Most organizations use dozens, if not hundreds, of “machines” to automate tasks, transfer data, and authenticate services behind the scenes.
And just like an organization’s employees use passwords to log into the tools and services they need to do their job, these machines also use credentials to connect and communicate with each other.
But as AI-powered attacks grow more advanced, machine identities have become one of the fastest-growing (and least protected) attack surfaces to target.
Don’t worry. We’re here to help you stay safe
What are machine identities and why do they matter?
Machines are everywhere in your environment, working together to power the millions of automations that keep a business up and running. Here are a few examples:
Service accounts
Let’s say an organization uses a backup service that runs every night to save critical files to the cloud. That process is executed by a service account (not a person) and it needs permissions to access servers and read and write files.
These over-permissioned accounts are rarely monitored. If the credentials aren’t regularly rotated, all a hacker has to do is compromise one to access the entire system without triggering any alerts.
APIs
For a company’s help desk platform to pull customer data from its CRM, an API key is needed to connect the two services and authenticate the request.
Those keys are typically invisible to users. But if they’re stored in plain text, set to never expire, or grant more access than necessary, they become a goldmine for attackers. A stolen or exposed key could give a hacker direct access to sensitive data. No login required.
Scripts and bots
Automated scripts often handle repetitive tasks, like generating and emailing monthly reports. To do their jobs they typically need access to tools like dashboards, email platforms, and even banking information.
But here’s the catch: those credentials are frequently hardcoded into the script, rarely rotated, and visible to anyone with file access. For bad actors, finding that script is like finding a key under the doormat.
Containers and virtual machines (VMs)
Containers and VMs rely on digital certificates and identity keys to prove they’re authorized to connect to other services and tools.
Those credentials are often shared across the network. If they’re not stored properly or rotated regularly, they create a soft spot in your defenses. A breach in one environment can quickly turn into a company-wide attack.
Cloud services
If an app hosted in AWS needs to talk to a cloud database or an on-premise server, it uses identity tokens, one-time credentials issued by the cloud provider to provide secure and temporary access.
If those tokens end up in the wrong hands, they can easily be used to hijack the entire system.
Why machine identities are a growing threat
You can’t secure what you don’t track. That’s where Privileged Access Management (PAM) comes in.
CyberFOX AutoElevate gives you visibility and control over both user and machine identities, so you can:
Discover and inventory every account, including service and machine identities: Stop wondering what’s lurking in your environment and gain complete visibility into all accounts. Even the ones your team created years ago and forgot about.
Automatically rotate credentials and eliminate stale accounts: Say goodbye to the “set it and forget it” credentials that hackers love. With automated rotation, you’ll dramatically reduce your attack surface while freeing up your team’s time for more strategic work.
Enforce least privilege policies for people and systems: Ensure every identity (human or machine) has the access it needs to do its job and nothing more.
Monitor activity and flag unusual access behavior in real-time: Catch suspicious activities before they become breaches. You’ll sleep better knowing that unusual access attempts are automatically flagged, whether they’re coming from an intern’s laptop or a forgotten service account.
How CyberFOX helps you secure machine identities
In addition to building and maintaining a WISP, the FTC Safeguards Rule also requires firms to implement Our approach to machine identity protection lets you lock down the exact types of identities AI-driven attackers love to exploit.
First, we help you find all those forgotten machine identities hiding in your environment. It’s like turning on the lights in a dark room. Suddenly you can see everything that’s been lurking in the shadows.
Next, we automate the tedious work of managing these identities. No more manual rotation of service account credentials or trying to remember which API has which permissions. Our system handles it all automatically.
Finally, we make it easy to enforce least privilege for every identity in your environment. Each machine gets exactly the access it needs to do its job. Nothing more.
The best part? This all happens without disrupting your operations or creating more work for your team.
Get a demo today to see how we give you the automation, visibility, and control you need to protect every identity in your environment — human or machine.