Taming Agentic AI Risks: Why Securing Non-Human Identities Is Now Mission-Critical

If you’re reading this, you might already be wondering: How are businesses supposed to keep up with the explosion of “non-human identities”—those secret keys, API tokens, service accounts, and now, powerful AI agents—rapidly multiplying across today’s tech landscape? You’re not alone. While most organizations have a good handle on securing their human users, the world of non-human identities (NHIs) remains a shadowy, fast-growing blind spot. And as agentic AI enters the scene, the risks (and complexity) are only intensifying.

Let’s pull back the curtain on why taming agentic AI risks absolutely requires us to rethink how we secure non-human identities—before security incidents, data leaks, or compliance nightmares catch us off guard.

The New Frontier: From APIs to Agentic AI—What Are Non-Human Identities, Really?

First, let’s get on the same page. If you’ve been in IT or security circles for a while, you know machine identities aren’t new. For decades, we’ve had devices and workloads talking to each other in the background, using service accounts, API keys, and tokens. But the digital landscape has evolved—fast.

Non-human identities now cover a spectrum: – Service Accounts: Used by apps or scripts to access resources without human intervention. – API Keys & Tokens: Credentials enabling software-to-software communication, often across organizational boundaries. – Serverless Functions: Temporary, event-driven code with their own unique identities. – Agentic AI: Here’s where it gets wild—autonomous AI agents operating on behalf of users, making decisions, pulling data, and even initiating actions.

Think of it like this: If “human identities” are the well-documented employees with badges, “non-human identities” are the invisible workforce—robots, assistants, and digital keys—making things happen behind the scenes. But who’s keeping track of these silent workers? And who’s watching the watchers, now that AI agents can self-initiate actions?

Why Non-Human Identities Are the Silent Majority—And the Biggest Attack Surface

Here’s a stat that might surprise you: Most companies today have 50 non-human identities for every single human user. And that ratio is only accelerating, according to Silverfort’s authentication data. Even more worrying? Companies often don’t know who owns nearly half of those NHIs.

Why does this matter? Because every machine identity is a potential security door—some locked tight, others swinging open, and many with lost or forgotten keys.

The Trouble with Visibility

Adam Ochayon, director of product strategy at Oasis Security, put it bluntly:

“If you don’t even know which accounts are in scope or which accounts you have, you’re going to struggle securing them, enforcing policies, and managing their life cycle accurately.”

This lack of visibility means: – Forgotten service accounts persist long after the system is retired – API keys get hard-coded and shared, then leaked in public repos – Temporary tokens for AI agents are granted wide-reaching permissions, far beyond what’s necessary

And attackers know it. In fact, nearly half of recent breaches involved compromised NHIs, according to the Cloud Security Alliance.

Agentic AI: The Game Changer in Non-Human Identity Management

Let’s zoom in on what’s new. The rise of agentic AI—autonomous software agents capable of making decisions, integrating with apps, and even simulating human behavior—blurs the line between user and machine.

What’s so different about AI agents?
– They act on behalf of users, not just as neutral intermediaries. – They can operate across multiple applications, often dynamically spinning up new identities or using delegated permissions. – Their actions are sometimes indistinguishable from those of the real human user.

Imagine an AI-based assistant that schedules your meetings, manages emails, or even negotiates contracts. Whose identity is executing those actions—the human’s, the bot’s, or a hybrid? And if something goes wrong (say, a data leak or an unauthorized transfer), how do you trace accountability?

Rich Dandliker, Chief Strategy Officer at Veza, sums up the challenge:

“The big question will be, ‘How can I tell that it’s my agent that did it versus me?’ … All bets are off on that because it’s going to be very, very hard to tell the difference.”

The Expanding Universe of Non-Human Identity Risks

1. Lifecycle Management—Or Lack Thereof

Human users usually have an onboarding and offboarding process. Not so for NHIs. Tokens and service accounts often outlive their intended purpose—leaving orphaned credentials that attackers can exploit.

2. Secrets Sprawl

API keys and tokens are often stored in code repositories or configuration files. GitGuardian reports that in 2023 alone, nearly 24 million secrets were leaked in public GitHub commits—with 70% still active at the time of discovery. That’s a goldmine for cybercriminals.

3. Over-Privileged Agents

Too often, machine identities are given “god-mode” access—far more than they need. With agentic AI, these privileges can multiply rapidly, increasing blast radius if compromised.

4. Shadow IT and Unmanaged Provisioning

Unlike human accounts, which are centrally created and managed, NHIs can be provisioned by virtually anyone—developers, operations staff, even third-party vendors. There’s no single source of truth.

5. Blurring Accountability

When AI agents execute tasks or make decisions, tracking “who did what” becomes a forensic nightmare. This muddies the water for compliance, auditing, and incident response.

The Industry’s Response: Standards, Frameworks, and New Thinking

So, are we doomed to drown in a sea of invisible, unmanaged machine identities? Not necessarily. The industry is waking up, and several frameworks are emerging to help organizations get a grip.

PCI DSS 4.0.1 and Beyond

Recent updates to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard now specify that all system components—including software and AI agents—fall under strict authentication and access control requirements. That means the old “set it and forget it” approach won’t cut it.

OWASP’s Top 10 for Non-Human Identities

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has released a list of the Top 10 Security Challenges for NHIs, with a focus on: – Proper offboarding of machine identities – Managing and rotating secrets – Detecting and responding to NHI-related breaches

Identity Graphs and Access Mapping

Innovative vendors like Veza and JumpCloud are using access graph technology to map relationships between users, groups, permissions, and resources—for both humans and machines. This visibility is the foundation of effective risk management.

