All the Keys, Visualized: Governing 90+ Non-Human Identities

Many modern companies manage more machine identities, or non-human identities (NHIs), than human employees, which necessitates effective governance to ensure secure access and prevent breaches. The process begins with creating an access graph that categorizes over 90 types of NHIs to understand their permissions and ownership across various platforms like cloud services, SaaS, and CI/CD pipelines. Effective management includes classifying identities, assigning ownership, and establishing a framework for consistent permission and access review, which helps cut down standing privileges and address security incidents promptly. Machine identities often operate on secrets such as keys and credentials, which require regular oversight to prevent breaches, as seen in incidents like the Dropbox Sign event. Implementing Identity Visibility and Intelligence Platforms (IVIP) helps organizations maintain robust security by providing clear visibility, actionable intelligence, and automation to manage machine identities efficiently. A practical approach involves reviewing credentials, normalizing integration users, and managing incidents with a consistent protocol, ensuring risk reduction without compromising operational speed, as highlighted by case studies involving platforms like HashiCorp Vault.