Managing Non-Human Identities in Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has made this not only possible, but routine. Scripts define networks, servers, and security policies. Automation runs them. At the center of this quiet revolution are non-human identities—service accounts, role bindings, and machine principals with the power to create, change, and destroy cloud resources.

These identities authenticate through keys, tokens, or certificates. They operate in CI/CD systems, provision clusters, apply Terraform plans, and run Ansible playbooks. They do not rest, and their permissions can be far broader than needed. That makes them a prime attack surface.

Managing non-human identities in Infrastructure as Code demands strict control. First, keep credentials out of repos. Use secure secret stores like AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, or GCP Secret Manager. Second, apply least privilege with IAM policies or role definitions. Third, rotate keys regularly, and audit usage logs for anomalies.

The value of IaC depends on trust in automation, and automation depends on trust in these identities. Treat every non-human identity as critical infrastructure. A leaked token or over-permissioned role can dismantle systems faster than any misconfigured YAML.

Non-human identities also need lifecycle management. When a pipeline changes or a service retires, revoke or delete old accounts immediately. Orphaned identities often retain access long after they are forgotten, opening the door for exploitation.

IaC gives teams speed and repeatability. Non-human identities give it hands. Without governance, those hands can build—or destroy—entire environments without notice.

Test how secure and efficient your IaC process can be. See non-human identity management in action at hoop.dev and get it live in minutes.