What Are Non-Human Identities and Why Do They Matter?

Non-human identities (NHIs)—such as service accounts, application accounts, and machine identities—have become integral to organizational operations. According to Entro Security’s 2025 State of Non-Human Identities and Secrets in Cybersecurity report, 92% of organizations are exposing NHIs to third parties, also resulting in unauthorized access if third-party security practices are not aligned with organizational standards.

This proliferation underscores the complexity of identity security posture management, as each NHI represents a potential access point that must be secured. Effectively managing these identities is crucial to maintaining strong security measures and protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access.

What are Non-Human Identities?

Non-human identities designate the digital credentials allocated to machines and applications rather than to people. They allow systems to interact and operate securely within organizations.

Organizations set up non-human identities to grant automated tools controlled access to essential resources. They play a key role in keeping tasks efficient and cutting unnecessary overhead:Platforms manage these identities to control access across multiple apps with strong security. IT teams rely on them to simplify oversight and reduce duplicate tasks.

Non-human identities contribute to smoother operations and lower management costs. They support steady system activity while cutting extra operating expenses.

Examples of Non-Human Identities

Non-human identities (NHIs) play a critical role in identity security by managing automated processes, controlling software interactions, and securing machine-to-machine communications. 

As organizations expand their digital infrastructure, the number of NHIs grows exponentially, creating new security challenges. Without proper governance, these identities can become vulnerable entry points for attackers, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Effective identity security posture management requires organizations to monitor, regulate, and secure NHIs just as rigorously as human identities.

Common types of non-human identities include:

• Service Accounts
• Application Accounts
• Machine Identities

By implementing strong security controls for these identities, organizations can enhance access governance, reduce operational risks, and strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture.

Service Accounts

Service accounts serve as digital identities for programs that conduct routine background tasks. They secure access to essential system functions while minimizing manual management and cutting operational costs:

• Automated authentication for applications
• Controlled access to system processes
• Simplified oversight for IT and security teams

IT and security professionals use service accounts to maintain consistent operations and manage digital credentials seamlessly. This approach supports efficient access control and helps reduce administrative burdens for employee lifecycle management.

Application Accounts

Application accounts represent digital identities assigned to software programs that require secure access to system resources. They enable IT and security teams to maintain streamlined identity governance while minimizing sprawl and reducing administrative overhead:

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These accounts ensure robust security for automated application interactions and maintain smooth operational continuity. IT professionals appreciate application accounts for reducing manual oversight and supporting efficient resource management.

Machine Identities

Machine identities serve as digital credentials for systems and applications, allowing them to interact securely within an organization. They help IT and security teams manage access across various platforms while maintaining clear identity governance.

These digital credentials reduce manual oversight and simplify identity management tasks, which is key for smooth system operations. IT professionals appreciate machine identities for supporting consistent employee lifecycle management and robust security controls.

Authentication Methods for Non-Human Identities

Securing non-human identities (NHIs) requires strong authentication methods to prevent unauthorized access and ensure seamless automation. 

Unlike human users who rely on passwords or multi-factor authentication, NHIs authenticate using machine-based credentials that, if not properly managed, can become security liabilities. Identity security posture management must include thorough authentication mechanisms to protect these accounts from exploitation, data breaches, and compliance risks.

Common authentication methods for non-human identities include:

• Secrets and Keys
• Certificates
• Tokens

By implementing secure authentication for NHIs, organizations can minimize attack surfaces, enhance access governance, and maintain a strong security posture across cloud and on-premise environments.

Secrets and Keys

Secrets and keys serve as private digital codes that verify non-human identities during automated interactions with critical systems. They give IT and security teams a clear way to confirm that only approved systems access necessary applications.

This method streamlines the process of validating automated credentials across the platform. IT professionals find that using secrets and keys reduces manual checks while keeping access securely managed.

Certificates

Certificates serve as a digital document that confirms the authenticity of non-human identities in protected systems. IT and security professionals use certificates to verify that automated tools, service accounts, and machine interactions are genuine and secure:

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Certificates simplify the work for IT leaders by ensuring that each automated interaction meets security standards without added manual checks. This method cuts down on repetitive verification tasks and strengthens the overall control of digital credentials across platforms.

