Non-Human Identity Auditing: Securing the Unseen

Understanding Non-Human Identities (NHIs)

Did you know that digital identities aren't just for humans anymore? Welcome to the world of Non-Human Identities (NHIs), the often-overlooked but critical components of modern cybersecurity.

What are Non-Human Identities?

NHIs are digital identities assigned to applications, services, and devices. Unlike human users, NHIs operate autonomously, performing specific tasks without direct human intervention. Think of them as the silent workforce powering your digital infrastructure. They're essentially any digital entity that needs to access resources or perform actions without a person directly typing commands.

Here's what you need to know about the different types:

Service Accounts: These are typically used by applications or services to authenticate and access resources, like a dedicated login for a database or a cloud service. They're like a company account for a specific tool.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): When one application needs to talk to another, they often use APIs, and the access to these APIs is managed through NHIs. Think of it as a specific key that lets one program ask another program for information or to do something.
Bots: These are automated programs that perform repetitive tasks, like web crawlers, chatbots, or automation scripts. They have their own identities to interact with systems.
IoT Devices: Internet of Things devices, from smart thermostats to industrial sensors, also have identities to connect to networks and cloud services.

NHIs enable automation and communication between different systems, and each has unique permissions and access rights. Managing and securing them is crucial for overall security.

According to recent studies, NHIs now outnumber human identities by a significant margin, and are involved in over 50% of breaches. (Derisking the nonhuman identities crisis | EY - Canada)

Why NHIs Matter

NHIs are essential for modern IT operations, but they also introduce new security challenges. Because they often operate behind the scenes, NHIs can be easily overlooked and misconfigured, creating potential entry points for attackers. Their autonomous nature means they can act without immediate human oversight, making their security posture even more critical.

For example, consider a cloud-based application that relies on multiple microservices. Each microservice uses an NHI to communicate with other services and access resources. If one of these NHIs is compromised, an attacker could potentially gain control over the entire application.

Diagram 1

Understanding NHIs is the first step in securing your digital environment. Given their autonomous and often invisible operation, it's clear why auditing these identities is so important.

The Importance of NHI Auditing

Ever wonder what the weakest link in your cybersecurity might be? It could be your Non-Human Identities (NHIs) if they're not properly audited. NHI auditing is crucial for maintaining a robust security posture, and here's why.

Why Audit NHIs?

NHI auditing involves systematically reviewing and assessing the permissions, configurations, and activities of non-human identities within your systems. This process helps you:

Reduce Risk: Identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities before they're exploited.
Ensure Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Improve Security Posture: Gain better visibility and control over NHI activities.
Prevent Data Breaches: Minimize the risk of unauthorized access and data exfiltration.

According to recent studies, over 60% of data breaches involve compromised identities; often, these are non-human. (Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025)

Real-World Impact

Consider a scenario where a rogue application, granted excessive permissions, begins accessing sensitive data. Without regular auditing, this breach could go unnoticed for weeks or even months, leading to significant damage. Auditing helps catch these anomalies early.

For example, imagine a cloud service with an NHI that has overly broad permissions:

resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "example" {
  name   = "example-policy"
  role   = aws_iam_role.example.id
  policy = jsonencode({
    Version = "2012-10-17"
    Statement = [
      {
        Action = "*",
        Effect   = "Allow",
        Resource = "*"
      },
    ]
  })
}

This broad access can be easily detected and corrected through regular audits.

The Next Step

Understanding the importance of NHI auditing is just the beginning. Next, we'll dive into the key elements that make up an effective NHI auditing program.

Key Elements of an NHI Auditing Program

What makes a Non-Human Identity (NHI) auditing program truly effective? It boils down to several key elements that ensure comprehensive coverage and actionable insights.

Core Components of NHI Auditing

A robust NHI auditing program isn't just about ticking boxes; it's about creating a living, breathing security process. Here are some essential components:

Discovery and Inventory: Identify all NHIs in your environment. You can’t protect what you don’t know! This often involves using specialized tools that scan your cloud, applications, and infrastructure to find every service account, api key, and other non-human entity.
Access Reviews: Regularly review and validate the permissions granted to each NHI. Are they still necessary? This means checking if a service account still needs access to a database it hasn't touched in months.
Activity Monitoring: Track the actions performed by NHIs. Look for anomalies that could indicate compromise. This is like watching what each NHI is doing to spot anything suspicious.
Configuration Management: Ensure NHIs are configured securely, following the principle of least privilege. This means giving each NHI only the exact permissions it needs to do its job, and nothing more. For example, an NHI that only needs to read data shouldn't have permission to delete it.
Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports to identify trends, risks, and areas for improvement. This helps you see the bigger picture and make informed decisions.

