Identities now transcend human boundaries. Within each line of code and every API call lies a non-human identity. These entities act as programmatic access keys, enabling authentication and facilitating interactions among systems and services, which are essential for every API call, database query, or storage account access. As we depend on multi-factor authentication and passwords to safeguard human identities, a pressing question arises: How do we guarantee the security and integrity of these non-human counterparts? How do we authenticate, authorize, and regulate access for entities devoid of life but crucial for the functioning of critical systems? Let's break it down. The challenge Imagine a cloud-native application as a bustling metropolis of tiny neighborhoods known as microservices, all neatly packed into containers. These microservices function akin to diligent worker bees, each diligently performing its designated task, be it processing data, verifying credentials, or retrieving information from databases. Communicating seamlessly through APIs, they ensure the seamless operation of services for us users. However, to utilize these APIs, microservices must authenticate themselves using non-human identities and secrets, akin to programmatic access keys. Now, consider the ramifications if a malicious actor were to obtain one of these non-human identities or secrets. The potential for chaos is immense—secrets could be stolen, data tampered with, or even the entire…Read More
Code Keepers: Mastering Non-Human Identity Management
