Challenges of Rotating Non-Human Identities

Password Cycling or Rotation for Non-Human / Machine Identities presents unique challenges that are different from those faced by human users. Here are the main difficulties associated with managing password changes for these types of identities:

1. Complexity of Automation

1.1 Complex Dependency Chains: Non-Human Identities often have complex interdependencies. Changing a password or key for one service might require coordinated changes across multiple interconnected systems and services, which can be challenging to automate seamlessly. Understanding these dependencies including credentials shared across applications can be very challenging to discover.

1.2 Downtime and Synchronization: Ensuring that all components of a system are updated simultaneously to avoid downtime is difficult. Any delay in updating passwords/tokens across systems can lead to service disruptions. This is particularly a challenge if credentials

2. Risk of Service Outages

2.1 Hard-Coded Credentials: In some cases, credentials are hard-coded into scripts, configuration files, or applications. Changing these credentials requires updating the code or configurations, which can be error-prone and might necessitate redeploying services. If a specific dependency is missed

2.2 Lack of Automation: Many legacy systems and applications lack robust automation for password rotation, making manual intervention necessary. This manual process is slow, error-prone, and increases the risk of human errors causing outages.

3. Credential Distribution

3.1 Secure Transmission: Distributing new passwords or keys to all relevant systems securely is challenging. Ensuring that credentials are not exposed during the update process requires sophisticated encryption and secure transmission mechanisms.

3.2 Synchronization Across Environments: Non-Human Identities often span multiple environments (development, staging, production). Ensuring that credential changes are propagated correctly and securely across all these environments is complex.

4. High Frequency of Changes

4.1 Increased Complexity: Frequent password changes increase the complexity of managing and coordinating these changes, especially in environments with a large number of non-human identities.

4.2 Configuration Management: Maintaining up-to-date configurations across numerous services and applications is challenging. Frequent changes can lead to configuration drift, where different parts of the system have inconsistent configurations.

5. Security Risks

5.1 Exposure During Update: During the process of updating and distributing new credentials, there is a risk of exposure. If not managed properly, this can lead to credentials being intercepted and compromised.

5.2 Temporary Weaknesses: The transition period when a new password is set but not yet fully propagated can create temporary security weaknesses, as old and new credentials may both be valid for a short time.

6. Tooling and Infrastructure Limitations

6.1 Lack of Integrated Solutions: Many existing tools and platforms do not fully support automated credential rotation for non-human identities, requiring custom solutions that can be difficult to implement and maintain.

6.2 Diverse Environments: Non-Human Identities often operate across diverse environments and platforms, each with its own security policies and mechanisms. Integrating these disparate systems into a unified password rotation policy can be highly complex.

Alternatives and Best Practices

1. Automated Secrets Management: Use tools like HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or Azure Key Vault that provide automated secrets management, including secure storage, access control, and automated rotation of credentials.

2. Certificate-Based Authentication: Replace passwords with certificates for machine-to-machine authentication. Certificates can be managed and rotated more securely and efficiently.

3. Token-Based Systems: Implement short-lived tokens (such as OAuth tokens) instead of long-lived credentials. Tokens can be generated dynamically and are easier to manage and rotate.

4. Zero Trust Architecture: Adopt a zero trust security model that continuously verifies the identity of machines and their permissions, reducing reliance on static credentials.

Conclusion

Password cycling for Non-Human / Machine Identities is fraught with challenges due to the complexity of automated systems, the risk of service outages, and the difficulties in securely distributing and synchronizing credentials. By adopting advanced tools and methodologies, such as automated secrets management, certificate-based authentication, and token-based systems, or a zero-trust architecture, organizations can improve the security and manageability of non-human identities while minimizing the risks and operational burdens associated with password rotation.