By Tim Youngblood, CISO in Residence, Astrix Security

"Non-Human Identities" (NHIs) have emerged as not just a new industry term, but as an integral part to any modern IT ecosystem. The Cloud Security Alliance's 2024 State of Non-Human Identity Security report reveals that one in five organizations have experienced a security incident related to non-human identities; and only 15% remain confident in their ability to secure them. As organizations continue to create NHIs, like APIs, service accounts, secrets, and AI agents, their proliferation grows, along with the risks associated with managing and securing them.

Here are five key predictions for the future of NHI security and what organizations need to prepare for in 2025 and beyond:

1. NHI Compliance Recognition by Auditors and Regulators

Regulators and external auditors are increasingly scrutinizing how organizations manage NHIs, particularly in highly regulated sectors like finance and healthcare. Compliance frameworks such as PCI DSS 4.0 and SOC 2 are evolving to incorporate stricter controls for NHI authentication and access management. For example, PCI DSS 4.0 emphasizes enhanced security protocols for machine identities to mitigate fraud and data breaches. Similarly, SOC 2 now includes a stronger focus on securing APIs and service accounts, recognizing their pivotal role in safeguarding sensitive data. Organizations that proactively implement robust NHI controls will not only strengthen their security posture and further protect themselves from potential infringement on the law, but also gain a competitive edge by demonstrating compliance readiness.

2. SaaS and Cloud Providers Will Phase Out Legacy NHIs

The era of static API keys and other outdated NHI mechanisms is coming to an end. Major cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google are leading the charge to phase out legacy solutions in favor of more secure alternatives. This shift mirrors the deprecation of app-specific passwords (ASPs), which were retired due to their inherent vulnerabilities. By adopting modern, time-limited credentials, organizations can reduce the attack surface associated with NHIs, while cloud providers set new industry standards for identity security. Enterprises must prepare for this transition by auditing their existing NHI strategies and embracing more dynamic authentication solutions.

3. AI Agents Will Exacerbate NHI Security Challenges

AI-driven automation is set to unleash an explosion of machine-to-machine interactions, each requiring unique credentials. Further validated by Google just launching Agentspace to combine AI agents and enterprise search - from chatbots to robotic process automation (RPA), these AI agents will exponentially increase the number of NHIs organizations have to manage. This surge will strain traditional identity management solutions, potentially exposing organizations to credential sprawl and security incidents. To address this, businesses must invest in scalable identity and access management (IAM) tools that can handle the complexity and volume of AI-driven interactions. Automation and machine learning capabilities will be essential to detect and respond to anomalies in NHI behavior, reducing the risk of compromise.

4. Limited Adoption of Passwordless Solutions

While passwordless authentication is widely recognized as a best practice, its adoption for NHIs faces significant hurdles. Implementing passwordless solutions like FIDO2 keys, biometrics, or cryptographic certificates requires substantial infrastructure investment and seamless integration across diverse systems. For many organizations, the costs and technical challenges outweigh the benefits, leaving them reliant on traditional credentials for NHIs. As a result, cybercriminals continue to exploit this vulnerability. To bridge the gap, organizations should focus on incremental improvements, such as implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for NHIs, while building a roadmap for broader adoption of passwordless technologies.

5. NHIs Will Become Integral to Zero Trust Frameworks

The principle of Zero Trust-"never trust, always verify"-is expanding to encompass NHIs. Just as human identities are authenticated and authorized based on least privilege, machine identities are now being treated with the same level of rigor. Microsoft, for instance, highlights  identities as a cornerstone of its Zero Trust security model, emphasizing their role in providing granular and flexible access controls. By integrating NHIs into Zero Trust architectures, organizations can enforce consistent security policies across their IT ecosystems and minimize lateral movement by malicious actors. This shift underscores the need for organizations to rethink their identity strategies and ensure that NHIs are first-class citizens in their security frameworks.

Preparing for the Future of NHI Security

This rapid growth of NHIs presents both opportunities as well as challenges for organizations. At a minimum, in order for businesses to stay ahead, they must:

• Proactively address compliance requirements: Monitor evolving audit and regulatory standards to ensure readiness.
• Adopt modern authentication methods: Transition away from legacy credentials to ephemeral and secure solutions.
• Invest in scalable IAM tools: Enable efficient management of the growing number of NHIs, particularly in AI-driven environments.
• Build a roadmap for passwordless adoption: Lay the groundwork for future implementation while addressing current security gaps.
• Embed NHIs into Zero Trust strategies: Treat NHIs with the same rigor as human identities to achieve comprehensive security.
  

The future of NHI security lies in how well organizations can adapt to the complexities of this growing threat vector. Those that act decisively and strategically will not only mitigate risks but also unlock new efficiencies and innovations for their organization, putting them into position to thrive in 2025.

##

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy Youngblood is the CISO in Residence at Astrix Security, the leading force in non-human identity security. Timothy is a powerhouse, driving the security strategy for some of the world’s biggest brands like McDonald’s, and most recently he steered T-Mobile’s cybersecurity organization. He has established the CISO role for two major industry brands being the first global CISO for Dell, Inc and Kimberly Clark Corporation.  Timothy aligned the security strategy to business objectives and continuously reported progress to the Board of Directors.  He has also worked in leadership roles at KPMG LLP, providing advisory services to industry-leading companies. He most recently sat on the public board for Sumo Logic, Inc. and helped manage the successful acquisition of Sumo Logic to Francisco Partners investment firm.