Identity and Access Management for Cloud Solutions

While organizations have made significant strides in human identity governance, most remain woefully unprepared for the explosion of non-human identities (#NHIs) in their environments. Consider these sobering realities: The average enterprise has 45x more machine identities than human identities • NHIs typically possess 3-5x more privileges than the average human user • 80% of companies cannot accurately inventory their service accounts, API keys, and automation credentials • Only 15% of organizations apply the same governance rigor to NHIs as they do to human identities The conventional IAM approach—designed for human-centric workflows—is fundamentally inadequate for the machine-scale challenge we now face. Here's what a modern NHI management strategy demands: --> Continuous discovery and classification mechanisms that can detect ephemeral identities in cloud and containerized environments --> Purpose-built lifecycle management that accounts for the distinct characteristics of service accounts, robot processes, API connections, and application identities --> Just-in-time access models for NHIs—not just humans—with automated elevation and de-elevation based on operational patterns --> Fine-grained entitlement management that can introspect machine-to-machine communication pathways and identify cross-service privilege escalation risks --> Automated remediation workflows designed specifically for machine identities, where human approval cycles create unacceptable latency --> Behavior-based anomaly detection calibrated to machine interaction patterns rather than human activity models The paradigm shift we need isn't incremental—it's fundamental. We must stop treating non-human identities as an afterthought or exception in our identity programs. Every access model, governance process, and security control must be re-evaluated with the understanding that most of your identities aren't human anymore. The organizations succeeding in this space are implementing: • Cloud-native discovery that continuously maps ephemeral NHIs • Credential vaulting with automatic rotation for service accounts and API keys • DevSecOps pipelines that embed security controls into CI/CD processes • Zero standing privileges for infrastructure automation tools • Identity-aware proxies for machine-to-machine communication The tools exist. The methodologies are proven. The only question is whether organizations will address this challenge before it becomes a crisis. Are your non-human identities managed with the same rigor as your human ones? What specific challenges have you encountered in building governance around non-human identities?

Non-human identities (NHIs) — think API keys, service accounts, automation credentials — are silently taking over: in many orgs, they now outnumber human credentials 50:1. With 46% of companies confirming, and another 26% suspecting, NHI compromise last year, the risk is real and escalating . These machine-based credentials are often over-provisioned, poorly tracked, and rarely audited. That makes them prime targets for attackers seeking undetected, long-lived access. To tackle this hidden threat: • Inventory & Rotate: Identify every non-human credential and enforce regular rotation. • Apply Least Privilege: Grant each NHI only the exact permissions it needs. • Monitor Usage: Log and analyze abnormal behavior around service accounts and API keys. • Automate Governance: Use CI/CD checks and IAM tools to enforce security policies. It’s time to step beyond standard identity controls — because when your machine creds are at risk, your entire stack is too. #IdentityManagement #DevSecOps #CloudSecurity #APIKeys #AutomationSecurity 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dGpNfyqk

Access is far too often managed statically. But we know that identities and resources in the cloud are constantly changing. So our access control needs to be dynamic and adjust our access policies as the changes occur. Not all access privileges are created equal. So why provision them the same way? Access privileges for low risk resources, which should still be monitored and audited, can probably remain as standing access. Always available for use. But as we start to go up the sensitivity ladder, we get to riskier resources that may have more of an impact on our business like if they contain PII, PHI, or are say a production environment. Depending on the context of the resource, identity, and even the situation like temporary access for a dev on duty to handle a bug in production, we can dynamically choose the right way to approve provisioning of our access privileges. Apono continuously discovers and assesses risk and usage contexts, and streamlines provisioning management with automated approvals for #JIT requests in the vast majority of cases. We can require human approvals for certain high risk. This approach speeds up devs and keeps #security in control with powerful, dynamic guardrails using Access Flows to create and enforce access policies that scale with your cloud. Let me know in the comments how your team thinks about staying nimble in the fast-paced challenge of access control in the cloud.

