Strengthening Zero Trust Architecture with MFA for Machine-to-Machine Communications

Read full article here: https://corsha.com/blog/mfa-m2m-zero-trust-architecture/?source=nhimg

Zero Trust and MFA are now staples of modern security but too often, MFA is only applied to humans. Machines, which already outnumber human accounts by billions, remain the unprotected backbone of enterprise communication. The MFA market is quickly gaining traction, as it’s expected to grow from $12.9 billion in 2022 to $26.7 billion by 2027 This massive growth makes securing M2M traffic a non-negotiable priority for any Zero Trust architecture.

Why M2M Communications Matter

M2M technology allows devices to independently exchange data and make decisions, whether in industrial automation or hybrid cloud deployments. The benefits are clear: reduced downtime, proactive maintenance, and faster innovation. But with that autonomy comes risk, attackers can exploit machine identities just as easily (if not more) than human credentials.

The Case for Machine MFA

Traditional MFA solves the human password problem, but machines still rely on static API keys and certificates, easy targets for attackers. Machine MFA extends the same security logic to non-person entities (NPEs). Every access attempt is verified, identities are continuously authenticated, and secrets are no longer a single point of failure.

According to NIST’s Zero Trust guidance, APIs and machine agents are often held to weaker authentication standards than human users — creating a critical gap in enterprise security. By applying MFA to machines, organizations can finally close this gap and achieve end-to-end Zero Trust.

How Corsha Enables Machine MFA

Corsha brings MFA into the M2M era by replacing static credentials with dynamic machine identities and single-use MFA credentials. Instead of trusting a machine once at session start, Corsha continuously validates identity with every API call. This ensures:

• Continuous Authentication - Every request is verified, not just initial logins.
• Dynamic Identity Rotation - Machine identities are short-lived, eliminating long-term exposure.
• Visibility & Control - A customer control plane tracks and governs all machine activity.

Bottom Line

By adopting machine MFA, enterprises gain the same assurance for M2M traffic that they already demand for human users. This shuts down credential-based attacks before they start and ensures that only trusted machines can access sensitive systems.

Corsha’s platform makes machine MFA practical, scalable, and central to your Zero Trust journey.