What solutions support automated NHI lifecycle management? – Source: securityboulevard.com

Can Automated Non-Human Identities Lifecycle Management Lead to Better Cybersecurity?

The fast-paced digital necessitates the use of automated processes in many areas, including cybersecurity. One such process, Non-Human Identities (NHIs) lifecycle management, has been gaining traction in recent years. But can comprehensive, automated NHI lifecycle management really provide the cybersecurity edge organizations seek? Data-driven insights from the field suggest that it can, provided organizations employ the correct strategies and tools.

Demystifying Automated Non-Human Identities (NHI) Lifecycle Management

NHIs are machine identities that play a crucial role in maintaining the cybersecurity infrastructure of a business. A robust NHI lifecycle management system involves tracking and managing the entire journey of these NHIs – from creation, use, and modification to eventual decommissioning. Part of this process includes managing the encrypted keys or secrets that act as unique identifiers for these machine identities.

By automating this process, organizations can benefit from improved efficiency, enhanced visibility, and control, as well as significant cost savings. This is due to the automated system’s ability to reduce operational costs by automatically rotating secrets and decommissioning NHIs when they are no longer needed.

Benefits of Automated NHI Lifecycle Management

The primary advantage of automated NHI lifecycle management is the significant reduction in risk it provides. By identifying and mitigating security risks proactively, an automated system can help prevent potential breaches and data leaks. This is accomplished through policy enforcement and the creation of audit trails that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Automated NHI lifecycle management also enhances the efficiency of security teams. By taking over the routine tasks associated with managing NHIs and their secrets, these systems free up valuable time for security experts to focus on bigger, strategic initiatives.

Incorporating Automated NHI Lifecycle Management: A Strategic Move

While the benefits of automated NHI lifecycle management are certainly appealing, organizations should not rush to adopt these systems without careful consideration. Determining the appropriate tools and strategies for NHI lifecycle management requires a deep understanding of the company’s unique needs and challenges.

Organizations can explore third-party solutions that offer comprehensive infrastructure management. Such solutions help in efficiently managing NHIs, providing a centralized view for access management, governance, and allowing for context-aware security.

A Look at the Broader Landscape

The role of NHIs in cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important as more organizations move their operations to the cloud. Given the wide range of industries and departments that manage NHIs – including healthcare, finance, travel, DevOps, and SOC teams – it’s crucial to adopt an approach that addresses the unique needs of each section.

Predictions for the next few years indicate a growing trend towards automated NHI lifecycle management as organizations seek optimized, cost-effective methods to ensure data management and cybersecurity.

A Call to Action

The growing importance of NHIs  underscores the need for organizations to view automated NHI lifecycle management as a strategic necessity rather than a novelty. Developing robust strategies and choosing the right tools for NHI lifecycle management is a critical step towards securing an organization’s future. Indeed, data-based insights indicate that organizations that adopt this approach are poised for success.

Automated NHI lifecycle management is driving a dramatic shift in cybersecurity operations across industries. Yet, one might still question its necessity. The sheer scale of NHIs across an organization’s is almost impossible to handle manually. Plus, the velocity of change in the cloud environment only adds to the complexity. Given the continuous evolution, complication of interactions, and ephemeral nature of cloud resources, dealing with NHIs manually is not only cumbersome but also error-prone.

Every mistake or omission can lead to potential risks, breaches, and unauthorized access. Here is where automated NHI lifecycle management enters as a vital accomplice. Not only does automation bring speed and accuracy, but it also ensures comprehensive and consistent coverage over the entire NHIs.

Addressing the Disconnect with Automation

Despite being at the forefront of technological advancements, there’s an often-disregarded disconnect between security and R&D teams when dealing with NHIs. It’s not uncommon for the R&D teams to generate NHIs, use them in the cloud, and leave the security teams unaware, thereby creating uncontrolled access points prone to exploitation.

Deploying an automated Non-Human Identities lifecycle management services helps address this security gap. It facilitates seamless communication and co-ordination between the security and R&D teams. Substantial examples in the field exhibit organizations achieving a secure cloud environment while benefiting from the prowess of innovations.

The Role of Data Analytics

Data has the power to predict, prevent, and preclude potential threats. Automated NHI lifecycle management, coupled with data analytics, allows organizations to acquire actionable insights into NHIs’ usage patterns, their permissions, vulnerabilities, and fluctuations. These insights further enable organizations to establish proactive, data-driven security measures that go beyond mere compliance and breach prevention.

Prioritization of NHIs becomes streamlined and efficient, minimizing security risks. It is witnessed that companies employing a data-backed approach to managing their NHIs posture often experience an increased resilience against cyber threats.

A Future Ready Approach

While it is imperative to note that automated NHI lifecycle management is not an end solution to every cybersecurity challenge, undeniably, it marks a significant stride towards robust, vigilant, and advanced cybersecurity infrastructure. Organizations implementing mature NHI management practices are expected to be better prepared for the onward surge in digital transformation.

Organizations are not constrained by physical boundaries or limitations. Innovations are consistently pushing the envelope and converging the physical with the digital and data security becomes all the more paramount. A glitch or an oversight can result in damaging repercussions for an organization’s brand reputation, financials, customer trust, and longevity.

Choosing the Right Path

For organizations paving their path in digital transformation, adopting an automated NHI lifecycle management method offers strategic advantages. It is no longer about surviving but thriving and staying ahead of potential threats. This method helps you identify, classify, manage, and secure NHIs, thereby encouraging a comprehensive, data-driven approach to cybersecurity.

Drawing insights from a data-driven approach, we can safely infer that automated NHI lifecycle management is a strategic move that offers incredible benefits and future-proofs an organization against potential threats. It is arguably a prudent decision for organizations to secure a stronghold in cybersecurity, thereby promising a safer and secure future for their digital assets.

So, can automated NHI lifecycle management lead to better cybersecurity? Research and experience in the field indicate that it certainly can.

The post What solutions support automated NHI lifecycle management? 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-solutions-support-automated-nhi-lifecycle-management/