Application Onboarding into SailPoint IdentityIQ Application onboarding is a crucial process for integrating systems like Active Directory, SAP, AWS, and other enterprise applications into SailPoint IdentityIQ to enable robust identity governance and access control. What is Application Onboarding? It’s the process of connecting external applications (on-premises or cloud-based) to SailPoint, enabling automated user identity and access management across your enterprise systems. Key Steps in SailPoint Application Onboarding 1. Identify the Application Type Is it on-premises (e.g., legacy systems like Oracle DB, Active Directory) or cloud-based (e.g., AWS, Salesforce, Azure AD)? This helps determine the integration approach and connector type. 2. Leverage SailPoint Connectors Check for a pre-built connector (LDAP, JDBC, REST, SCIM, etc.). Configure connectors to enable data aggregation from the target application into SailPoint. 3. Attribute Mapping Map key user identity attributes (e.g., username, email, department) between SailPoint and the application for consistent identity data. 4. Enable Role-Based Access & Entitlements Design roles and entitlements aligned with business and IT functions. This helps in standardizing access control policies. 5. Implement Access Certifications Set up certification campaigns to regularly review and validate that users have only the access they truly need (least privilege model). Best Practices for Application Onboarding -Automate user data aggregation on a scheduled basis to ensure real-time accuracy. -Implement Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning for secure and dynamic access management. -Proactively monitor onboarding logs for anomalies or data inconsistencies to maintain clean identity data. Why does this matter? Effective application onboarding in SailPoint strengthens your organization's identity governance program, improves security posture, and simplifies compliance efforts. #IAM #SailPoint

In collaboration with AWS security experts Chad Lorenc and Mike LaRue we've completed an in-depth guide on enhancing identity security in the cloud. This guide serves as your roadmap for establishing or advancing your cloud identity framework, packed with insights and actionable strategies. Dive into: -The principle of Least Privilege and its application -Effective management of machine identities -Advanced IAM security controls, including SCPs and permission boundaries -Aligning risk reduction strategies with your business goals -Tackling the most significant cloud identity and access challenges Elevate your cloud identity security today. Access the full guide openly on our website: https://lnkd.in/eMtUKCaE

It's all too common for authorized users to leak private information. These users are often grouped based on company hierarchy (for example, "financial analysts" or "engineers"). But a user's access must extend beyond their position in the company to also capture dynamic, risk-based context. With this context, user access must change automatically when new information indicates increased (or decreased) risk. Cloud Dynamic User Groups (CDUGs) from Palo Alto Networks addresses this challenge by allowing businesses and organizations to create new groups directly in Cloud Identity Engine (CIE) based on many different data points. For example, if a user’s credentials are stolen, Microsoft Azure AD may assign them a high-risk score. That score is automatically sent to CIE, where the user's CDUG membership will be updated, allowing more restrictive policies to apply. Once the issue is resolved—let’s say the engineer changes their credentials—CIE will remove the user from the high-risk group, and their access will return to its normal state. The best part is, these policies automatically apply across any NGFW form factor, as well as Prisma SASE, ensuring global synchronization for any use case. Gerald M. has written a fantastic post on this topic - the link is in the comments.

