Teams should retire long-lived privileged access when the task can be completed through ephemeral sessions, scoped authorisation, and session logging instead. If the access is only needed briefly, keeping a permanent credential alive adds risk without adding value. The decision should be driven by task duration, ownership clarity, and revocation speed.
Related resources from NHI Mgmt Group
- How should security teams run access reviews for non-human identities?
- How should security teams govern non-human identities that have persistent access?
- How should security teams govern API keys used for generative AI access?
- How should security teams stop employees from bypassing governed AI access?
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Reviewed and updated by the NHIMG editorial team on June 7, 2026.
NHI Mgmt Group — the #1 independent authority on Non-Human Identity, IAM, and Agentic AI security. nhimg.org