Non-Human Identities: The Silent Security Risk in Your SaaS Stack

What if I were to tell you the largest security risk in your SaaS stack doesn't have an employee ID, email address, or even a name?

Non-human Identities outnumber human ones by 45:1 in cloud environments, according to CyberArk's report. These are your service accounts, automation scripts, bots, APIs, and integrations running behind the scenes in your SaaS stack, silently and persistently.

So the daily standup- Slack bots, the Microsoft Teams connectors that automate alerts, or the Google Meet API that syncs your calendars and meeting rooms. They're all non-human identities (NHIs), and all have some kind of access, presumably privileged, to your organization’s data.

But the issue is this: While we restrict and monitor human access with MFA, SSO, and role-based controls, NHIs tend to fly under the radar. And that makes them the hidden vulnerabilities in your SaaS setup.

Here in this blog, we will discuss what non-human identities are, why they have turned into a huge blind spot, and how you can begin to manage them like the security threats they really are.

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TL;DR 

• These include bots, APIs, service accounts, and integrations like Slack bots and Google Meet APIs, all with access to sensitive data, yet rarely monitored like human users.
• They operate silently across platforms like Microsoft 365, Slack, and Google Cloud, often with static credentials and over-permissioned access, making them easy targets for attackers.
• Unlike human identities, NHIs aren’t tied to specific users, making them hard to track or audit, especially during employee offboarding or system changes.
• Most NHIs are never reviewed, rotated, or decommissioned. Their persistent and overprivileged access often bypasses traditional IAM systems and security reviews.
• Start with full visibility, assign clear ownership, enforce least privilege, rotate credentials regularly, and automate monitoring to close these hidden security gaps.

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1. What Are Non-Human Identities?

Non-human identities (NHIs) refer to digital identities assigned to applications, services, or devices. Organizations utilize these identities to carry out automated operations between machines. While organizations provide NHIs with certain permissions, they frequently overlook the principle of least privilege (PoLP). This oversight can lead to potential security risks.

Non-human identities play a critical role in automation and system integration, but they often introduce significant security risks due to a lack of oversight. Here's why:

• Essential but risky: NHIs are used to connect systems, trigger workflows, and manage data between services.
• Lack of proper management: Unlike human identities, NHIs are rarely subject to structured onboarding, offboarding, or access reviews.
• High-value targets: These identities often have persistent, elevated permissions, making them attractive for attackers.
• Often forgotten once deployed: Once deployed, NHIs are frequently forgotten, even if the task or integration they supported is no longer active.

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For example, an integration between Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams can utilize a service account to automatically sync project documents into a common folder after a meeting. While this facilitates collaboration, the identity utilized frequently has read/write permissions to sensitive folders, and no one might be watching it.

It may come as a surprise to you that numerous SaaS environments continue to possess active tokens for integrations that were discontinued years ago. It’s like giving access and never checking if it’s still needed or being used the right way. 

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2. Common Types of NHIs in SaaS Stacks

Non-human identities aren’t just some ambiguous concept, these hidden vulnerabilities are changing the way we look at security. These are real and tangible components that are inside your daily SaaS operations, so it’s important to understand what kinds of NHIs exist that might be vulnerable to cyber breaches. 

A. API Keys 

API keys are perhaps the most widespread form of non-human identities that are employed on SaaS platforms. They act like digital passcodes, allowing different systems and applications to interact securely without human intervention. 

For instance, a Slack bot retrieving meeting calendars from Google Calendar utilizes an API key to authenticate the connection.

Most organizations handle API keys as "set and forget," leaving them embedded into codebases or stored in risky areas. Now, without proper controls, these keys become a silent vulnerability, making them more visible to cyber attackers.

a. Why They're Risky

• API keys can be embedded directly into applications or kept in plain text, which makes them available targets if a system is compromised.
• Exposed keys can then be used by attackers to access sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions.
• Most API keys do not expire by default, so an exposed key can be used indefinitely until it's manually revoked.

b. Key Risks Include

• Unauthorized access to platforms such as Google Meet, Slack, or internal company dashboards.
• Data theft or leaks if APIs are connected to sensitive SaaS databases or customer services.
• Unregulated automation that can delete or manipulate data within integrated systems.

B. Service Accounts

Service accounts are specialized non-human identities that enable applications, virtual machines, or automation scripts to carry out designated tasks within a system. Unlike user accounts, they are not connected to an individual but to a purpose or function. 

Service accounts can be found in platforms such as Microsoft 365, where they allow background services or bots to access calendar data. They are also used in Facebook ad automation, enabling scripts to optimize campaigns automatically without any human involvement. 

