Core concepts
What are non-human identities?
Non-Human Identities (NHIs) are digital identities designed for machine-to-machine interactions, enabling automated systems, applications, services, and APIs to securely access resources without human intervention. Unlike user accounts tied to individuals, NHIs are created and managed by systems and are typically used by scripts or backend processes. They authenticate using secrets such as tokens, keys, certificates, or service account credentials. NHIs are essential for enabling secure automation in modern, interconnected software environments—facilitating tasks like backend communication, cloud resource access, and third-party service integration. Because they lack direct human oversight, understanding the context in which NHIs operate is critical for managing their access and ensuring security.
Why should you address your NHI security posture?
Addressing the security posture of Non-Human Identities is critical because they represent a rapidly growing and often overlooked attack surface in modern IT environments. For every human identity, there can be hundreds of NHIs—a 100:1 ratio, making them far more numerous and difficult to manage. NHIs are highly distributed across systems, frequently overprivileged, and commonly lack clear ownership, defined usage, or scoped access, leading to significant blind spots. These gaps make it challenging to monitor and enforce security controls effectively. As a result, NHIs have become prime targets for attackers, who exploit them to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. Without a proactive approach to NHI security—covering visibility, least privilege enforcement, and lifecycle management—organizations risk exposing critical infrastructure to breaches.
