What are the key security controls for NHIs at the executive level? – Source: securityboulevard.com

Why Should CISOs Consider Non-Human Identities Security Controls?

Did you know NHIs represent a significant portion of all entities in a typical network environment? A lack of robust Non-Human Identities (NHIs) security controls can pose significant threats to data integrity and system security in any organization.

You must be wondering – What are the key security controls for NHIs at the executive level?

Understanding Non-Human Identities (NHIs)

Non-Human Identities are machine identities that play a crucial role in cybersecurity. These identities are created by combining a “Secret” – an encrypted password, token, or key, and permissions granted to that Secret by the destination server.

These NHIs access sensitive data, perform processes, and interact with other machine identities within the system. Hence, securing both NHIs and their access credentials is paramount.

The Strategic Importance of NHI Management

Managing NHIs and their secrets involve a holistic approach to cybersecurity. Unlike limited protective measures such as secret scanners, NHI management addresses all lifecycle stages – from discovery to classification, threat detection, and remediation.

Key benefits include:

– Reduced Risk: NHI management proactively identifies and mitigates potential security risks.
– Improved Compliance: Helps meet regulatory requirements through policy enforcement and audit trails.
– Increased Efficiency: Automates NHIs and secrets management, allowing security teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
– Enhanced Visibility and Control: Provides a centralized view for access management and governance.
– Cost Savings: Automates secrets rotation and NHIs decommissioning, reducing operational costs.

Taking an example from the financial sector – NHIs are widely used in automated trading systems. Implementing effective Non-Human Identities security controls can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized transactions, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the financial ecosystem.

Key Security Controls for NHIs at the Executive Level

One may ask, what are the quintessential Non-Human Identities security controls for CISOs and cybersecurity professionals to consider?

1. Lifecycle Management: Just like human identities, NHIs should undergo a lifecycle process beginning from creation to disablement or decommissioning. Regularly reviewing and updating the lifecycle process helps maintain a secure system environment.

2. Robust Access Controls: Strict access controls should be implemented across all NHIs. These access controls should be based on the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which means granting only the minimum necessary permissions.

3. Continuous Monitoring: Real-time monitoring and auditing of NHIs’ behavior in the system can help identify any abnormal patterns that may indicate a potential security breach or data leak.

4. Regular Patching and Updates: To maintain the security of NHIs, regular patching and software updates are essential. This will help secure any vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited.

5. Incident Response Plan: Having a well-defined incident response plan can ensure a quick and effective response to any potential security incidents involving NHIs.

One excellent resource that provides in-depth understanding of Non-Human Identities is bredemarket’s exploration of the five identity factors that apply to NHIs. For more insights into the future of cybersecurity, you might find the Cybersecurity Predictions 2025 blog post an interesting read.

No doubt, NHIs and Secrets security management is a complex yet necessary aspect of modern cybersecurity practices. Effective management of NHIs can significantly reduce risk, improve compliance and increase operational efficiency. This necessitates the need for CISOs and cybersecurity professionals to consider key Non-Human Identities security controls as part of their organizational cybersecurity strategy.

The Challenges and Ways Forward

Like any other technology or security tool, management of NHIs also comes with its set of challenges. Alongside recognizing the importance of NHI, understanding these challenges becomes an essential aspect of architecting a robust cybersecurity protocol.

Data Complexity

With the shear volume of machine entities in the system, data complexity becomes a major concern. Each NHI has its set of permissions, lifecycles, and behaviors that need monitoring. The sheer volume of NHIs can create a significant visibility problem, making it easier for unauthorized entities to go unnoticed.

Holistic Approach

Another challenge involves understanding and promoting the needs for a holistic approach to NHI management. Instead of relying on point-solutions that focus on singular aspects, organizations should strive for a well-rounded approach covering all stages. This involves addressing NHI management from the perspectives of discovery, classification, threat detection, and remediation.

Need for Automation

To mitigate these challenges, organizations need to adopt an all-encompassing approach that focuses on automating NHIs management as much as possible. Automation can help ensure continuous monitoring, providing more robust visibility and rigorous response mechanisms. Furthermore, it can help streamline operational workflows, reducing manual overhead, and mitigating human-error-related vulnerabilities.

Regulatory Compliance

An overlooked aspect often is the need to align NHI management with regulatory compliance rules. The nature of NHIs’ interaction with critical systems and sensitive data means that they are subject to various regulatory statutes. Therefore, organizations should implement management practices that ensure compliance and avoid punitive consequences.

By now, you must have a better understanding of the importance of managing Non-Human Identities. It is equally important to understand the challenges and ways to overcome them using a robust and holistic approach.

Here are some key takeaways:

1. NHIs are a significant part of all entities in a typical network environment.
2. Effective NHI management can reduce security risks, enhance compliance, increase operational efficiency, and lead to cost savings.
3. As NHIs are prolific in automated systems such as finance, robust security control is critical to safeguarding integrity.
4. Implementing lifecycle management, robust access controls, continuous monitoring, regular patching and updates, and a solid incident response plan are vital security controls.
5. Automation of management services will be pivotal in the future to deal with the data complexity and the need for continuous monitoring.

The Road to Preparedness

While Non-Human Identities present a unique set of challenges, these challenges are not insurmountable. With the right strategy, executive support, and commitment to continuous improvement, your organization can effectively manage these identities, minimize risk, and optimize efficiency.

For in-depth insights into additional security risks and solutions for automated systems, we highly recommend reading the blog post “Salesforce Access Security: Risks and Solutions”. Learning from other sectors and their experiences implementing security controls can provide valuable context and understanding.

It’s about staying ahead of the threats. Security is a never-ending task and the only way to stay a step ahead is through continuous learning and adaptation. And, in the realm of cybersecurity, understanding and managing NHIs are pivotal steps towards a more secure future. Indeed, for CISOs and executives dedicated to risk mitigation, making Non-Human Identities and their security control a part of the regular workflow is no longer an option – it’s a necessity.

Join us in the next segment as we delve deeper into methods for preventing unauthorized access, implementing strong encryption techniques and building empowered teams.

The post What are the key security controls for NHIs at the executive level? 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/what-are-the-key-security-controls-for-nhis-at-the-executive-level/