need your asset inventory. They can search the public internet for exposed information and test what they find.
To surface exposed identities and secrets, explore our attack surface management platform. You can also see how digital risk protection helps identify exposure beyond your perimeter.
For recognised guidance on managing digital identities and credentials, refer to NIST and OWASP.
Validate before you assume the exposure is closed
Discovery gives security teams visibility. Validation shows whether the exposure creates a real attack path.
Suppose a team finds an API key in a public repository. Removing the key from the repository is a necessary step, but it does not prove that the credential no longer works.
Validation checks the actual exposure. Can the key still authenticate? What permissions does it have? Can an attacker use it to reach another service?
The same principle applies to machine accounts. Removing an account from an internal inventory does not confirm that its credentials have stopped working. Revoking the credentials and validating the result provides stronger evidence that the path has closed.
This attacker-perspective approach helps security teams focus on exploitable exposure instead of collecting another list of theoretical findings.
Building stronger controls around non-human identities
Securing machine and service accounts requires more than creating an inventory.
First, discover what exists. Then confirm which identities remain active and what access they provide. Remove unnecessary accounts and permissions. Rotate credentials regularly. Store secrets securely and monitor how identities behave.
Most importantly, keep checking.
Cloud environments change. Applications change. Integrations change. New automation creates new identities. Old projects leave credentials behind.
A one-time review can provide useful information, but continuous discovery and validation provide a more accurate picture of what an attacker can reach today.
That is where machine identity security connects directly to attack surface management. Your security team needs to know not only which identities exist, but which ones an attacker can discover and use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a machine or service account identity?
A machine or service account identity is a non-human account that lets systems, applications and automation authenticate and communicate. Examples include API keys, service accounts, tokens and certificates. These identities allow software to operate without requiring a person to log in for every action.
Why do attackers target them?
Machine identities can provide valuable access with little interaction. Teams often give them broad permissions, keep their credentials active for long periods and monitor them less closely than human accounts. If an attacker obtains a valid credential, they can use the access already assigned to that identity.
Where are machine and service identities found?
You can find machine identities across cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, application integrations, automation and scripts. Developers may also place credentials in repositories or configuration files. Because these identities exist across many systems, security teams can easily lose track of them.
How do you secure machine and service account identities?
Start by discovering every identity and checking its current permissions. Apply least privilege, rotate credentials regularly and keep secrets out of source code. Monitor machine activity and validate exposed credentials from the outside. Continuous discovery also helps identify identities that internal inventories miss.
See Your External Exposure
Machine and service account identities can create hidden attack paths when credentials remain exposed, active or over-privileged. An attacker does not need to exploit a complex vulnerability when a valid credential already provides access.
Attack Insights takes an attacker-perspective approach to external exposure. Discover what is exposed, validate what is exploitable and prioritise the paths that matter.
Request an ASM demo to see what Attack Insights can surface across your external attack surface.
