- As organisations are facing challenges with increasing complexities in the digital ecosystem, effective management of machine identity has become more compelling than ever.
- Such investments will not only protect key data but also boost business continuity, operational efficiency, and compliance, thereby laying a solid foundation for the ongoing digital transformation initiatives of today’s enterprise as there would be numerous cyberthreats.
With the explosion in devices (server and IoT) growth and applications, organisations need to implement Machine Identity Management (MIM) to mitigate risks and secure communications between entities. Compromised machine identity is responsible for most breaches. So, MIM must be in place for sensitive data protection and keeping system integrity.
Here are the seven MIM best practices.
- Enforce Strong Authentication Protocols: Strong authentication mechanisms are the crux of MIM. At the same time, there could be added recognition through the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and cryptography mechanisms like RSA (2048 bit or higher), ECC, and quantum-resistant cryptography. Using such an approach minimises unauthorised access. Establish policies for minimum key lengths and secure hashing algorithms.
- Centralise Certificate Management: Organisations must have a single system dealing with all machine identities through a specific certificate authority. This makes provisions for issuing, renewal, and revocation of digital certificates smooth, increases security, and reduces administrative load.
- Automate Lifecycle Management for Identity: The automation of lifecycle events, such as provisioning, updating, or decommissioning machine identities, plays a key role in the efficiency of machine identities management. This is done to keep human error at bay and to ensure repeatable compliance to security policies.
- Conduct Regular Audits and Monitor Identities: Secure and maintain machine identities with access rights through audits in a periodical manner. Use monitoring tools that provide visibility into identity usage with real-time notifications on possible anomalies or unauthorised changes.
- Least Privilege Access Enforcement: A least privilege access model enables machines to be granted only those permissions which have been necessary for their distinct functions. This reduces the attack surface area and minimises the damages in case of the security breach event.
- Sensitise Staff: Employee awareness is extremely valuable in understanding issues surrounding MIM. Encourage regular training on best practices with threats identified, compliance requirements, and the needed culture toward security within the organisation.
- Point Incident Response Protocol: An effective incident response plan for security breaches related to machine identities needs to be pronounced. Organisations should clearly define their documentation on detection, containment, and recovery, so that they can act quickly to mitigate any fallout.
As mobile device usage increases, so do the risks and threats associated with them. To overcome these challenges, an organisation must embrace an integrated Mobile Device Management (MDM), which secures devices, but manages the identities associated with them. This intersection of MDM and MIM is critical to building strong security.
Incorporating MIM into MDM strategy will increase security measures by ensuring that only complete authenticated devices can access corporate resources. Still, the need for secure mobile access is increased because companies shift to cloud services and remote workspaces.
In this way, organisations will secure mobile devices, protect machine-to-machine communications, and support a Sero Trust approach to security through the embedding of MDM strategies into MIM.
Tips for implementation
1. Choose the Right Tools: Use MDM and MIM tools designed to work together, such as Microsoft Intune, Jamf, or Workspace ONE, with a certificate management tool like Venafi or DigiCert.
2. Think Automation: Reduce the human touch with automated workflows for certificate provisioning and renewal.
3. Policy Testing: Frequently test MDM policies to ensure that MIM works properly and does not interfere with business.
Examples of MIM
As organisations are turning more and more towards automation and IoTs; so, these entities will also have to be authenticated and authorised all alone by the machines.
One of the major examples is the incorporation of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in organisations. PKI comprises managing digital certificates that facilitate secure communications between machines. For example, a manufacturing facility uses PKI to authenticate various machines on the production line so that they can communicate securely while sharing sensitive operational data without interception.
Another example can be realised in M2M authentication within IoT ecosystems; for example, smart home devices, such as thermostats and security cameras, interact with each other and/or with cloud services so that they can operate as intended. These devices are able to make sure that only trusted machines are allowed to access or control their functionalities by using MIM solutions leveraging OAuth 2.0 or the likes of it. This not only heightens security but also improves the user’s trust in connected technologies.
Cloud service providers have showcased effective MIM. Such services are AWS IoT Core, which covers MIM by issuing different credentials to each device that connects to the platform. These credentials can be dynamically rotated and managed to ensure that devices can access the cloud resources securely without exposing sensitive information. This level of management prevents impersonation attacks where attackers use compromised identities for unauthorised access.
Organisations have ushered in machine identity as a service (MIaaS), which helps organise and manage machine identities over disparate environments. For example, a financial institution may use a MIaaS platform for ATM identification, online banking servers, and mobile applications. This unified system makes it simpler for the financial institution to comply with regulatory requirements while enhancing its overall security posture.
Machine Identity Management certification
MIM certification programs have been launched by several organisations, catering to both technical professionals and executive leaders. The aim is to give knowledge on framing strong programmed machine identities towards industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Having a MIM certification brings many advantages with it. For professionals, it improves their skill sets such that they become much more appealing to the job market as far as the chances of landing a job are concerned and also increases chances for better salary. Organisations, on the other hand, would ensure that their team members are well-trained in the latest security protocols, thus cutting the chances of identity-related vulnerabilities.