While their role is crucial for enhancing efficiency and automation, they often get ignored in security planning. 

a. Why They're Risky

• Service accounts usually carry elevated privileges, which makes them highly vulnerable targets for threats.
• They usually run in the background, so their activity is more difficult to monitor and to detect any unusual behaviour.
• In most organizations, service accounts are never rotated, audited, or decommissioned properly. 

b. Key Risks Include

• Access to platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Google Workspace by over-permissioned service accounts.
• Use of outdated credentials to bypass MFA and other cybersecurity practices.
• Inability to trace actions performed by service accounts, leading to blind spots in audit trails. 

C. Containers & Images

Containers, managed through platforms like Docker, have become essential for modern application development. They allow developers to package applications with all necessary dependencies, ensuring they run smoothly in various environments.

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Behind these containers are non-human identities, which automate tasks in production workflows, control deployments, and handle sensitive information. However, containers and their images are more than just technical jargon.

For example, Netflix relies on containerized microservices to enhance its content delivery, while Slack utilizes them for real-time messaging. If these processes aren't secured properly, they can create significant vulnerabilities for attackers.

a. Why They're Risky

• To save time, containers are often created quickly, leading to weak security configurations or hardcoded passwords.
• As we know, containers are temporary, making it difficult for most identity governance tools to effectively track or monitor them.
• Images may contain outdated libraries or vulnerabilities that can be exploited once they are deployed.

b. Key Risks Include

• Containers in Slack's deployment pipeline are accidentally exposing tokens that allow access to backend databases.
• Netflix containers are misconfigured with excessive permissions, allowing lateral movement across cloud services.
• Static secrets that are embedded in container images for Microsoft Teams integrations may go unrotated for months.

D. Cloud Services

SaaS applications today heavily depend on cloud services like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. These platforms provide infrastructure, platform, and software services that support efficient and scalable digital operations. In these settings, non-human identities are essential for automating tasks, managing configurations, and accessing services.

For instance, Google Meet utilizes backend automation for scheduling meetings, managing real-time streaming, and processing data. 

These functions are performed not by human users but by service principals, roles, and automated accounts. Similarly, Microsoft 365 and Slack also depend on non-human identities to maintain communication, synchronize directories, or execute automated reporting tasks.

a. Why They're Risky

• Cloud environments are complex and highly dynamic, making it difficult to track and manage all non-human identities effectively.
• These identities often receive extensive permissions to simplify development, but this convenience can compromise security.
• Additionally, without regular audits, orphaned identities (accounts or tokens that are no longer active) can persist indefinitely.

b. Key Risks Include

• Privileged identities can widen the impact of a security breach if they are compromised. 
• Orphaned identities can serve as hidden entry points for attackers. 
• Changes in configurations can result in security policies that are not uniform. 
• Lack of centralized oversight across multi-cloud environments.

E. DevOps Tools

DevOps tools like Microsoft Azure DevOps, GitHub integrations, and various automation features in Slack play a crucial role in accelerating the processes of development, deployment, and management of software. 

These tools rely on non-human identities like access tokens, service principals, and automation accounts to make changes to infrastructure, start deployment pipelines, and handle environment settings without needing any human help.

These identities are vital for fostering automation and flexibility in development workflows. However, if not properly secured, they can turn into security risks.

a. Why They're Risky

• DevOps tools are integrated into a variety of systems, including infrastructure, code repositories, and communication platforms like Slack. If one of these connections is compromised, it can affect multiple layers of the technology stack.
• Many of these identities can stay active for longer periods, and their credentials may be stored in plain text or shared across projects.

b. Key Risks Include

• Secrets hardcoded in scripts or configuration files can be easily exposed.
• Broad permissions may allow attackers to compromise critical systems
• Lack of clarity about which tool or script is using what access.
• Access tokens can be misused if they’re lost, leaked, or mismanaged

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3. What is the Difference Between Human and Non-Human Identities?

Unlike non-human identities, which are generated quickly through machine-to-machine interactions, human identities are formed by, as you might expect, actual people.

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A. Here is a distinction between the two : 

Non-human identities enable systems, applications, and services to operate independently without human involvement. They function continuously, managing workflows in the background, running tasks, and integrating platforms like MS Teams, Google Meet, or Slack with other tools.

However, the issue with NHIs is that they often have static credentials and are rarely monitored or removed once they have fulfilled their role. This leads to potential security gaps. 

Let's say a service account in Microsoft Azure retains high-level access even after the system it served was decommissioned. If there’s no oversight or adequate controls in place, these neglected accounts can pose significant security risks.

