Application identity refers to the unique digital persona assigned to non-human entities such as software applications, services, automated processes, or workloads. Unlike human identities, application identities enable these automated components to authenticate themselves and gain authorized access to resources, data, APIs, databases, or other services within a network or cloud environment. These identities typically leverage credentials such as API keys, tokens, certificates, service accounts, or managed identities to establish trust and verify legitimacy.

Effective management of application identities is essential for enforcing granular access policies and implementing the principle of least privilege. By properly securing these identities, organizations can prevent unauthorized access, mitigate sophisticated threats, and maintain a clear audit trail for machine-to-machine interactions. This practice is fundamental to an organization's overall cybersecurity posture, ensuring operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and the integrity of interconnected systems within modern digital ecosystems.