Putting It Into Practice

Imagine a scenario where an application with an NHI is granted excessive permissions. By implementing regular access reviews, you can identify and rectify this, preventing potential misuse or breaches.

According to a recent study, over 60% of security breaches involve compromised identities, many of which are non-human. (Non-human identities are enterprise's silent cyber risk)

Effective NHI auditing is a continuous process, not a one-time event. By focusing on these key elements, organizations can significantly reduce their attack surface. Next, we'll explore some best practices to elevate your NHI auditing game.

NHI Auditing Best Practices

Did you know that compromised Non-Human Identities (NHIs) are often the secret weapon of cybercriminals? Implementing NHI auditing best practices is your shield against these hidden threats.

Solidify Your NHI Auditing

Effective NHI auditing isn't just a one-time event; it's an ongoing process. Here are some best practices to ensure your NHIs are secure:

Regularly Review Permissions: Conduct frequent audits of NHI permissions to ensure they adhere to the principle of least privilege. This means setting up a schedule, maybe quarterly, to go through each NHI's access rights.
Automate Where Possible: Use automation tools to streamline the auditing process, making it more efficient and less prone to human error. Automating tasks like discovery and initial permission checks can save a lot of time and reduce mistakes.
Monitor Activity: Implement continuous monitoring of NHI activity to detect anomalies and potential security breaches in real-time. This is about having systems that constantly watch for unusual behavior from your NHIs.
Document Everything: Maintain detailed records of all NHIs, their roles, permissions, and audit history for compliance and future reference. This includes things like:
- NHI Name/ID
- Purpose/Function
- Owner/Responsible Team
- Current Permissions Granted
- Creation Date
- Last Audit Date and Findings
- Associated Systems/Applications
- Any changes made to permissions or configurations
  This documentation is vital for proving compliance, troubleshooting issues, and understanding your security posture over time.

Practical Steps

To put these best practices into action, consider the following steps. First, establish a clear policy for NHI management. Second, use tools that provide visibility into NHI activities.

According to a recent study, over 60% of breaches involve compromised non-human identities, highlighting the urgent need for robust auditing practices.

Real-World Application

Imagine a scenario where an application with excessive privileges is compromised. Regular audits would quickly identify and rectify this, preventing potential damage.

Diagram 2

Equipped with these best practices, you're well on your way to securing your NHIs. Next, let's explore the tools that can help you implement these practices effectively.

Tools for NHI Auditing

Think of Non-Human Identity (NHI) auditing tools as your cybersecurity watchdogs, tirelessly monitoring digital activity. But with so many options, how do you choose the right ones?

Selecting the Right Tools

Selecting the correct tools is critical for effective NHI auditing. These tools automate and streamline the auditing process, providing visibility and control over NHIs. When choosing, consider these factors:

Your Environment: Are you primarily in the cloud, on-premises, or hybrid? Different tools excel in different environments.
Budget: Tools range from free open-source options to expensive enterprise solutions.
Existing Tools: Can new tools integrate with your current security stack (like your SIEM or identity provider)?
Specific Needs: Do you need deep visibility into api usage, or are you more focused on service account permissions?

Here are some common categories:

Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) Tools: Manage and govern NHI access privileges, often focusing on lifecycle management and access reviews.
Privileged Access Management (PAM) Solutions: Secure and monitor privileged NHI accounts, controlling their access and logging their activities.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM): Assess and manage the security posture of NHIs in cloud environments, identifying misconfigurations and excessive permissions.
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) Systems: Collect and analyze security logs from various sources to detect anomalous NHI behavior.
API Security Tools: Secure APIs used by NHIs, preventing unauthorized access and monitoring api traffic.

A Practical Configuration Example

Consider configuring a PAM solution to manage a database application's NHI. The PAM tool can automatically rotate the NHI's credentials, monitor its access patterns, and alert on any suspicious activity.

For instance, you might configure it like this:

# PAM Configuration Example for DatabaseApp NHI
NHI_Name: DatabaseApp
Credential_Rotation: Enabled (Daily)
Access_Monitoring: Enabled (Monitor all database queries)
Alert_Threshold: 5 failed login attempts within 1 minute OR any attempt to access sensitive tables (e.g., 'customer_financials')

This setup means the password for the DatabaseApp NHI will change every day. The system will watch every query it makes to the database, and if it fails to log in five times in a minute, or tries to access a highly sensitive table, an alert will be sent to the security team.

According to a recent study, organizations using automated NHI auditing tools experienced a 60% reduction in security incidents related to non-human identities.

