What are non-human identities?

There are different types of non-human identities, and each are created, used, and managed differently within an organization. Each type serves a specific purpose—but all are designed to help software systems access resources securely without human involvement.

Here are some of the most common types:

1. Service accounts are frequently used, manually created accounts that allow applications or services to interact with systems. They’re used to:
 

• ⁠Run background tasks or automated jobs.
• ⁠ Access files or databases.
• ⁠Connect services across different systems.

To handle routine system tasks, many organizations use service accounts—but without proper management, they may be able to access parts of the system they don’t actually need, which can increase security risk.

2. Managed identities are automatically created and managed by cloud platforms, making it easier to control what software can be accessed. Each identity is tied to a specific system or service and only exists for as long as it’s needed. This removes the need for developers to manually handle usernames or passwords—lowering the chance of exposure and improving security. They’re often used to:
 

• ⁠Authenticate securely to cloud services without storing secrets like passwords, API keys, or access tokens.
• ⁠Assign access permissions based on roles, with minimal setup.
• ⁠Manage software identities more efficiently as cloud environments grow.

Using managed identities helps simplify access, reduce credential management, and lower the risk of software having more access than it needs.

3. Service principals are security identities used by applications or services to access cloud resources. They act as the application’s identity within an identity platform and are widely used in:
 

• Automation and scripting tasks.
• ⁠Build, test, and deployment workflows.
• ⁠Connections between cloud services and third-party tools.

Service principals offer flexible, detailed control over what software can access, but they need to be closely monitored to avoid misuse and keep systems secure.

4. AI agents are an emerging class of non-human identities. AI agents—powered by agentic AI—are autonomous, dynamic non-human identities that can reason, delegate, and act across systems without direct human input. Unlike traditional NHIs, AI agents may:
 

• Be created on demand and used across multiple domains.
• Access APIs, databases, and services with ephemeral or context-based credentials.
• Reason about tasks and switch roles—sometimes acting as system agents, sometimes on behalf of people.

The dynamic lifecycle of an AI agent challenges traditional identity frameworks like OAuth or SAML, which are designed for static human or machine identities. Using AI agents adds new requirements to your non-human identity management strategies, including:
 

• Ephemeral credentials that are short-lived and automatically revoked.
• ⁠Real-time policy evaluation to grant dynamic least-privilege access.
• ⁠Accountability and auditability for autonomous actions taken by agents.
• ⁠Human oversight for sensitive or high-risk tasks executed by agents.

Without proper handling, AI agents can generate many unmanaged identities, leading to credential sprawl, privilege creep, and security blind spots.

As organizations use more software-based tools and services, the number of non-human identities keeps growing—and so does the need for a smart way to manage them. Without careful monitoring, these identities can become unknown security gaps, especially if they have too much access, go unmonitored, or stay active when they’re no longer needed. Managing them well helps reduce risk, increase visibility, and keep your systems protected.

What it does

Non-human identity management involves discovering, organizing, securing, and monitoring identities that belong to applications, tools, bots, and other automated systems. This includes:
 

• Creating identities using secure naming and access conventions.
• Assigning roles and permissions based on what each system needs.
• ⁠Securing credentials like tokens, keys, and certificates.
• ⁠Auditing usage to detect unusual behavior or privilege misuse.
• ⁠Removing unused or expired identities automatically.

Why it matters

Organizations should use tools like identity and access management (IAM) systems to help security teams manage both human and non-human identities from a central place.

For non-human identities, IAM systems provide:
 

• Visibility into which systems are accessing what resources.
• ⁠Policy-based access control to enforce least-privilege permissions.
• ⁠Lifecycle automation to reduce manual maintenance.
• ⁠Monitoring and logging to detect misuse or risky behavior.
• ⁠Credential rotation and vaulting for better protection.

These tools help security and IT teams ensure that non-human identities operate safely within defined boundaries—and that they don’t create gaps in compliance, visibility, or control.

What works best

Managing non-human identities effectively requires a balance of security, automation, and visibility. These best practices help reduce risk, avoid identity sprawl, and ensure your systems stay protected as your system grows.

1. Apply least-privilege access. Grant only the permissions each identity needs—and nothing more. Try to avoid assigning broad or admin-level access. This minimizes the impact if an identity is compromised.

2. Automate lifecycle management. Use identity tools to automate the creation, rotation, and removal of non-human identities. Tying identities to the lifecycle of the task or service they support helps prevent unused accounts from remaining in your environment.

3. Use managed identities where possible. In cloud environments, managed identities take care of secure access and password updates automatically. This means there’s no need to store sensitive information like passwords or access keys in your code.

4. Centralize visibility and control. Track all non-human identities through a centralized IAM system. Visibility across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments makes it easier to spot unused, misconfigured, or risky identities.

5. Secure credentials. Keep sensitive information—like passwords, access keys, and security certificates—in a secure storage system, not in your application code or settings files. Update them regularly and watch for any unusual activity.

6. Monitor and audit activity. Set up logging and alerts to track how non-human identities are being used. Look for unusual, excessive access attempts, or unexpected behavior that could indicate misuse.

7. Review and clean up regularly. Schedule regular reviews of non-human identities and their permissions. Remove unused identities and tighten overly broad access to keep your environment clean and secure.

Adopting these best practices helps organizations stay ahead of identity-related risks, while supporting automation and innovation with confidence.

