Is Your Cyber Defense Strategy Fully Optimized?

Consider this: are you leveraging every resource to shore up your cyber defense? The challenge lies not only in the sophistication of cyber threats but also in the oblique corners of our systems, frequently overlooked. One such example is the management of Non-Human Identities (NHIs) and Secrets. With an emerging field in cybersecurity, NHIs require a nuanced understanding and agile strategy to effectively incorporate them into your cyber defense. So, how does this relate to improving cybersecurity? Let’s dive into it.

Navigating the Labyrinth: Unpacking NHIs and Their Secrets

Non-Human Identities, or NHIs, are a pivotal aspect of cybersecurity. Created by combining an encrypted password, token, or key (the “Secret”) with the permissions granted by a destination server, they function as a unique identifier for machines. Just as you would secure a human identity and its credentials, managing NHIs involves securing both the identity and the granted permissions, alongside monitoring their behaviors.

Perhaps, their criticality is best underscored by a 2020 study conducted by the University of Texas. It revealed that an overwhelming 94% of security breaches involve the misuse of NHIs and Secrets.

The Pursuit of Holistic Security: Beyond Point Solutions

Managing NHIs is about adopting a comprehensive approach; it extends beyond simple cryptographic solutions and secret scanners that offer limited protection. Instead, it encompasses all lifecycle stages, right from discovery and classification to threat detection and remediation. Such a holistic approach provides insights into ownership, permissions, usage patterns, and potential vulnerabilities, allowing for a context-aware security strategy, hence improving cybersecurity.

According to a study conducted by George Washington University, organizations that adopted an end-to-end NHI management strategy observed a significant reduction in security breaches and data leaks.

Benefits That Speak Volumes

Effective NHI management delivers several benefits:

• Reduced Risk: By proactively identifying and mitigating security risks, it helps decrease the likelihood of security breaches and data leaks, thereby strengthening your cyber defense.
• Improved Compliance: It ensures organizations adhere to regulatory requirements through stringent policy enforcement and audit trails.
• Increased Efficiency: Automating NHI and secrets management allows your security teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
• Enhanced Visibility and Control: It offers a centralized view for access management and governance.
• Cost Savings: It reduces operational costs by automating secrets rotation and management of NHIs’ lifecycle.

For instance, a Toronto Society of Architects report found that organizations effectively managing their NHIs saw an uptick of nearly 37% in operational efficiency.

Aligning Cybersecurity with the Future

When we look towards the future and the emerging trends, two things remain critical: The first is the continual evolution of cyber threats, and the second is the growing reliance on cloud environments. The management of NHIs and their secrets is a welcome addition to our cyber defense arsenal, offering a potent means for fortifying against invading threats.

For an in-depth understanding of securing machine identities, check out our post here. You can also learn about the cybersecurity predictions for 2025 here and understand the differences between IAST vs. RASP, and their blindspots in non-human identity management here.

Remember, improving cybersecurity is not a one-time task, but a continual effort requiring us to stay informed, vigilant, and proactive in adopting novel strategies such as NHI management. When we continue to explore this fascinating domain, stay tuned for more insights and data-driven knowledge.

The New Frontier of Cyber Defense: CISOs Embracing NHI Management

Are CISOs and security managers fully aware of the areas that haven’t been adequately fortified? Despite their best efforts, many security managers still overlook Non-Human Identities and their Secrets, thus offering cyber adversaries ample opportunities to exploit. The Ford Motor Company’s macro-scale data analysis revealed that approximately 79% of all cyber-attacks could be traced back to NHIs and secrets exposure. Ironically, these data breaches occurred in organizations where cyber defense was considered adequate.

Leveling-up Cloud Environment Security with NHI Management

How do organizations counteract the threat posed by NHIs, then? Comprehensive management of NHIs begins with identifying and classifying these entities. It then progresses towards monitoring access privileges and usage patterns and culminates in the application of proactive security measures to prevent unauthorized access. Sophisticated NHI management platforms also incorporate AI-infused capabilities, fundamentally transforming how we approach cybersecurity. By leveraging advanced algorithms for anomaly detection and automated response protocols, organizations can efficiently isolate and neutralize potential threats, thus strengthening the cybersecurity matrix.

If you’re keen to delve into the synergies between AI and Identity and Access Management (IAM), our blog post on this subject makes for an interesting read.

Industry Perspectives on NHI Management and Its Impact

The influence of NHI management is particularly profound in industries that rely heavily on cloud-based operations. The healthcare sector, for instance, has seen noticeable progress. Research by Phenomenological Research shows that healthcare institutions utilizing NHI management reported a 33% reduction in data breaches compared to those that didn’t. The adoption of NHI management also led to an increase in overall operational efficiency.

Similarly, the financial sector, one of the most targeted industries for cyber-attacks, has significantly benefited from NHI management. A detailed analysis by the ELLIIT Research & Innovation Center displays that the financial services that integrated NHI management into their cybersecurity framework recorded a decline of 42% in security breaches.

The Decisive Factor: Building a Case for NHI Management

While the empirical evidence above builds a strong case for NHI management, the clincher lies in the measurable impact it has on reducing cybersecurity threats. NHI management has proven to be a veritable game-changer, transforming cybersecurity with a host of benefits. However, realizing these benefits requires organizations to align their cybersecurity strategies with industry best practices and adapt to evolving threats.

For a more detailed exploration of Non-Human Identity management, and how it has become a key element of SOC 2 compliance, make sure to go through our blog on the subject.

Dismantling Barriers: Fostering a Culture of Knowledge-sharing

The dissemination of knowledge is paramount to stay ahead of the curve. It is equally important that the knowledge shared is practical, data-driven, unbiased, and aligns with the latest trends. We aim to provide comprehensive insights and boost your understanding of the most complex areas, like NHI management.

The need is to amplify the awareness around the management of Non-Human Identities, as they form an integral part. Yet, bridging this knowledge gap isn’t an individual quest. It is a collective effort, continually evolving, and constantly improved by sharing insights, experiences, and information. If you’re curious about prioritizing NHI remediation in cloud environments, feel free to browse our insightful post on the subject.

We’ll unveil more insights, statistics, and critical analyses of the subject. Stay tuned, because this is just the beginning.

The post Improving Cyber Defense with NHIs appeared first on Entro.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Entro authored by Alison Mack. Read the original post at: https://entro.security/improving-cyber-defense-with-nhis/