Visualizing NHI Workflows

Understanding how NHIs interact with systems can be simplified using diagrams.

Diagram 3

Equipping your organization with the right NHI auditing tools is a game-changer. Next, we'll explore real-world examples.

Real-World Examples and Case Studies

Think NHI auditing is just theoretical? Think again. Real-world examples demonstrate why securing these identities is a business imperative.

Learning from the Trenches

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of NHI auditing. Let's explore some examples:

Cloud Permissions Management: Companies are using NHI auditing to identify over-permissioned service accounts in cloud environments, reducing potential attack surfaces. For example, finding a service account that can manage all cloud resources when it only needs to read specific files.
Secrets Management: Auditing tools help detect hardcoded credentials in applications, preventing unauthorized access. This is when developers accidentally embed passwords or api keys directly into their code, which is a huge security risk.
Compliance: Industries like finance and healthcare leverage NHI audits to meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive data. They need to prove to auditors that their systems are secure, and NHI auditing is a big part of that.

Case Study: Preventing a Data Breach

A large e-commerce company implemented an NHI auditing program after discovering a compromised api key. The audit revealed that several non-human identities had excessive permissions, allowing attackers to potentially access customer data. Specifically, an api key used by a third-party marketing tool had been leaked, and because it had broad read access to customer databases, the attackers were able to exfiltrate sensitive information.

"Compromised non-human identities are involved in over 50% of cloud data breaches."

By implementing stricter access controls, such as granting the marketing tool api only read access to specific customer data tables (not all of them), and continuous monitoring, the company significantly reduced its risk of future breaches. This proactive approach not only secured their data but also enhanced customer trust.

The future of NHI auditing involves even more automation and integration with broader security frameworks.

The Future of NHI Auditing

Imagine a world where every digital interaction is secure, not just those involving humans. The future of Non-Human Identity (NHI) auditing envisions just that—a landscape where machines, applications, and services operate securely and transparently.

Emerging Trends

So, what does this future look like? Several key trends are shaping the evolution of NHI auditing:

AI-Driven Auditing: Ai and machine learning will automate anomaly detection, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring. Instead of relying on predefined rules, ai models can learn what "normal" behavior looks like for an NHI and flag deviations, even subtle ones. This could involve techniques like behavioral analytics or unsupervised learning to spot unusual patterns in access or activity.
Real-Time Monitoring: Continuous monitoring will replace periodic audits, providing immediate insights into NHI behavior. This means moving from quarterly reviews to systems that are constantly watching and alerting as soon as something looks off.
Decentralized Identity: Blockchain and decentralized identity solutions will enhance trust and security in NHI management. This could lead to more secure and verifiable ways of managing NHI credentials and permissions.

"By 2025, it's predicted that NHIs will outnumber human identities by a ratio of 5:1, making advanced auditing solutions essential."

Practical Applications

Consider a scenario where ai algorithms continuously analyze NHI access patterns, flagging any unusual activity in real-time. This proactive approach can prevent breaches before they occur.

For example, an ai system might monitor an NHI used by a cloud storage service. If this NHI suddenly starts downloading an unusually large volume of data, or accessing files it never has before, the ai would flag this as suspicious activity and trigger an alert, potentially stopping a data exfiltration attempt in progress.

# Example: AI-driven anomaly detection for NHI activity
def monitor_nhi_activity(nhi_id, current_activity_metrics, historical_data):
    # Simplified AI model to detect anomalies
    if is_anomalous(current_activity_metrics, historical_data):
        trigger_alert(f"Potential breach detected for NHI: {nhi_id}")
    else:
        update_historical_data(nhi_id, current_activity_metrics)

Placeholder for the actual AI logic
def is_anomalous(metrics, history):
    # Complex AI/ML logic would go here
    # For demonstration, let's say downloading more than 10GB is anomalous
    if metrics.get("data_downloaded_gb", 0) > 10:
        return True
    return False
def trigger_alert(message):
    print(f"ALERT: {message}")
Simulate activitynhi_metrics = {"data_downloaded_gb": 15}
nhi_historical_data = {} # In a real scenario, this would be populated
monitor_nhi_activity("storage_service_nhi", nhi_metrics, nhi_historical_data)

Preparing for Tomorrow

To prepare for the future of NHI auditing, organizations should:

Invest in advanced auditing tools that leverage ai and machine learning.
Implement continuous monitoring practices for real-time threat detection.
Adopt decentralized identity solutions to enhance trust and security.

The journey toward securing the unseen is just beginning, and embracing these advancements will be crucial for staying ahead of emerging threats. Ready to explore real-world examples?