What it delivers
 

• Stronger security by limiting access points that are often overlooked.
• ⁠Easier audits and compliance with better tracking of who or which systems have access.
• ⁠Lower possibility of mistakes or overuse of access by keeping permissions well-managed.
• ⁠Improved efficiency with automated setup, monitoring, and cleanup of identities.

With the right systems and practices in place, managing non-human identities becomes an opportunity to strengthen security while supporting the speed and scale of modern IT operations.

Managing access in today’s cloud-connected world takes more than just traditional identity tools. Identity and access management solutions from Microsoft help organizations protect users, devices, applications, and automated services—no matter where they connect from or which methods or technologies they use.

Microsoft Entra identity and network access management solutions are designed to prevent attacks, ensure least-privilege access, and improve the user experience while providing secure access to resources. Tools like Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Entra ID Governance, Microsoft Entra External ID, and Microsoft Entra Workload ID are built specifically to manage non-human identities.

As a comprehensive access management solution, Microsoft Entra enables secure access for workforce, customer, partner, and non-human identities to resources across on-premises and cloud environments. It includes capabilities such as:
 

• Single sign-on for simplified access across applications and services.
• ⁠Multifactor authentication, including passwordless and two-factor authentication like biometrics, FIDO keys, and authentication applications.
• ⁠Privileged access management to secure and monitor high-impact accounts with elevated permissions.
• ⁠Login security that protects against brute force attacks, password reuse, and session hijacking.
• ⁠Conditional access that adjusts permissions based on real-time signals like risk level, location, and device health. that adjusts permissions based on real-time signals like risk level, location, and device health.
• ⁠Identity protection with real-time threat detection and automated response.
• ⁠Modern network access to public and private networks.
• ⁠Access governance to monitor, review, and automate how users and systems get access.

This unified platform helps protect all identities—human and non-human—while supporting secure access across cloud and hybrid environments. With built-in tools for governance, permissions, and automation, Microsoft Entra gives organizations the flexibility to manage identity at every level.

Microsoft Entra Workload ID

As businesses use more automation, cloud applications, and connected services, managing software identities becomes as critical as securing human identities. Microsoft Entra Workload ID provides centralized tools for securing these non-human identities—covering service principals, applications, and managed identities to help teams:
 

• Assign access without hardcoded credentials
• ⁠Track how software connects across environments
• ⁠Monitor identity health and usage

Together with Microsoft Entra ID Protection, Workload ID continually monitors non-human identities for signs of compromise—such as leaked secrets, unusual sign-in patterns, or threat intelligence matches—and flags them for immediate remediation.

Features

Secure non-human access across large environments with features within Microsoft Entra Workload ID, such as:
 

• Automatic identity discovery. Detect and inventory task identities—such as applications, services, and scripts—across Azure and hybrid environments.
• ⁠Credential-free authentication. Eliminate the need to store passwords or access keys in code by using managed identities and temporary tokens for secure, automated access.
• ⁠Least-privilege access enforcement. Apply role-based permissions that restrict access to only what each task requires, helping reduce the risk of over-accessed identities.
• ⁠Conditional access for workloads. Apply real-time policies based on risk level, location, and context to extend zero trust controls to non-human identities.
• ⁠Centralized monitoring and reporting. Maintain visibility into workload identity activity with built-in logging, anomaly detection, and audit-ready reporting.
• ⁠Integration with the Microsoft Entra ecosystem. Use Microsoft Workload ID in combination with Entra ID, ID Protection, ID Governance, and other Microsoft security tools for unified identity security.

Results

Organizations using Microsoft Entra Workload ID are able to:
 

• ⁠Discover and manage workload identities automatically across Azure and other environments.
• ⁠Enforce least-privilege access with role-based access control and conditional access policies.
• ⁠Strengthen credential protection by removing hardcoded secrets and enabling secure authentication methods.
• ⁠Improve security visibility through continuous monitoring and activity-based risk detection.
• ⁠Simplify audits and compliance with centralized identity governance and policy controls.

Sample scenarios that reflect real-world challenges

Automating secure software releases in financial services

A financial institution builds and deploys customer-facing applications using automated tools to build and launch software. To reduce the risk of credential exposure, they use Microsoft Entra Workload ID to assign managed identities to each phase of the release cycle.

This helps the organization:
 

• ⁠Eliminate hardcoded secrets in automation scripts.
• ⁠Limit access to sensitive financial data and APIs by environment and task.
• ⁠Speed up compliance checks by maintaining clear access trails.

Supporting trusted data exchange in healthcare IoT systems

A healthcare provider uses IoT-enabled medical devices to collect and send patient telemetry to cloud-hosted applications for real-time monitoring. Each device is given a unique identity using Microsoft Entra Workload ID to validate its authenticity and secure communication.

With this approach, the provider can:
 

• ⁠Authenticate devices automatically before they transmit patient data.
• ⁠Prevent unauthorized devices from accessing regulated health systems.
• ⁠Simplify identity management when replacing or decommissioning devices.

Securing access for retail automation bots

A large retail chain uses AI-powered bots to track inventory, reorder supplies, and analyze point-of-sale trends. Each bot requires tailored access to internal systems like inventory databases or supplier APIs. Microsoft Entra Workload ID allows the IT team to assign and enforce precise permissions for each bot.

This allows the business to:
 

• Assign access based on each bot’s specific function.
• ⁠Minimize risk by avoiding broad, default permissions.
• ⁠Audit activity for compliance with internal and industry standards.