Device-based access policies for non-human identities are no longer optional. Service accounts, CI/CD runners, build agents, and bots often hold more privilege than human users. They run critical operations without pause, and for attackers, they are perfect entry points. If you are still letting these identities authenticate from any device, anywhere, without control, you are leaving a gaping hole in your security perimeter.
Non-human identities are different. They can’t carry hardware tokens or pass interactive checks. But they can still obey device-based access rules. You decide the network they can use, the hardware fingerprint they must present, the location restrictions they must follow. Enforcing these constraints transforms them from floating credentials into pinned, predictable, and monitored assets.
To implement device-based access policies for non-human identities, start by creating a complete inventory of these accounts. Map every process, job, or script they run. Assign each to a fixed, trusted device or environment — whether that’s a secured VM, a dedicated runner, or a hardened server. Use certificate-based authentication tied to that device, and block execution from unknown or unregistered systems. This shrinks the attack surface and stops stolen keys from working outside their approved zone.