Tokens

Tokens provide a safe method for validating non-human identities in automated systems. They use temporary digital credentials that allow IT professionals to verify system access with minimal manual work.

This simple approach supports employee lifecycle management and identity governance by ensuring automated operations run reliably. IT and security teams use tokens to manage system access and simplify the process of overseeing multiple applications.

Challenges in Managing Non-Human Identities

Managing non-human identities presents unique challenges that can weaken an organization’s identity security posture if left unaddressed. Unlike human users, NHIs operate across complex IT environments, often lacking clear ownership, governance, and proper security controls. 

Without effective identity security posture management, these identities can create vulnerabilities that lead to unauthorized access, compliance risks, and operational inefficiencies.

Key challenges in managing non-human identities include:

• Decentralization
• Ownership Ambiguities
• Scale and Proliferation
• Rate of Change
• Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Addressing these challenges requires organizations to implement strong identity governance frameworks, enforce least privilege access, and continuously monitor NHIs to reduce security risks.

Decentralization

Decentralization in managing non-human identities creates obstacles as digital credentials extend across multiple systems. IT and security teams often find that a lack of unified oversight leads to scattered access control, complicating identity governance.

A dispersed environment can result in unclear ownership and duplicated efforts in employee lifecycle management. This situation forces teams to handle fragmented credentials and oversight challenges efficiently:

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Ownership Ambiguities

Ownership ambiguities create issues in managing non-human identities. Without clear assignment, digital credentials often become scattered, making it harder for IT and security teams to keep access management organized:

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IT and security leaders observe that setting defined digital roles supports better identity governance and streamlines employee lifecycle management. Centralizing responsibility helps reduce redundant tasks and strengthens overall access controls.

Scale and Proliferation

The scale of automated credentials expands as organizations adopt new systems and applications, resulting in a surge of non-human identities that require careful oversight. This expansion creates challenges that strain identity governance efforts and boost administrative tasks:

• Growing number of service accounts and API credentials
• Risk of fragmented control and oversight difficulties
• Increased complexity in employee lifecycle management practices

IT and security leaders adjust their methods to manage this broad spread of digital credentials effectively. A unified platform for managing non-human identities supports consistent control and minimizes manual work in employee lifecycle management.

Rate of Change

The rapid pace of digital transformation means non-human identities must be updated quickly to keep pace with evolving systems. IT and security teams find that as platforms change, managing automated credentials demands constant attention to identity governance and employee lifecycle management.

Continuous updates require fast adjustments to security measures and access controls, testing the limits of current digital management strategies. IT professionals see that prompt oversight of these changes helps keep automated processes secure and minimizes disruptions in system operations.

Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication

Non-human identities without multi-factor authentication face risks that can undermine secure access and complicate digital credential management. IT and security professionals notice several issues when systems rely solely on single verification methods:

• Risk of unauthorized system entry
• Heightened chance of credential misuse
• Increased manual effort for verifying automated access

IT and security teams now add additional verification layers to secure these digital credentials and simplify overall oversight. They use centralized platforms that support clear identity governance and efficient employee lifecycle management across automated accounts.

Security Risks Associated with Non-Human Identities

Non-human identities introduce significant security risks that IT and security teams must actively manage to prevent data breaches, operational disruptions, and compliance violations. 

As organizations expand their use of cloud services, automation, and machine-to-machine communication, NHIs continue to grow in number and complexity. Without strong identity security posture management, these identities can become prime targets for attackers seeking to exploit weak access controls.

Key security risks associated with non-human identities include:

• Increased Attack Surface
• Unauthorized Access
• Compliance Issues

To mitigate these risks, organizations must implement centralized identity management, enforce least privilege access, and continuously audit NHI usage to detect and prevent security gaps.

Increased Attack Surface

Expanding the scope of digital credentials for non-human identities can open more avenues for unauthorized access. IT and security professionals notice that managing these identities across various systems creates a larger attack surface and raises the risk of weak points that attackers might target.

