How can I align NHI management with our digital transformation initiatives? – Source: securityboulevard.com

Why is Non-Human Identities Management Critical for Digital Transformation?

Have you ever considered the sheer quantity of non-human identities (NHIs) that exist within your corporate network? These NHIs, also known as machine identities, play an integral role but are often overlooked. When organizations increasingly leverage cloud-based solutions in their digital transformation journey, the successful management of these NHIs is more critical than ever.

The Complexity of Non-Human Identities and Secrets

NHIs are not simply passive placeholders in your system. In fact, they function similarly to human users, complete with permissions, roles, and access rights. NHIs are secured by Secrets, which act as unique identifiers akin to passports. The challenge for cybersecurity specialists, therefore, not only lies in securing these identities but also in managing their associated Secrets and behaviors within the system. Like others, NHIs can potentially leave backdoors open to hackers if not properly managed.

The Lifecycle of NHI Management

In order to fully secure NHIs and their Secrets, a holistic approach is required. This means addressing all lifecycle stages; from the discovery and classification of NHIs, to threat detection and remediation. Within this lifecycle, it is essential to understand ownership, permissions, usage patterns, and potential vulnerabilities for context-aware security. Think of it as ensuring your “tourist” (NHI) has valid “passport” (Secret), while monitoring their behavior in your “country” (system).

Benefits of Effective NHI Management

NHI management extends beyond simply preventing breaches and data leaks. Let us explore some of the key benefits of effective NHI management:

• Reduced Risk: Proactively identifying and mitigating security risks can reduce the likelihood of breaches and data leaks.
• Improved Compliance: Strong NHI management helps organizations meet regulatory requirements through policy enforcement and audit trails.
• Increase Efficiency: Automated NHI management allows security teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine tasks.
• Enhanced Visibility and Control: Centralized access management and governance offer unparalleled visibility and control over your NHIs.
• Cost Savings: Automated secrets rotation and NHIs decommissioning can significantly reduce operational costs.

Incorporating NHI Management in Digital Transformation

Whether you’re in financial services, healthcare, travel, DevOps, or a member of a SOC team, you’re likely already engaged in some form of digital transformation. Advanced technologies, such as cloud computing and machine learning, are driving these initiatives. But how does NHI management fit into this matrix?

NHIs are intrinsic to cloud environments. Automated systems, IoT devices, API keys, service accounts, and bots are just a handful of examples of NHIs in the cloud. As organizations move towards more automated, cloud-based solutions, the number of NHIs will inevitably increase.

Therefore, incorporating NHI management into digital transformation initiatives is not merely an option; it is a requisite. It is the fundamental building block that ensures your digital fortress remains secure amidst continuous transformation. Truly, NHI management is the silent sentinel of your organization’s digital trajectory.

Remember the critical role played by NHIs in your cybersecurity strategy. Emphasizing on the holistic management of NHIs and their Secrets can significantly decrease security risks and could be the key differentiator between a successful digital transformation and a disastrous one.

Keep your organization’s digital transformation on track by investing in robust NHI management. Non-Human Identities may not be human, but they hold the key to the kingdom in our digital world. Are you prepared to secure them?

Delving Deeper into NHI Management

Knowing the value that NHIs hold in a corporate network, it becomes a necessity for us to detail the fundamental aspects of managing them. What makes NHIs management critical, and what advantages can businesses tap from it?

To begin with, NHIs perform with a complexity beyond what’s evident on the surface. They contain an expansive array of checkpoints – from SSH keys and API tokens to microservices and Kubernetes Secret. A professional dealing with NHIs must understand these factors to establish effective management.

Another crucial aspect is the rapid proliferation of NHIs. If businesses increasingly automate their operations, than the volume of NHIs multiplies. Each addition raises the complexity of management, demands more sophisticated security measures, and widens the potential attack surface for cyber adversaries. The mastery in the management of NHIs – their discovery, classification, and lifecycle tracking – becomes vital.

A Pathway Towards an Advanced Security Stance

Data suggests that unidentified or poorly managed NHIs can lead to severe security incidents. If your cyber security stance is to prevent vulnerability exploitation, then NHI management sits right at the core of it.

This especially rings true in the case of NHIs in the cloud. Cloud-based NHIs – automated systems, service accounts, IoT devices, bots, and API keys, among others – may present more prominent security risks. The complexities of their identities and behaviors in the cloud environment amplify the chances of exploitation if not appropriately managed.

Rising Cybersecurity demands for NHI Management

The very nature of cybersecurity demands evolves. The challenges stemming from broader regulatory requirements, the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, and the rising interdependencies within digital ecosystems highlight the growing importance of robust NHI management.

A recent study suggests that 86% of leaders in top organizations believe that neglecting NHI management could lead to a failure in their digital transformation initiatives. Surprisingly, only 60% of enterprises are actively integrating NHI management into their cybersecurity strategies.

In our previous posts on data security in financial services and best practices in IAC secrets security, we’ve already highlighted the challenges that professionals face while securing cloud environments and incorporating NHIs into their existing strategies (link to the first post, link to the second post).

A New Paradigm

NHI management introduces an innovative paradigm to cybersecurity. It places NHIs on the same pedestal as human identities, considering them as potential vulnerabilities if left unmanaged. Organizations that will approach NHI management with a proactive stance will navigate digital transformation more successfully and secure their critical data more robustly.

The Road Taken

We’ve discussed the various aspects of NHI management and its implications on a company’s digital transformation. We’ve also dived into the layers that define NHIs – from their secrets and roles to their place in your IT environment. Now, it’s time for execution.

Establishing a comprehensive strategy that ensures end-to-end NHI management is the next step forward. Fortify your systems, prepare your workforce, and muster the right tools to set the stage. Guarding your digital gateways with such an approach would pave the way for securing not just your current operations but also your expanding future endeavors.

NHI management is no more an add-on to your cybersecurity strategy; it’s a cornerstone. The call to manage and secure NHIs becomes louder. Are you ready to tackle the challenges that come with this shift? Are you equipped to turn these challenges into opportunities?

To know more about the intricacies of NHI management and the role it plays, follow this post in the series.

The post How can I align NHI management with our digital transformation initiatives? appeared first on Entro.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Entro authored by Amy Cohn. Read the original post at: https://entro.security/how-can-i-align-nhi-management-with-our-digital-transformation-initiatives/