Page 226 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024

Rotation of keys and secrets is only one part of the larger challenge of complete non-human identity
lifecycle management. While the latest report highlights several shortcomings, cloud transformation
through vendors such as Microsoft still allows organizations to improve agility and, with the right
approach, security posture. As environments become increasingly distributed spanning multiple clouds
and hundreds of interconnect services, Non-Human Identities grow exponentially in scale.
Consequently, security and operations teams need to adopt the right tools that enable effective
cooperation across every phase of the lifecycle from provisioning, to rotation and decommission.

Organizations should implement practices and tools that align operational continuity efforts with security
best practices, ensuring they complement rather than conflict with each other. Companies can’t disregard
the limitations of human driven processes, which are more prone to error and operationally expensive.
While adding automation for tasks like secret rotation requires integrating new tools and capabilities into
your stack, this investment is crucial for long-term business success. Microsoft's decision to move from
manual to automatic key rotation is the right move to make and, had it been implemented sooner, it could
have prevented the attack with undeniable business benefits.

In an era marked by the rapid proliferation of cloud computing and digital innovation, the adoption of
automated solutions emerges as a pressing imperative for effectively managing non-human identities
(NHIs). As organizations grapple with the complexities of identity and access management in an ever-
evolving digital landscape, prioritizing visibility, posture management and lifecycle automation of NHIs is
paramount.

By embracing automated solutions for NHI management, organizations can streamline key rotation
processes, proactively identify vulnerabilities, and mitigate potential risks in real-time. This proactive
approach not only bolsters security defenses but also instills confidence in stakeholders, demonstrating
a commitment to safeguarding sensitive data and preserving operational continuity.

About the Author

Amit Zimerman, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Oasis is a
seasoned leader with a diverse technical and product background. Before
co-founding Oasis, he played pivotal roles at CyberMDX, and Microsoft,
bringing a wealth of product and security expertise. Amit also had
significant contributions during his seven-year tenure in Israeli Military
Intelligence forces as a leader of some of the high-profile cyber projects at
the time.

Amit can be reached online at LinkedIn and at our company website
https://www.oasis.security/

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