Using a unified management platform helps teams tighten oversight and lower potential vulnerabilities. This approach offers a straightforward way to improve identity governance and employee lifecycle management, addressing the challenges of scattered credential control while keeping operations secure.

Unauthorized Access

Non-human identities can let unauthorized access occur when digital credentials are not strictly monitored. IT and security professionals experience risks when automated systems use these credentials without clear oversight, undermining identity governance and complicating employee lifecycle management.

IT and security experts work to block these risks by keeping digital credentials under close watch via centralized management. They apply specific controls that reduce the chance of unwanted entry while supporting secure operations across multiple applications.

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Compliance Issues

Compliance issues with non-human identities often stem from the challenge of keeping track of digital credentials used across various systems. IT and security leaders note that weak oversight can create gaps in regulatory adherence, putting identity governance at risk. Clear policies and centralized control help ensure that automated processes follow internal rules.

Non-human identities demand steady monitoring to meet compliance requirements and simplify digital credential management. IT and security teams find that a unified platform cuts monitoring tasks and minimizes policy breaches, which aids smoother employee lifecycle management.

Best Practices for Non-Human Identity Management

Effective management of NHIs is essential for maintaining security, ensuring compliance, and reducing operational inefficiencies. As NHIs continue to proliferate across cloud environments, automation workflows, and machine-to-machine interactions, IT and security teams must implement strong governance practices to prevent unauthorized access and security breaches. Without structured oversight, NHIs can become a major vulnerability, leading to credential misuse and compliance failures.

Best practices for managing non-human identities include:

• Centralized Management
• Regular Auditing and Monitoring
• Implementing the Principle of Least Privilege
• Automation and Lifecycle Management

By integrating these best practices, organizations can enhance their identity security posture management and ensure that NHIs do not become weak points in their overall cybersecurity framework.

Centralized Management

Centralized management provides a unified view of non-human identities and boosts identity governance by consolidating digital credentials in one location. This approach simplifies employee lifecycle management and reduces repeated tasks, offering clarity and oversight:

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IT and security professionals benefit from a centralized management system that gives quick insight into automated operations. By unifying management practices, teams keep non-human identities secure and maintain clear oversight across systems.

Regular Auditing and Monitoring

Regular auditing of non-human identities helps IT teams verify that each digital credential complies with established access controls and policies. This practice supports robust identity governance and assists in keeping employee lifecycle management tasks efficient by identifying outdated or unnecessary credentials.

Constant monitoring of digital credentials allows IT and security professionals to detect unusual activities promptly and address them before issues escalate. This active tracking improves the overall security framework and reduces manual oversight while keeping automated operations reliable.

Implementing the Principle of Least Privilege

Implementing the principle of least privilege proves vital for ensuring non-human identities have only the necessary access needed for their functions. IT and security teams confirm that limiting permissions reduces security risks while easing digital credential management and supporting efficient employee lifecycle management.

This method permits stricter control over automated systems by restricting access rights to essential resources only. IT professionals find that a careful assignment of permissions simplifies identity governance and streamlines oversight across various applications.

Automation and Lifecycle Management

IT and security teams use automation to streamline updates for non-human identities, ensuring that digital credentials remain current while reducing manual work. This method supports efficient employee lifecycle management and improves overall identity governance.

Automation drives lifecycle management by scheduling routine reviews and credential updates, which helps maintain secure access control and simplifies oversight tasks:

• Scheduled updates for digital credentials
• Routine reviews to adjust access rights
• Timely removal of outdated identities

Future Trends in Non-Human Identity Security

The rise of AI and automation is transforming how organizations manage non-human identities, enhancing security while reducing administrative burdens. As NHIs continue to grow across cloud applications, DevOps environments, and machine-to-machine interactions, advanced technologies are helping streamline identity governance and mitigate risks. Without proper oversight, NHIs can contribute to identity sprawl, increasing the likelihood of security gaps and compliance challenges.