Rethinking Zero Trust for the Age of Agentic AI

Zero Trust, the security model that assumes no user or device is trustworthy by default, needs a major rethink for agentic AI. Here’s why:

Traditional Zero Trust relies heavily on human identity verification (MFA, SSO, etc.)
In the NHI world, you need to authenticate and authorize machine identities dynamically, revoke credentials instantly, and audit every action—no matter who (or what) performed it.

Joel Rennich, SVP of Product Management at JumpCloud, explains:

“There’s a blurry line between what used to be a non-human identity … and what we see with AI agents, a derived credential that’s been created from a session that user has, but it’s non-human. We have to rethink how Zero Trust works in that sense.”

Building a Secure NHI Strategy: What Actually Works?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone—but there are actionable ways to take the reins.

1. Inventory Everything

Start by cataloging all non-human identities across your environment. This includes service accounts, API keys, tokens, and—crucially—any identities provisioned for AI agents. If you can’t see it, you can’t secure it.

Pro Tip: Modern identity platforms and secrets management tools can automate much of this discovery.

2. Enforce Least Privilege—Everywhere

Give NHIs only the permissions they need for their task. Use “down-scoping” features to limit the blast radius if credentials are leaked.

Example: An AI-powered sales assistant should only access CRM data, not payroll or HR records.

3. Automate Lifecycle Management

Just as you offboard former employees, you must deprovision machine identities when they’re no longer needed. Integrate this into DevOps pipelines and CI/CD processes.

4. Rotate and Protect Secrets

Never store API keys or tokens in code repositories. Use secrets management solutions to generate, rotate, and expire credentials automatically.

5. Audit and Monitor Activity

Implement robust logging and monitoring of all NHI actions—especially those performed by agentic AI. Behavioral analytics can help spot anomalies (e.g., an AI agent suddenly accessing sensitive files it never touched before).

6. Educate and Align Teams

Non-human identity management can’t be siloed in IT or DevOps. Security, compliance, and even business leaders need to understand the risks and responsibilities.

Do We Need New Technology? Or Just Smarter Use of Existing Tools?

Here’s some good news: You probably have much of what you need—if you use it wisely.

Protocols like OAuth and OpenID Connect already support granular permissions and revocation. The key is to evolve how we use them: – Set time-bound, auditable tokens for agents – Enable dynamic, role-based access controls – Agree on industry best practices for AI agent provisioning and offboarding

As Alex Simons from Microsoft notes:

“Agents need much more granular permissions, and they need to be dynamic, easily revokable, yet auditable … much of the technical underpinnings are already there.”

The challenge is less about inventing new tech, and more about making sure everyone gets on the same page—from developers and IT to security and compliance.

Real-World Example: The Anatomy of a Non-Human Identity Breach

Let’s bring this home with a scenario.

Imagine a fintech startup. Developers quickly spin up new features, granting their AI-powered chatbot an API key with broad database access. The key is embedded in a GitHub repo—which accidentally gets pushed to public. Within hours, an attacker discovers the key, exfiltrates sensitive customer data, and deletes logs to cover their tracks.

What went wrong? – No inventory or visibility into the AI agent’s credentials – Over-permissioned API key – No secrets scanning or monitoring of code repos – No automated offboarding or key expiry

It’s a preventable incident—but only if the organization treats non-human identities with the same rigor as human ones.

FAQs About Securing Non-Human and Agentic AI Identities

What is a non-human identity (NHI) in cybersecurity?

A non-human identity refers to any digital identity used by software, services, scripts, or AI agents to access resources—such as service accounts, API keys, and tokens—not tied to a specific human user.

Why are non-human identities considered a bigger risk than human ones?

NHIs far outnumber human identities, are often overlooked, and can be created or discarded outside central oversight. If compromised, they can grant attackers broad, persistent access to critical systems.

How do agentic AI systems complicate identity management?

Agentic AI agents can act autonomously on behalf of users, often dynamically creating sessions or tokens and accessing multiple applications. This blurs accountability and makes tracking actions much harder.

What are some best practices for managing NHIs?

Maintain a unified inventory of all NHIs
Enforce strict least-privilege permissions
Use automated secrets management and rotation
Audit all NHI activity
Integrate lifecycle management into DevOps

Do I need to buy new security tools to manage NHIs and agentic AI?

Not necessarily. Most modern identity and access management (IAM) and secrets management platforms already support core features like granular permissions and token management. Success often depends on process, visibility, and cross-team collaboration.

The Takeaway: Don’t Let Non-Human Identities Become Your Next Blind Spot

The world of agentic AI represents an incredible leap in productivity and innovation—but it also introduces new, hard-to-see risks. If we keep treating non-human identities as an afterthought, we’re inviting trouble.

By building visibility, enforcing least privilege, automating lifecycle management, and evolving our zero trust mindset, we can harness the power of AI while keeping our organizations safe.

Curious how your organization stacks up?
Start by auditing your non-human identities today—or subscribe to our newsletter for more in-depth guides on securing the future of digital work.

Still have questions? Want to dig deeper? Leave a comment below or explore our related articles on AI security, identity management, and the future of zero trust. Together, let’s make sure our digital workforce—human and non-human alike—remains secure, accountable, and ready for whatever comes next.

Discover more at InnoVirtuoso.com

I would love some feedback on my writing so if you have any, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment around here or in any platforms that is convenient for you.

For more on tech and other topics, explore InnoVirtuoso.com anytime. Subscribe to my newsletter and join our growing community—we’ll create something magical together. I promise, it’ll never be boring!

Stay updated with the latest news—subscribe to our newsletter today!

Thank you all—wishing you an amazing day ahead!