. Routine audits ensure that NHIs do not retain unnecessary permissions.
• Automate the process of granting and revoking NHI privileges. Automation reduces the risk of human error and ensures timely adjustments to permissions. This is particularly important in dynamic cloud environments where NHIs are frequently created and destroyed.

Zero Trust principles are essential for securing NHIs in today's complex IT environments. By verifying every access request and limiting permissions, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of NHI-related breaches. The next section will explore how to monitor and maintain your federated credential rotation system to ensure the ongoing security of your non-human identities.

The Non-Human Identity Management Group (NHIMG): Securing Your NHIs

Many organizations struggle to manage and secure the increasing number of non-human identities (NHIs) within their systems. What if there was a dedicated group to help tackle these critical risks?

The Non-Human Identity Management Group (NHIMG) is the leading independent authority in NHI Research and Advisory. We empower organizations to tackle the critical risks posed by Non-Human Identities (NHIs).

• We provide expert consultancy services to help you design and implement robust federated credential rotation strategies. Our team brings deep knowledge of Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) and other federation technologies to ensure your NHIs are secure.

• We offer tailored solutions to meet your specific business needs and compliance requirements. Our services include policy development, technology selection, implementation support, and ongoing security monitoring.

• Stay updated on Non-human identity through our research and advisory services, ensuring you're always ahead of emerging threats. We provide insights into the latest attack vectors and best practices for mitigating NHI-related risks.

NHIMG's team of experts can assess your current NHI security posture and identify areas for improvement. This includes evaluating your existing credential management practices, identifying potential vulnerabilities, and recommending solutions to enhance your security.

• We offer tailored solutions to meet your specific business needs and compliance requirements. Our consultancy covers policy development, technology selection, implementation support, and ongoing security monitoring.

• Our services include policy development, technology selection, implementation support, and ongoing security monitoring. We help you create and enforce policies that align with industry standards and regulatory mandates.

• NHIMG provides expert consultancy services to help you design and implement robust federated credential rotation strategies. We bring deep knowledge of Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) and other federation technologies to ensure your NHIs are secure.

Explore our website for white papers, blog posts, and other resources on NHI security best practices. Stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities affecting NHIs and learn how to mitigate these risks.

• Join our community to connect with other security professionals and share your experiences. Collaborate with industry peers and exchange insights on NHI security challenges and solutions.

• Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how NHIMG can help you secure your NHIs. Our experts are ready to help you assess your needs and develop a customized strategy for managing your NHIs.

By partnering with NHIMG, your organization can establish a strong foundation for managing and securing your non-human identities. The next section will explore how to monitor and maintain your federated credential rotation system to ensure the ongoing security of your non-human identities.

Conclusion: Embracing Federated Credential Rotation for NHI Security

Federated credential rotation offers a future where security adapts to the ever-changing landscape of non-human identities. How can organizations ensure a secure future in this complex environment?

• Federated credential rotation is critical for comprehensive NHI security. It addresses the limitations of static and manually managed credentials, which are prone to compromise. Think of it as automatically changing the locks on your doors regularly, rather than using the same key forever.

• Securing NHIs is increasingly important as automation and cloud services expand. NHIs drive automated systems in finance, healthcare, and retail. These industries must protect sensitive data by securing NHIs.

• Proactive NHI management is essential for a strong security posture. Organizations can protect against evolving threats by implementing robust policies and automation.

• Assess your current NHI security practices. Identify vulnerabilities in credential management by evaluating existing systems. Organizations can then develop a plan to address these weaknesses.

• Develop a roadmap for implementing federated credential rotation. Outline steps for adopting federated identity and automating credential updates.

• Partner with a trusted security advisor. Receive guidance on NHI security from experts. These advisors can provide tailored solutions and support.

"Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is a single sign on (SSO) feature...that provides safe, authenticated access to any domain, device, web application or system," according to CrowdStrike.

By taking these steps, organizations can improve NHI security.