Why Educational IT Departments Must Secure Both Human and Machine Identities

The Growing Threat Landscape in Education

The start of an academic year is a high-pressure period for educational institutions. As IT teams rush to onboard thousands of new students and staff, provision accounts, and integrate new devices, they inadvertently create vulnerabilities. This year, the threat is further amplified by artificial intelligence, which allows attackers to craft more sophisticated phishing campaigns while expanding the hidden surface of unmanaged machine identities.

According to government cybersecurity surveys, the education sector remains a primary target for ransomware and data theft. Hackers are drawn to the combination of high-value information—such as research data and financial records—and often underfunded IT departments managing a massive, constantly rotating user base.

The Rise of Non-Human Identities (NHIs)

While the focus is typically on human security, IT teams must also account for a vast population of Non-Human Identities (NHIs). These are essential to modern digital learning environments, ranging from API keys for third-party platforms and service accounts for student records to AI agents powering chatbots and grading software.

These NHIs frequently become security blind spots because, unlike human users, they are rarely included in standard onboarding or offboarding workflows. When credentials for these entities are never rotated or when they are granted excessive permissions, they provide attackers with a persistent foothold.

Essential Steps to Enhance Security

To mitigate these risks, educational institutions should treat security as a continuous process rather than a seasonal checklist. Experts recommend the following strategies:

• Mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Ensure MFA is enforced for all faculty, staff, and students from the point of account creation to provide a critical defense against credential theft.
• Auditing Privileges: Regularly review and minimize access rights for both human and non-human accounts, retiring any that are no longer strictly necessary.
• Enterprise Password Management: Implement tools that help users generate and store strong, unique credentials to move away from risky habits like password reuse.
• Establishing an NHI Inventory: Organizations must gain visibility by cataloging every API key, machine certificate, and AI agent to understand who owns these identities and what access they possess.
• Credential Rotation Policies: Implement strict rotation schedules for machine credentials, particularly for third-party EdTech integrations, as these are increasingly targeted in large-scale breaches.

As the sector continues to evolve, the distinction between human and machine security is blurring. As noted by industry experts, «Regardless of whether a breach stems from a human or machine, the impact is the same.» By gaining comprehensive visibility over every identity with access to critical systems, educational institutions can significantly reduce their exposure to modern cyber threats.