In January 2025, the Biden administration issued Executive Order 14144, Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation's Cybersecurity. While it doesn’t explicitly reference Non-Human Identities, its core principles—emphasizing identity management, Zero Trust, and comprehensive inventory—are highly relevant to securing NHIs in today’s complex digital ecosystems.

Building on the Foundation of EO 14028

Executive Order 14144 builds upon the groundwork laid by Executive Order 14028 (Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity), issued in May 2021. EO 14028 introduced critical initiatives like Zero Trust Architecture and software supply chain security but didn’t address the specific challenges posed by NHIs.

EO 14144 expands on these efforts, placing a broader focus on identity management. Directives around inventory management, continuous monitoring, and identity governance can—and should—be applied to NHIs, reflecting a growing recognition of their role in today’s cybersecurity landscape.

What the Executive Order Means for NHIs

The executive order outlines several critical directives, applicable to all identities and software components. Its directives have clear implications for NHIs:

  1. Comprehensive Inventory and Monitoring: Agencies are required to maintain detailed identity inventories. When extended to NHIs, this necessitates visibility across all environments—cloud, SaaS, on-premises, and beyond—combined with continuous monitoring to detect unauthorized access and anomalies.
  2. Implementation of Zero Trust Architecture: Building on EO 14028, EO 14144 reinforces Zero Trust principles for all identities. These principles should be extended to NHIs through robust governance practices, ensuring that every identity—including NHIs—is continuously authenticated and authorized before accessing resources.
  3. Enhanced Identity Governance: The order mandates the establishment of strong identity governance frameworks. This should include NHIs, focusing on managing their lifecycle, enforcing least-privilege access, and ensuring the timely decommissioning of obsolete or unused identities to reduce security risks.
  4. Secure Development Practices: Agencies are directed to integrate secure development standards that protect all identities. This involves using strong encryption, implementing strict access controls, and conducting regular security assessments to safeguard NHIs embedded within applications and systems.

Private Enterprises are part of the Story

Although EO 14144 is designed for federal agencies and contractors, its influence extends well beyond the public sector. Historically, federal cybersecurity mandates have shaped industry-wide best practices, setting new benchmarks that ripple across private enterprises.

Private organizations—especially in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure—will likely face indirect pressure to align with EO 14144’s principles. Vendors and supply chain partners serving federal entities will also need to comply, creating a cascading effect across industries.

Why It Matters for Private Organizations:

  • Improved Resilience: Proactively adopting EO 14144’s standards strengthens defenses against NHI-related cyberattacks.
  • Future-Proofing: Aligning now prepares organizations for potential future regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance as cybersecurity mandates evolve.

By emphasizing Zero Trust architecture, comprehensive identity inventories, and advanced governance, EO 14144 offers a roadmap not just for federal agencies but for any organization looking to elevate its security posture.

How Clutch Security Can Help Organizations Adapt

Clutch Security simplifies compliance with EO 14144’s principles, providing organizations with the tools needed to secure NHIs effectively while enhancing operational efficiency.

1. Complete Visibility Across NHIs

Clutch delivers unified visibility into all NHIs—across cloud platforms, SaaS applications, CI/CD pipelines, code repositories, and on-prem systems. Its Identity Lineage™ maps each NHI’s origin, associated owners, storage locations, consumers, and resource access, enabling security teams to identify and mitigate risks quickly.

2. Real-Time Threat Detection and Response

Clutch continuously monitors NHI activity, flagging anomalies and providing real-time alerts for suspicious behaviors. Integrated response capabilities allow for immediate threat containment, reducing the risk of breach before damage occurs.

3. Zero Trust Architecture

Designed with Zero Trust at its core, Clutch ensures every NHI interaction undergoes continuous validation. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access, helping organizations maintain a resilient security posture across all environments.

4. Automated Identity Governance

Clutch streamlines the entire lifecycle management process—from NHI creation to decommissioning. Built-in workflows enforce least-privilege access, while customizable policies ensure the timely removal of obsolete identities. This approach simplifies governance and enhances compliance with security standards.

5. Compliance and Audit-Ready Reporting

Clutch supports governance, risk management, and audit readiness, aligning with EO 14144’s cybersecurity directives. Clutch simplifies audit preparation with comprehensive reporting, actionable insights, and automated compliance checks.

Securing the Backbone of Modern Enterprises

Executive Order 14144 is a wake-up call for organizations to prioritize the security of NHIs. NHIs are now critical assets that require the same rigorous security controls as human identities. While they are indispensable to enterprise operations, they also represent a growing attack surface that cannot be ignored. Clutch Security’s Zero Trust-driven platform helps organizations move beyond outdated practices like credential rotation, enabling proactive, comprehensive Non-Human Identity Security that aligns with the EO’s directives.

EO 14144 sets the tone for the future of cybersecurity. Don’t wait for mandates to act - proactively secure your NHIs.

Curious about how Clutch Security can help transform your NHI security strategy? Let’s talk!