Machine identity security crisis heightens as certificate lifespans shorten
As AI continues to rise, the number of machine identities continues to grow, currently exceeding the number of human ones by a ratio of 40:1. At the same time, the number of security incidents related to machine identities is increasing just as rapidly. This calls for new security measures, putting more pressure on cybersecurity teams.
Shorter certificate lifespans
The proliferation of machine identities - including certificates, keys, secrets, and access tokens - has accelerated dramatically due to widespread AI adoption and cloud innovation. Simultaneously, the industry shift toward shorter certificate lifespans has significantly increased turnover rates for these critical security components.
Machine identity-related security incidents are increasing at an alarming rate, paralleling the explosive growth in machine identities themselves. A primary driver of this trend is the shortened lifespan of security certificates, which now expire more rapidly than before. According to CyberArk's latest research detailed in the 2025 State of Machine Identity Security Report, 72% of organizations have experienced at least one certificate-related failure in the past year - a substantial increase from previous years.
The security implications of certificate-related failures are severe, with 50% of organizations reporting security incidents or breaches resulting directly from compromised machine identities.
The push toward shorter certificate lifespans signals a broader industry shift toward strengthening cybersecurity and staying ahead of evolving threats. This trend is evident in recent proposals, with Google advocating for 90-day certificates and Apple going even further with a proposed lifespan of just 47 days.
Significant operational challenges
This combination of rapid growth and faster expiration cycles has left many organizations struggling to maintain effective security practices.
CyberArk’s survey reveals reasons to be concerned. While nearly three-quarters of organizations experienced at least one certificate-related outage in the past year, 67% now face these disruptions monthly and 45% deal with them weekly. This represents a substantial deterioration from 2022 figures, when only 26% reported monthly outages and a mere 12% experienced weekly incidents. These statistics highlight how the shortened certificate lifespans, while theoretically improving security, have created significant operational challenges that many organizations are struggling to address effectively.
Business impact
The shorter lifespan of machine identities also increases turnover rates. As a result, organizations are struggling to keep up and are taking a siloed approach to securing machine identities, which in turn creates other risks.
The business impact of these certificate-related issues extends far beyond technical inconvenience. Machine identity abuse directly leads to application launch delays for 51% of organizations, customer-facing outages for 44%, and perhaps most concerning, unauthorized access to sensitive data or networks for 43% of respondents. As machine identities continue to proliferate - with eight in ten security leaders expecting up to 150% growth in the coming year - these challenges will only intensify. The growing centrality of AI systems in organizational infrastructure further compounds these risks, with 81% of security leaders recognizing that machine identity security will be crucial for protecting our AI-dominated future, yet many lack the mature, cohesive security strategy required to address these rapidly evolving threats.
