Cloud platforms and AI-powered workflows are introducing a new category of users within enterprise environments.
These non-human identities (NHIs), such as bots, scripts, service accounts, and AI agents, now perform vital operational tasks but are often left out of identity security programs. They don’t follow traditional user lifecycle processes and rarely face the same restrictions placed on human accounts.
ConductorOne’s 2025 Future of Identity Security Report reveals that 51% of security professionals now rank the protection of NHIs on par with human identities. Still, most NHIs operate with static credentials, over-permissioned access, and little or no logging.
Their increasing role in infrastructure introduces overlooked entry points that attackers are already exploiting.
Why It Matters: The rise of NHIs means that large parts of infrastructure may be controlled by identities no one actively monitors. Without consistent access control or visibility, these accounts present long-term risks that are difficult to contain once compromised.
- Non-Human Identities Are Expanding Faster Than Policies Can Keep Up: These NHIs carry out essential work across enterprise environments. Many are created quickly, without formal registration in identity systems. Their access is rarely tied to specific roles or expiration dates, and often remains long after the task is complete. With their growing presence, these accounts frequently operate without clear ownership or regular review, leaving unmanaged access behind.
- Security Gaps Include Hardcoded Credentials and Untracked Access: Many NHIs are created without formal identity registration and granted access that isn’t linked to a defined role or timeline. These accounts often remain active long after their original purpose ends, with no ownership or scheduled review. Over time, they accumulate across environments, creating unmanaged access points that are easy to overlook. Without clear oversight, they blend into infrastructure and become difficult to track or revoke.
- Zero-Trust Models Can Limit NHI Risk: Applying zero-trust to NHIs starts with treating machine users as access risks. Their permissions should be narrowly defined and limited to the duration of a specific task. Static credentials are replaced with short-lived tokens that expire on their own, reducing long-term exposure. If a secret is compromised, it’s often already invalid, making it far less useful to an attacker.
- Automation Requires Secrets Management to Prevent Sprawl: Zero-trust for NHIs adds a necessary layer of control to environments where machine access is often taken for granted. Access is tied to specific tasks and automatically expires when no longer needed. This limits the window of opportunity for attackers and reduces the impact of stolen credentials. When paired with logging and policy enforcement, zero-trust helps ensure that machine users operate within clear boundaries that can be verified at any time.
- Privileged Access Tools Can Extend to Machine Users: Many NHIs operate with elevated privileges but remain outside the standard tools used to manage sensitive access. Without proper oversight, their credentials can be used without accountability, creating blind spots in environments that appear secure. Dedicated access management tools help bring machine users into view by tracking usage, enforcing limits, and responding to suspicious behavior. This makes it easier to catch misuse early and prevent credential exposure before it spreads.
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