Keeper Security has released its latest global insight report, "Identity Security at Machine Speed," highlighting a critical shift in the enterprise threat landscape. The study, which surveyed 3,200 cybersecurity decision-makers globally, found that the rapid expansion of identity ecosystems—specifically the surge in Non-Human Identities (NHIs) driven by AI—is outstripping the capabilities of legacy security tools. With 96% of leaders citing disconnected tools as a primary source of exploitable gaps, the report emphasizes the urgent need for consolidated, zero-trust Privileged Access Management (PAM) to govern machine identities and AI agents.
89% of senior IT leaders find managing the growing identity footprint challenging.
72% of organizations cannot detect credential misuse in real time.
43% of global respondents identify AI-related NHI management as a top governance gap.
56% of leaders fear employees inadvertently exposing sensitive data to AI systems.
96% of organizations report exploitable gaps caused by poorly integrated security tools.
U.S. enterprises report higher-than-average concerns regarding "Shadow AI" and daily cyber attack attempts.
The research underscores that AI agents, service accounts, and machine identities now significantly outnumber human users in many enterprise environments. This "identity sprawl" has created a fragmented authority model where no single control plane exists to monitor access. Because most organizations lack the stack to govern these NHIs, they remain prime targets for attackers. The report found that detection is lagging dangerously behind; in most cases, unauthorized privileged access takes hours, days, or even weeks to identify.
"AI agents, service accounts and machine identities radically outnumber human users in many environments," said Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-founder of Keeper Security. "Every unmanaged identity is a prime target for attackers."
As AI adoption accelerates, new governance challenges are emerging. "Shadow AI"—the use of AI tools without official IT oversight—was identified as a significant gap by 42% of organizations. In the United States, this concern is even more pronounced, with 67% of leaders worried about sensitive info exposure and 51% identifying machine identity growth as an acute pressure point. These gaps suggest that while AI is driving productivity, it is simultaneously widening the surface area for data leakage and credential theft.
To combat these risks, Keeper Security advocates for the implementation of pervasive identity governance with real-time detection and Least-Privilege Enforcement. The company’s KeeperPAM® platform is designed to unify password, secrets, and privileged session management into a single, AI-enabled cloud-native environment. By integrating these functions, organizations can eliminate the disconnected gaps that currently allow attackers to move laterally across networks using compromised machine credentials.
About Keeper Security
Keeper Security is a pioneer of zero-knowledge and zero-trust security built for any IT environment. Its core offering, KeeperPAM®, protects all users, devices, and infrastructure from cyber attacks. Recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management (PAM), Keeper secures passwords, passkeys, infrastructure secrets, and remote connections with role-based enforcement and just-in-time access.
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