On the other hand, human identities are linked directly to individuals, such as employees, contractors, or partners. These users typically go through a structured onboarding process that includes clear policies on access controls, identity verification, and authentication measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA).

All these actions are documented, and if someone changes roles or leaves the organization, their access can be quickly adjusted or revoked using identity governance tools.

Human identities are easier to monitor and audit because there's always a responsible owner behind every action, making it simpler to enforce the principle of least privilege and respond to threats in real time.

B. Human Identities vs. Non-Human Identities

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4. Why NHIs Are a Security Blind Spot

Your organization may have implemented top-tier identity security measures, including Single Sign-On (SSO), mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and stringent Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies. 

However, what about non-human identities (NHIs)?  The real threat posed by NHIs lies not just in their existence but in their ability to bypass existing security measures with ease. 

Let us explore the reasons why NHIs often go undetected within SaaS environments:

A. Lack of Ownership 

In contrast to human users, NHIs are significantly less accountable. They are not linked to specific individuals or teams, making it exceedingly challenging to trace them during workflows or compliance audits.

• A service account used by a Slack bot that syncs updates from Jira might have been set up by someone in engineering, but no one officially manages it.
• When an employee offboards, HR may deactivate their Microsoft 365 credentials, but they often overlook the need to decommission the automated workflow established with Power Automate.
• Since no single user is tied to the identity, security teams can't enforce role-based reviews or apply standard offboarding rules.

This lack of accountability results in a disconnect between operational teams, which set up automation, and security teams, which manage access risks.

B. Invisibility in IAM Systems

Identity governance platforms are designed for human users. They integrate with systems like HRIS, directories such as Azure AD, and endpoint management tools, but Non-Human Identities (NHIs) often remain outside of this visibility.

• For instance, tokens from Google Meet recordings stored on Drive may not show up in standard IAM dashboards.
• When conducting access reviews for employees, it's common to overlook NHIs created by administrators in applications like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
• These identities don’t get flagged in standard compliance workflows because they’re not tied to onboarding or role changes.

Organizations cannot identify exposure points until a breach has occurred without a way to inventory and classify all NHIs in a single place.

C. Static Credentials and Over Privilege

Many organizations rely on static secrets, like API keys, OAuth tokens, or client secrets, that are manually created and never rotated. Moreover, these identities are often given excessive permissions to avoid integration issues.

• For example, a Slack integration that retrieves customer data from Salesforce might be granted full read/write access instead of limited access to just one dataset.
• Similarly, API keys in a Microsoft Azure Logic App might have unrestricted access to a database.
• Static credentials are rarely stored securely and are often shared in plaintext through emails, stored in Google Sheets, or within embedded data.

a. Key risks include:

• Reusing passwords across different environments (development, staging, production)
• Lack of expiration or automatic rotation.
• Over-privileged access that bypasses least-privileged policies.

D. Persistent Access Without Review

The lifecycle of a non-human identity (NHI) differs significantly from that of a regular employee. Once created, NHIs often remain active long after the task is completed, especially in environments where SaaS usage is decentralized.

• For instance, a Google Meet bot was integrated to auto-transcribe calls for the product team. The team stopped using it, but the bot still has access to calendar events and call metadata.
• Even six months after the project has ended, an automation tool in Facebook Workplace might still be syncing files from a shared drive.
• Unlike employees, no offboarding process exists to automatically disable or delete these service accounts or integrations.

As a result, this creates a collection of unused credentials that still have access to sensitive information over time, making them vulnerable targets for cyber attackers.

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5. How to Manage Non-Human Identities

Overseeing non-human identities involves more than merely fulfilling a security due diligence requirement. It requires a continuous effort that demands visibility, accountability, structure, and automation. 

If you can't see these identities, you can’t secure them. Here's how to create a sustainable and scalable NHI management strategy for your SaaS and cloud environment:

A. Inventory Every NHI

Start with this crucial step: Conduct a comprehensive inventory of all non-human identities in your environment.

• Use discovery tools: Leverage cloud-native solutions or third-party SaaS management platforms to scan your environment and identify service accounts, API tokens, and other NHIs.
• Don’t limit to cloud only: Don’t forget to include NHIs that operate within SaaS applications.
• Keep detailed records: Create a document for each NHI that includes its name, the associated service, the environment (development/staging/production), its purpose (the functionality it was designed for), and the date it was created.

By completing this step, you’ll have a clear understanding of what exists, what is actively in use, and which identities might be orphaned or unnecessary but still have access.

B. Assign Ownership

Once all NHIs are identified, it’s time to assign ownership and accountability.