Key future trends in non-human identity security include:

• Growth with AI and Automation
• Enhanced Security Measures
• Integration with Identity Governance Frameworks

By adopting these advancements, IT and security teams can improve efficiency, enforce security best practices, and ensure NHIs remain properly managed within an organization's broader identity security posture management strategy.

Growth with AI and Automation

IT and security professionals note that artificial intelligence and automated processes are driving steady growth in managing digital credentials. These technologies coordinate routine updates and system verifications for non-human identities to simplify access control and employee lifecycle management:

Growth with AI and automated processes transforms routine credential updates into proactive security checks. IT teams experience fewer manual workloads and maintain clearer oversight, which helps them control access across multiple applications efficiently.

Enhanced Security Measures

Advanced security measures for non-human identities use improved verification protocols to secure automated access. IT and security professionals apply these protocols to streamline identity governance and reduce manual checks of digital credentials.

Automated monitoring systems now perform real-time checks on machine credentials to confirm safe operations across applications. This approach gives IT and security teams a clear overview of access management, cutting down the work needed for employee lifecycle management.

Integration with Identity Governance Frameworks

Integration with identity governance frameworks connects non-human identities with organizational policies in a unified manner. IT and security teams use these frameworks to centralize digital credential management and simplify employee lifecycle management, resulting in fewer errors and a more secure environment.

This integration streamlines processes for verifying and updating access rights across automated accounts. IT and security professionals find that a unified approach simplifies managing digital credentials, controls permissions effectively, and reduces administrative tasks, which in turn lowers the risk of security breaches.

Secure Non-Human Identities with Lumos

Non-human identities play a critical role in modern IT environments, enabling secure, automated interactions between applications, services, and devices. As organizations scale their cloud infrastructure and DevOps operations, the volume of non-human identities grows exponentially, making oversight increasingly complex. 

Without proper management, these identities can introduce security gaps, increase operational inefficiencies, and lead to compliance challenges. Implementing a robust identity governance strategy is essential for reducing risk and ensuring non-human identities remain properly controlled.

Lumos takes identity governance to the next level by offering an automated, end-to-end solution that secures both human and non-human identities throughout their entire lifecycle. Lumos Next-Gen IGA provides full visibility into access permissions, enforces least-privilege controls, and eliminates excessive entitlements—helping IT and security teams mitigate risks associated with identity sprawl and unauthorized access.

With Lumos, organizations can:

• Automate Lifecycle Management – Streamline the creation, rotation, and deprovisioning of non-human credentials.
• Enhance Security Posture – Detect and remediate misconfigurations, reducing the risk of identity-based threats.
• Ensure Compliance – Maintain continuous oversight with real-time auditing and policy enforcement.

As non-human identities continue to grow, organizations need scalable identity governance solutions to keep up. Lumos delivers the automation, security, and control required to manage non-human identities efficiently—reducing risk while improving operational agility.

Ready to take control of your identity security? Book a demo with Lumos today and see how automated identity governance can transform your organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines a non-human identity in modern identity management systems?

A non-human identity is an account designated for automated systems or applications rather than human users. It centralizes app access, secures permissions, and minimizes identity fatigue and permission sprawl across modern identity management systems.

Which devices and services are typical non-human identities?

Non-human identities include IoT devices, cloud services, application programming interfaces, and automated system accounts. They manage access within a unified identity platform that streamlines employee lifecycle management and identity governance while reducing sprawl and fatigue.

How are non-human identities authenticated securely across platforms?

Secure authentication for non-human identities occurs using cryptographic tokens and digital certificates. A unified identity system verifies credentials across platforms, strictly managing access to applications while reducing identity sprawl and fatigue, and ensuring solid security.

What risks arise when managing non-human identities?

Managing non-human identities may lead to risks such as misconfigured permissions, vulnerabilities in access control, and unintended exposure of systems. These issues can strain identity governance and employee lifecycle management, increasing the chances of oversight and security gaps.

Which practices ensure secure non-human identity governance?

Secure non-human identity governance is maintained through rigorous account controls, automated lifecycle management, and continuous monitoring via an autonomous identity platform that centralizes access to apps, preventing sprawl and reducing identity fatigue.