Non-human identity management (NHIM)

Non-human identity management (NHIM) is a specialized approach to managing and securing the identities of autonomous entities such as applications, APIs, service accounts, IoT devices, and bots within cloud environments. For cloud security engineers, NHIM is becoming increasingly critical as the number of non-human identities in cloud ecosystems often far exceeds human identities and can pose significant security risks if not properly managed.

NHIM solutions provide capabilities to create, manage, and monitor the lifecycle of non-human identities. This includes provisioning and deprovisioning of accounts, managing access rights, and enforcing the principle of least privilege. These platforms often integrate with existing identity and access management (IAM) systems but provide additional features tailored to the unique characteristics of non-human identities.

Key aspects of NHIM in cloud environments include automated credential rotation, just-in-time access provisioning, and continuous monitoring of non-human identity activities. For example, NHIM tools can automatically rotate API keys or service account credentials on a regular basis, reducing the risk of credential compromise. They can also provide real-time visibility into the actions performed by non-human identities, helping to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate a security breach. Additionally, NHIM solutions often offer features for managing machine-to-machine (M2M) authentication and authorization, which is crucial in microservices architectures common in cloud environments. By implementing robust NHIM practices, cloud security engineers can significantly reduce the attack surface associated with non-human identities, ensure compliance with security policies, and maintain the overall integrity of their cloud ecosystems.