Nonhuman Identities — And The Need To Secure Them — Are Growing

The workforce is being augmented by three nonhuman entities: 1) robotic process automation (RPA) for software bots; 2) physical robots; and 3) IoT systems. When the digital identities of nonhuman entities, and their credentials (certificates, usernames, and passwords), rely on weak security measures, attackers can exploit the weak security controls to steal sensitive data, disrupt device operations, and cause physical harm. These identities will require stronger security and management due to continued rapid adoption, increasing connections to sensitive data, and integration complexities. This report outlines how identity and access management (IAM) practices must evolve to secure these identities with the same rigor previously applied to securing human identities.