The people we hire are arguably the most important decisions we make as leaders at a company. So, imagine if AI agents were employees, most orgs would fail their first-day onboarding: no badge, no role, no supervisor, no audit trail—and zero idea who asked them to act. That's what it's like. AI agents are graduating from copilots to autonomous actors—initiating decisions, triggering transactions, and interfacing directly with APIs. They're no longer just helping humans. They’re operating on our behalf, at scale, in real time. And identity was never built for this. Traditional IAM was designed for humans—long-lived users with passwords, roles, and group memberships. But AI agents don’t log in. They don’t carry a badge. They don’t wait for permission. Instead they: ▶ Operate autonomously ▶ Run across hybrid, multi-cloud environments ▶ Act on behalf of users or other services ▶ Spin up and down in seconds, often with zero human oversight So how do you secure something that’s everywhere, changing constantly, and making decisions without asking? Identity has to evolve. We need to authenticate agents at runtime using cryptographic proofs—think SPIFFE/SVID, mTLS, PKCE, and signed tokens. We need to enforce access control dynamically—not with static RBAC, but with scoped, task-aware, time-bound permissions. We need On-Behalf-Of (OBO) delegation that tracks who authorized what, when, and why. We need execution graphs, not just logs, to trace agent behavior across workflows. We need ephemeral, just-in-time credentials managed through CI/CD, not a helpdesk ticket. Because if you can't audit an agent’s decision chain, you don’t really know who’s running your systems. And here's the scale we’re talking about: Enterprises are projected to have 80x more AI agents than human users. Let that sink in. You’re not just managing identity for people anymore—you’re managing a fast-growing digital workforce that doesn’t sleep, doesn’t log in, and doesn’t wait for IT. The old identity stack can’t stretch this far. The future of identity is runtime-driven, agent-aware, and built for autonomy. We’re not just securing users anymore. We’re securing intelligent decisions—made by machines, on our behalf, at the edge of our networks. Join the movement towards a future-ready identity management system. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gi8Ujcnc #AgenticAI #AppFabric #IAM

Great chatting with Ofir Har-Chen, unpacking the Non-hyped identity oops Non Human Identity (NHI) space. NHI: A Critical, Long-Neglected Problem 1) Historical Neglect & Growing Risk: Non-human identities (NHI), like API keys, service accounts, and tokens, have existed since the days of Windows NT4 but were historically overlooked in security, with the focus on human identity solutions (SAML, Okta, Microsoft). Initially viewed as mundane, NHI have now become central to modern cyber breaches. 2) NHI as a Breach Catalyst: NHI are increasingly identified as the tipping point in high-profile breaches. Ofir emphasizes that nearly every major breach—such as CircleCI, Cloudflare, Cylance, and Okta—has involved compromised NHI, often through leaked service accounts or API keys. 3) Defining NHI: The industry lacks consistent terminology. Clutch settled on "Non-Human Identities" for clarity, contrasting with Gartner's "machine identities," which misleadingly imply devices. Clutch defines NHI as programmatic credentials like API keys, OAuth tokens, SSH keys, and service account certificates that authenticate systems, not humans. 4) Limitations of Traditional Secrets Management Vaults are Insufficient Alone: Tools like HashiCorp Vault help prevent "secret sprawl" but lack contextual awareness. They don’t track how or where secrets are used, leaving gaps in visibility. Secrets often proliferate across Active Directory, SaaS apps, codebases, CI/CD pipelines, and data warehouses, making comprehensive control difficult. 5) NHI as an Attack Vector Programmatic Identities Enable Attacks: Breaches often start with human access (e.g., phishing) and escalate using overprivileged service accounts or hardcoded secrets. These NHI are exploited for lateral movement, making them prime targets for attackers. Interconnected Ecosystem Challenges. Clutch Security’s Vision Holistic, Identity-Centric Approach: Clutch advocates for a comprehensive, real-time NHI management strategy across the entire tech stack: cloud, SaaS, on-prem, data warehouses, and pipelines. Their product pillars include: 1) Visibility & Inventory: Enterprise-wide discovery and inventory of all NHI. 2) Lifecycle Management: Ownership assignment, orphaned identity handling, and periodic re-certification. 3) Posture, Hygiene & Risk: Identifying and right-sizing overprivileged NHI to reduce risk. 4)Real-Time Response: Rapid detection and response to compromised NHI. 5) Zero Trust & Continuous Verification: Continuous, real-time validation ensures compromised service accounts are swiftly identified, empowering security teams with autonomous control. Agentic AI Increases NHI Risk: AI agents, whether enterprise-deployed (e.g., Vertex, Bedrock) or unauthorized “shadow AI,” accelerate development but heighten NHI risks. NHI are essential to granting AI agents operational access, transforming them into potential security threats.