Does your organization’s data management strategy consider non-human identities (NHIs) and secret security management? In the intricate dance of safeguarding data, ensuring the security of machine identities, or NHIs, and their corresponding secrets is pivotal. This practice remains an essential element of best cloud security practices and an effective way to ensure data safety.
Essentially, NHIs are distinctive identifiers, almost akin to passports, used in the cybersecurity realm. They are formed by merging an encrypted secret – a unique password, token, or key – and the permissions granted to that secret by a server, much like a visa tied to a passport. The management of NHIs implies securing not just these identities (the “tourist”) and their access credentials (the “passport”), but also monitoring their behaviours within the system.
Traditionally, organizations have relied on point solutions like secret scanners to secure NHIs. However, these only offer limited protection and fail to address all lifecycle stages. NHI management platforms, on the other hand, offer a more holistic approach. They provide insights into ownership, permissions, usage patterns and potential vulnerabilities, enabling context-aware security.
By ensuring data safety with these best cloud security practices, industries—from financial services to healthcare, and travel to DevOps—can benefit in several ways:
1. Reduced Risk: NHI management proactively identifies and mitigates potential security risks, significantly reducing the likelihood of breaches and data leaks.
2. Improved Compliance: Through policy enforcement and audit trails, organizations meet regulatory requirements more efficiently.
3. Increased Efficiency: Automating NHIs and secrets management allows security teams to prioritize high-level, strategic initiatives.
4. Enhanced Visibility and Control: NHI management provides a centralized view for access management and governance.
5. Cost Savings: By automating secrets rotation and NHIs decommissioning, operational costs are significantly reduced.
The management of NHIs and their secrets is no longer optional. It has become a critical feature for organizations aiming to secure their cloud environments and cut down potential security gaps. By incorporating NHI management into your cybersecurity strategy, you are not only bolstering your defense against security infringements but also ensuring your organization’s compliance with data security standards.
Here at our blog, you can learn more about the prioritization of NHI remediation in cloud environments, and how CISOs can best prepare for the future here.
To delve deeper into the importance of securing NHIs and ISO 27001 compliance, check out our post here.
The strategic importance of NHI management in ensuring data safety cannot be stressed enough. While it presents its challenges, the benefits and security it brings to an organization outweigh these considerations. By focusing on NHI management, organizations can secure a foothold in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. As we continue to navigate this ever-changing realm, understanding and employing best cloud security practices is crucial. So, we ask again – where does your cloud security stand?
Bear in mind that NHIs and secrets management is not a luxury, but a necessity. The convergence of data management and cybersecurity initiatives is redefining the rules of the game. Ignoring the importance of NHIs and their secrets can lead to significant security breaches and damage to an organization’s reputation.
Securing NHIs is a complex task, primarily due to the frequent changes in permissions and the high number of NHIs interacting in a network at any given moment. Moreover, malicious actors are continually evolving their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities in NHIs and their secrets. Therefore, robust, dynamic, and efficient management of NHIs is the only way forward.
To address these challenges, organizations need to extend the capabilities of their cloud security control measures with impactful NHI management practices. This requires continuous discovery, classification, protective monitoring, and threat detection of NHIs within an organization’s cloud infrastructure.
Secrets management is inseparable from effective NHI management. Security lapses often occur due to poorly managed secrets that are replicated across multiple platforms, leading to exposure of sensitive data. Hence, the management and protection of secrets— encrypted passwords, tokens, or keys— is an integral part of fortifying the security of NHIs.
By implementing advanced encryption methods and tokenization practices, organizations can significantly enhance their secrets security. In concert with effective NHI management, this can provide robust protection against unauthorized access and data breaches.
Research shows that a lack of systematic management of NHIs can lead to significant security lapses. A recent study revealed that almost 90% of data breaches were due to poor NHI and secrets management.
The ever-increasing interconnectivity offered by digital technologies and cloud solutions accentuates the importance of this aspect of cybersecurity. It is essential for organizations, regardless of their industry or size, to acknowledge the high stakes associated with neglecting NHI and Secrets Management.
As technologies continue to evolve, so too must the practices and strategies employed by cybersecurity professionals. NHI and Secrets Management is leading the charge in providing comprehensive and robust cloud security measures. By acknowledging the critical role of NHIs in safeguarding sensitive data, organizations can stay one step ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
With the expansion of cloud technology in various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and travel, the significance of NHIs management is projected to grow. Thereby, it is wise for organizations to integrate effective NHIs and Secrets Management strategies into their cybersecurity framework now.
As NHIs continue to play a pivotal role in digital transformation, understanding their management carries an immense value for businesses seeking to protect their sensitive data and systems. The journey to secure cloud environments begins with recognizing the importance of NHIs and Secrets Management.
For those ready to take their cybersecurity measures to the next level, explore our blog on secrets encryption on AWS. Also, don’t miss our detailed review on CSPM vs CNAAP debate in cybersecurity, to stay ahead in your digital security game.
It is always better to be proactive than reactive. By taking a stance now, you are protecting your organization’s assets for a secure future. The final question remains the same- where does your organization’s cloud security stand?
The post Ensure Your Data’s Safety: Best Practices in Cloud Security appeared first on Entro.
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Entro authored by Amy Cohn. Read the original post at: https://entro.security/ensure-your-datas-safety-best-practices-in-cloud-security/