• For each NHI, identify its creator or the primary user, typically a developer, IT administrator, or automation engineer.
• Assign that individual or team to be the owner, making them accountable for reviewing access levels, rotating credentials, and handling deprovisioning.
• If a bot or service account is used by multiple teams, appoint a shared team owner and clearly document ownership responsibilities to eliminate any confusion.

Having well-defined ownership ensures that NHIs are actively managed with someone directly responsible for their ongoing security status.

C. Enforce Naming Conventions and Tagging

When managing hundreds or even thousands of machine identities, having a clear structure is essential.

• Create a naming standard for service accounts, API keys, and tokens.
• To categorize identities, consider using metadata tags.
• Whenever possible, automate the application of these tags to minimize human error.

A well-organized approach to naming and tagging helps with quick identification, simplifies audits, and enhances policy enforcement.

D. Automate Deprovisioning

Avoid the pitfalls of manual cleanup. Automate as much as you can.

• Integrate the lifecycle of non-human identities into your IT service management workflows. 
• Link NHIs to change management tickets or system owners so that when changes happen, the deprovisioning triggers are clearly defined.
• Use scripts or cloud automation tools to automatically expire unused tokens, disable inactive service accounts, and delete unnecessary secrets after a set period.
• Set up alerts for orphaned NHIs. 

Automating deprovisioning also helps eliminate the risk of unused or orphaned identities lingering with access, which could become a security threat.

E. Set Up Credential Rotation and Expiry Policies

One of the biggest risks associated with NHIs is the use of static credentials.

• Implement rotation schedules for each type of credential.
• Redirect auto-rotation using secret management tools like Azure Key Vault or Google Secret Manager.
• Implement strict expiration periods and avoid giving indefinite access. 

Regularly rotating credentials minimizes the risk of damage if unauthorized access occurs, as it limits the time those credentials can be exploited.

F. Continuously Monitor NHI Activity

Monitoring is a continuous process, and all non-human identities should be effectively supervised.

• Log every NHI activity, including cloud and SaaS login attempts, resource access, data transfers, and any failed actions.
• Use anomaly detection with behavior baselines. For example, if a Microsoft Teams bot unexpectedly requests access to calendar data it has never accessed before, that should be flagged.
• Set up alerts and thresholds and ensure you get notified if an NHI starts using excessive API bandwidth, accessing sensitive files, or authenticating from an unfamiliar IP address.

By keeping an eye on potential issues, you can tackle misuse, configuration drift, or even compromised identities before they escalate into serious breaches.

G. Conduct Regular Reviews and Audits

Even with robust controls, periodic reviews are essential.

• Perform quarterly access reviews on all NHIs. Check their ongoing usage, assess the privileges granted, and confirm ownership.
• Integrate with compliance audits and provide evidence for NHI controls and lifecycle documentation.

• Track metrics like the number of active NHIs, orphaned identities discovered, and overprivileged roles corrected.

These reviews help reduce the number of inactive accounts, enhance visibility into configuration issues, and ensure compliance in your environment.

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6. Bottom Line 

Non-human identities have recently emerged as a major target for attacks on SaaS environments. While they may not seem as threatening as they sound, if left unchecked, they can create vulnerabilities that hackers are eager to exploit.

Your entire SaaS ecosystem is populated with quiet digital assistants, such as Slack bots, Google Meet integrations, and Microsoft 365 automation flows. Managing these identities with the same level of governance we apply to human users is now essential. 

If you feel it’s a challenging task, we at CloudEagle.ai help you discover, categorize, and safeguard every identity, whether human or non-human, within your SaaS environment.

From automated lifecycle management to least privilege enforcement and intelligent access reviews, CloudEagle.ai has got you covered. 

Book a demo and secure your SaaS stack from hidden threats today. 

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7. Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is an example of a non-human identity?‍

An API key used by Slack integrations or a service account in Microsoft Azure are examples of non-human identities enabling applications or services to access systems without human involvement.

2. How many non-human identities are there?‍

Organizations often manage thousands of non-human identities due to automation. APIs, bots, and service accounts across tools like Google Meet, Slack, and Microsoft services are NHIs.

3. What is the difference between human identities and non-human identities?‍

Human identities represent individual users accessing systems, while non-human identities are used by applications, services, or scripts to interact with systems without manual intervention.

4. What are non-human accounts?‍

Non-human accounts are digital credentials like service accounts, API keys, or bots used by systems or applications to perform automated tasks across cloud and SaaS environments.

5. How to manage non-human identities?‍

Use practices like least privilege access, automated credential rotation, regular audits, and monitoring tools to manage non-human identities securely and prevent unauthorized access or privilege misuse.

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