Identity-Based Threats Pose Cloud Security Risks

⁤Updated June 10,2025
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Identity-based threats represent⁢ a ‍serious⁢ and frequently exploited vulnerability in cloud environments. according to ⁣a recent report, this attack vector ranks as⁣ the second most ⁣common initial access point, yet it frequently enough proves to be‍ the‍ most ⁤vulnerable.

these⁤ threats ⁣frequently ⁢target non-human identities (NHIs), including API keys, access tokens,⁢ service accounts, cloud functions, ⁣and⁢ machine identities. The proliferation of NHIs considerably expands the attack surface.

One expert noted the exponential growth of NHIs, stating that they ⁢outnumber human users by a ⁤factor of 50. Leaving these identities unsecured can rapidly escalate cloud risks, particularly when NHIs are granted excessive privileges.

Data indicates that a significant percentage of‍ organizations using AWS ⁣operate service accounts‍ with access to multiple accounts. Furthermore, a portion of these accounts possess excessive roles across numerous instances. Many of⁤ these roles remain unused after their creation, and a large percentage of IAM ⁤certificates remain inactive ⁤for extended periods, creating potential vulnerabilities ⁢in cloud security.

What’s next

organizations‍ must prioritize securing non-human identities and regularly review and revoke unnecessary permissions to mitigate cloud security risks.