What is driving the machine identity crisis? - Help Net Security

Every machine needs a unique identity in order to authenticate itself and communicate securely with other machines. This requirement is radically changing the definition of machines--from traditional physical devices, like laptops and servers, to virtual machines, containers, microservices, IoT devices and AI algorithms. According to Kevin Bocek, vice president at Venafi, all of these device types have been critical to innovation and digital transformation--yet little is done to safeguard their identities. "While the number of machines in the cloud, hybrid infrastructure and enterprise networks is exploding, most organizations are still attempting to protect machine identities using human methods like spreadsheets," said Bocek. "However, this approach creates its own set of problems--businesses can't keep up with the changes in volume and are being exposed to unacceptable risks."