Trust is at the core of security. Yet, when it comes to Non-Human Identities, such as service accounts, API keys, tokens, secrets and certificates - most security models assume trust rather than verify it. This oversight creates significant security risks, as NHIs often operate with excessive privileges, minimal oversight, and limited attribution.
At Clutch Security, we believe trust should never be implicit - it must be established, verified, and continuously assessed. This blog explores why trust is essential for NHI security and how organizations can implement a Zero-Trust approach that treats NHIs as first-class security citizens.
The principle of continuous verification is central to our approach and product strategy, ensuring enterprise security teams gain a more resilient, identity-first security model.
Read the previous blog in this series: Rotation Creates a False Sense of Security
The Challenge: NHIs Operate with Unchecked Access
Unlike human users, NHIs are rarely subject to the same scrutiny in authentication, authorization, and monitoring. This leads to three critical security challenges:
1. NHIs Can Be Used from Anywhere, Often Without Restriction
Many NHIs lack contextual restrictions on where they can be used, allowing credentials to be copied, shared, or even leaked without detection. Attackers who obtain an exposed API key or token can often use it from any network, any device, or any location without triggering alerts.
Example:
- A compromised CI/CD service account with unrestricted access could allow an attacker to move laterally across cloud environments undetected.
- An exposed API key for a SaaS platform could be used outside the expected geographic region, yet security teams might not detect the anomaly due to weak monitoring.
2. NHIs Often Lack Attribution, Making Abuse Hard to Detect
Security teams frequently struggle to determine who or what is actually using an NHI. This lack of visibility delays detection and response in the event of compromise.
Example:
- If an AWS IAM access key is used to access sensitive data, but there’s no clear mapping of which application or process made the request, security teams lose critical forensic insights.
3. NHIs Are Overprivileged by Default
Many NHIs are granted excessive, broad permissions simply because defining granular access is challenging and can introduce delays in operational efficiency and velocity. Over time, this leads to privilege creep - a major security risk.
Example:
- A service account originally created for read-only database access later gets write and delete privileges because it's easier than managing role-specific permissions.
Trust, But Verify: How to Apply Zero Trust to NHIs
Instead of assuming NHIs are inherently trustworthy, organizations must implement explicit trust verification mechanisms at every stage of an NHI’s lifecycle.
1. Enforce Context-Aware Access Controls
To prevent unauthorized use of NHIs, security teams must ensure NHIs can only be used under defined, trusted conditions.
- Apply IP and network restrictions: Restrict where NHIs can be used (e.g., ensuring an API key is only valid within a specific VPC).
- Use behavioral analysis: Establish NHI behavioral routines to enable the detection of anomalies and deviations, such as an API key being accessed from an unexpected country.
- Implement risk-based authentication: Require additional validation if an NHI is used under unusual conditions.
2. Transition to ephemeral NHIs when possible
Instead of relying on static secrets, organizations should adopt short-lived, ephemeral identities whenever possible. This approach dynamically mitigates risks by rendering compromised credentials useless within minutes.
- Adopt Workload Identity Federation: Replace long-lived API keys and service accounts with OIDC that issue short-lived credentials dynamically. Use The Federator, our open-source tool, to automate cloud federation setup.
- Shift to Ephemeral Identities: Whenever possible, replace static long-lived credentials - which remain valid until explicitly rotated or revoked - with time-bound credentials that expire after completing a specific task or within a set timeframe. Learn more in our NHI Index.
3. Implement Continuous Monitoring & Trust Validation
Trust is not a one-time decision - it must be continuously evaluated.
- Monitor NHI activity in real-time: Detect suspicious behavior, such as an NHI accessing resources it has never used before.
- Log and attribute all actions: Ensure every API call or service request is linked to a specific, identifiable NHI.
- Re-certify NHIs regularly: Automate periodic access reviews to validate whether NHIs still require their permissions and enforce least privilege policies to ensure they only retain the minimal necessary access.
The Bottom Line: Trust Must Be Earned, Not Assumed
Traditional security models fail NHIs because they assume trust instead of verifying it. Attackers exploit this flaw by leveraging exposed credentials, abusing overprivileged accounts, and operating without detection.
At Clutch Security, we believe trust should be dynamic, verifiable, and continuously enforced. Security teams must shift toward identity-aware security models that validate NHIs at every stage - from authentication to authorization and beyond.
Ready to implement a Zero-Trust model for NHIs? Let’s talk!
