Why Non-Human Identities Are the New Attack Surface You Can’t Ignore

Read full article here: https://saviynt.com/blog/non-human-identity-security-with-identity-security-posture-management/?utm_source=nhimg

The frontline of enterprise security has shifted — from user logins to the automation layer that runs silently beneath. At the 2025 UNLOCK Roadshow, Saviynt introduced its latest innovation: Identity Security Posture Management for Non-Human Identities (ISPM for NHI), now generally available as part of the Saviynt Identity Cloud. This AI-driven solution delivers continuous discovery, contextual risk insights, and automated remediation for every non-human identity — from service accounts and API keys to bots and application credentials.

The Expanding Frontier of Risk

Non-Human Identities (NHIs) have quietly become one of the largest, least-visible attack surfaces in modern enterprises. These identities power automation, manage workloads, and connect systems — often holding elevated privileges without consistent governance. According to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, stolen credentials remain the top attack vector, driving 38% of all breaches. With nearly 70% of organizations expressing concern about their exposure to NHIs, it’s clear that this risk has evolved beyond human access alone.

As AI and automation accelerate, NHIs are multiplying across cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and legacy systems — faster than security teams can track. Traditional IAM and PAM tools were never designed for this scale or velocity, leaving critical blind spots where over-privileged credentials and unmonitored service accounts can become easy entry points for attackers.

Identity Governance, Reinvented for Machines

Saviynt’s ISPM for NHI brings order to this hidden layer of identity risk by extending the principles of Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) into the non-human domain. The approach is simple but powerful: treat every NHI as a governed identity — tied to a human owner, a business purpose, and an enforceable policy. By integrating IGA heritage with modern AI-driven analytics, Saviynt delivers the speed, intelligence, and visibility needed to secure automation at enterprise scale.

How ISPM for NHI Secures the Hidden Layer of Access

1. Unified Visibility — A Single Source of Truth
ISPM for NHI continuously discovers every non-human identity across cloud, on-prem, and DevOps environments. Instead of fragmented spreadsheets or incomplete inventories, enterprises gain a real-time, unified view of all NHIs — including shadow accounts that have never been governed.
The result: complete visibility that reduces blind spots, identifies unmanaged identities, and immediately shrinks the potential attack surface.

2. Contextual Insight — Ownership, Access, and Usage
Visibility means little without context. ISPM for NHI enriches each discovered identity with its full access story — mapping privileges, tracking actual usage, and identifying who owns it.
The result: teams can make fast, informed decisions, safely deprovision stale or risky identities, and automate key rotations without disrupting critical processes.

3. Continuous Risk Assessment and Intelligent Remediation
Not every NHI is equally risky. Saviynt’s AI-driven engine continuously analyzes privilege levels, credential exposure, and usage anomalies to prioritize the highest-risk identities. Automated remediation playbooks then act in real time to reduce exposure.
The result: targeted risk reduction — security teams can focus on the few identities that present the greatest threat, rather than managing an overwhelming list of low-impact findings.

4. Accountable Ownership — Governance from Creation to Retirement
Every NHI is linked to a responsible human owner or business unit, establishing accountability and compliance throughout the lifecycle.
The result: stronger governance, lower audit overhead, and a measurable reduction in identity-related risk across the enterprise.

A Foundation for AI-Era Governance

The rise of AI and autonomous systems is expanding the scope and speed of non-human interactions. With ISPM for NHI, Saviynt ensures that governance keeps pace. Built on the same trusted foundation that secures human identities, ISPM extends those controls to every machine, bot, and process operating across your enterprise.

As identity becomes the new control plane for security, Saviynt’s ISPM for NHI helps organizations eliminate hidden risks, establish continuous compliance, and confidently scale automation. The message is clear: governance is not just for people anymore — it’s for every identity that touches your data.