Snowflake Breach Exposes the Urgent Need for Non-Human IAM and Machine MFA

Read full article here: https://corsha.com/blog/snowflake-data-breach-heightens-the-call-for-non-human-iam-zero-trust-and-mfa-for-machines/?utm_source=nhimg

The Snowflake data breach, now recognized as the largest in history, exposed how a lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and machine identity governance can devastate even the most advanced data platforms. Exploiting stolen machine credentials, the threat group UNC5537 infiltrated customer environments and accessed data belonging to hundreds of organizations — revealing systemic weaknesses in how machine accounts are secured and authenticated.

At the core of the incident lies an uncomfortable truth: passwords and static secrets are not enough — not for humans, and especially not for machines. The breach underscores the urgent need for Zero Trust architectures, continuous identity verification, and automated lifecycle management of credentials across all systems.

Key Lessons from the Snowflake Breach

• Zero Trust is Non-Negotiable - Relying on network or perimeter-based trust allowed attackers to move laterally once inside. Continuous verification of every connection — human or machine — must become the baseline.

• MFA for Machines is the Missing Layer - Attackers authenticated successfully because Snowflake accounts lacked MFA enforcement. Machine-to-machine communications, like human sessions, must require multi-factor, short-lived credentials to prevent credential replay or theft.

• Static Secrets are a Liability - Many of the stolen credentials were years old and still valid. Automated rotation and revocation are essential to eliminating these silent risks.

• Machine Identity and Access Management (MIAM) is the Future - Non-human identities — APIs, containers, and workloads — are now the largest and least defended attack surface. A structured machine IAM strategy ensures every digital entity is verified, authorized, and continuously monitored.

Why Corsha’s Approach Stands Out

Corsha, an Identity Provider for Machines, is pioneering the next evolution of machine identity security. Its platform replaces static API keys and tokens with dynamic, one-time-use MFA credentials, guaranteeing that only trusted machines can connect, communicate, and automate. Through per-session authentication and automated key rotation, Corsha delivers the Zero Trust foundation needed to secure machine-to-machine traffic across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

The Path Forward

The Snowflake breach should serve as a catalyst for every enterprise to reexamine its identity and access management (IAM) posture. Organizations must:

1. Enforce Zero Trust for all workloads and data access.
2. Mandate MFA for every identity — human and non-human alike.
3. Adopt machine IAM platforms like Corsha to eliminate static secrets.
4. Automate secret rotation, revocation, and lifecycle management.
5. Conduct continuous security audits and employee awareness training.

This event is a turning point in cybersecurity. As the digital ecosystem becomes increasingly automated, the ability to authenticate and protect non-human identities will define enterprise resilience. Corsha’s machine-centric IAM approach provides the blueprint for the Zero Trust future — where every connection, every workload, and every machine must earn trust, every time.