Report highlights automation, NHI security risks

HackRead reports that automation in systems and the adoption of non-human identities in enterprises were noted by Keeper Security researchers to be contributing to a worrying trend that excessive privileges are granted to tools without proper human involvement.

In a report shared during the RSA Conference, Keeper Security researchers highlighted that despite the increased use of NHIs, such as artificial intelligence-powered tools, service accounts, and API keys in system-to-system interactions, many organizations have no standard guidelines in managing the tools' access. Findings showed that over 40% of experts surveyed said their company suffered a machine credential- or NHI-related security incident in the past year, and only 26% of the respondents reported supervising the machines using automated detection and response.

Moreover, out of the 28% professionals who disclosed observing every NHI in their SaaS, cloud, and office environments, only 53% view the "lack of visibility into AI, automation, and machine access" as a primary security concern. Keeper Security CEO Darren Guccione said the findings call for a cohesive strategy where a software solution combines secrets control and password management for data security.