Machine Identities: The Overlooked Security Gap Putting SMBs at Risk

Machine Identities: Why SMBs Can’t Afford to Ignore This Emerging Security Risk

What Are Machine Identities (and Why Should You Care)?

When you think of cybersecurity, you probably picture protecting your employees and their accounts from phishing or stolen passwords. But there’s another, less obvious risk flying under the radar for many small and midsize businesses: machine identities. These are digital identities assigned to applications, scripts, services, APIs, and devices—essentially any non-human system accessing your network or data. And unlike human identities, which tend to be actively managed, machine identities can easily spiral out of control, granting unnecessary permissions to software that no one’s monitoring.

According to a recent analysis, as businesses adopt more cloud, SaaS, and automation tools, the number of non-human identities is skyrocketing—and many are going unseen and unmanaged (The Hacker News, 2025).

The Risk: Machines Don’t Phone Home When Hacked

It might sound like a problem for the big guys, but it’s SMBs who can least afford a breach. Why? Because machine identities are often set-and-forget. They’re used to connect software tools, automate backups, or enable API connections. When these credentials are forgotten or poorly secured, attackers can quietly exploit them for weeks or months—well before anyone realizes.

  • Attackers target weak or orphaned machine identities to move laterally in your network—sometimes bypassing multi-factor protections you’ve set up for users.
  • Unmonitored service accounts can be used to extract sensitive data, disrupt key business processes, or even plant ransomware—all with legitimate ‘trusted’ credentials.
  • Research shows that over 80% of enterprises have experienced a security incident tied to machine identities (IBM, 2023), and SMBs are not immune.

3 Key Takeaways (You Can Act On This Month)

  1. Get Visibility Over All Your Non-Human Identities
    Start with an audit: List every application, script, or service with access to your network or data. Don’t forget integrations (like payment gateways or accounting tools) and hidden service accounts that may have been created by vendors or one-off projects.
  2. Eliminate What You Don’t Use or Need
    Find old or unused machine identities and revoke their access, just like you would deactivate old employee accounts. Each leftover machine identity is an unnecessary risk.
  3. Automate and Enforce Least-Privilege
    Ensure that machine identities only have the minimum access needed to do their job—nothing more. Use modern tools to auto-rotate credentials and set expiration dates, so access doesn’t linger after projects or integrations change.

Note: A robust managed IT & cybersecurity provider can inventory, monitor, and manage non-human identities for you—closing this gap before bad actors find it first. Schedule a quick call to get started.

Why This Matters for SMBs—Now More Than Ever

Attackers know that machine identities are expanding and that oversight is often poor, especially for smaller teams. They’ll look for unmonitored service accounts or hardcoded API keys to slip in quietly, then escalate their privileges. By making non-human identity management part of your risk reduction strategy, you can close off one of the most lucrative attack pathways—without adding a bunch of complexity to your workflow.

Remember: Proactive management of machine identities isn’t just for Fortune 500s. It’s a must-have foundation if you want to secure, simplify, and reduce IT costs with confidence.

Next Steps: Secure Your Business, Reduce Risk

  • Start with visibility—know every machine identity, not just human users.
  • Remove and rotate unneeded credentials routinely.
  • Automate least privilege and enforce end-to-end visibility through managed IT services.

If you’re unsure where to begin, book a 15-min security consult with BoltWork. We’ll walk you through a straightforward audit—and help you lock the door on invisible threats before they become expensive incidents.

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