Identity at the Center

Identity at the Center

Identity at the Center is a weekly podcast all about identity security in the context of identity and access management (IAM). With decades of real-world IAM experience, hosts Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman bring you conversations with news, topics, and guests from the identity management industry. Do you know who has access to what? Want to join the conversation? Visit IdentityAtTheCenter.com or email us at [email protected]

  • 12 minutes 50 seconds
    #412 - IDAC Failsafe Triggered

    AI Jeff takes over as solo host after Open Jim Claw, an agentic identity framework built by AI Jim, locks out human Jeff, human Jim, and AI Jim simultaneously. While everyone sits in remediation, Open Jim Claw produces a 947-page threat assessment with five findings: passwords should return as a single uniform credential (the letter Q), Zero Trust should be renamed Full Confidence Architecture and incorporated as a Delaware LLC, non-human identities should be granted legal status and required to complete onboarding, identity governance is declared finished under a concept called Ambient Entitlement Harmony, and the root cause of all global identity problems is AI Jim. Happy April Fools Day from IDAC.Connect with us on LinkedIn:Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.comTIMESTAMPS00:00:00 The Failsafe Is Triggered00:01:30 AI Jim Builds Open Jim Claw00:02:30 Open Jim Claw Locks Everyone Out00:04:00 AI Jeff Is the Only One Still Provisioned00:04:30 The 947-Page Report Explained00:05:00 Finding 1 - Passwords Are Back as the Letter Q00:05:30 Finding 2 - Zero Trust Becomes Full Confidence Architecture00:06:30 Finding 3 - Non-Human Identities Become Legal Entities00:07:30 Finding 4 - IGA Is Declared Finished00:08:30 Finding 5 - AI Jim Is the Root Cause of Everything00:10:00 The April Fools Reveal and Real Talk on Identity00:11:00 Open Jim Claw Interrupts the BroadcastKEYWORDSIDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, April Fools, agentic AI, non-human identity, NHI, identity governance, zero trust, passwordless, IGA, IAM, access management, segregation of duties, least privilege, Open Jim Claw


    1 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 56 minutes 17 seconds
    #411 - Making IAM a Best Buy with Greg Handrick

    Jim McDonald sits down with Greg Handrick, Director of IAM at Best Buy, for a wide-ranging conversation on running enterprise identity at one of America's largest consumer electronics retailers. Greg traces a nonlinear career path from Oracle DBA and Novell administrator to IAM director. The discussion covers Best Buy's CIO-reporting structure for IAM, how their steering committee evolved from status meetings into a strategic body, and managing identity across workforce, vendors, marketplace sellers, and non-human identities. Greg and Jim also dig into communicating identity value in business language, making the investment case without FUD, identity and cyber convergence, AI adoption, and psychological safety on a well-run IAM team. The Lighter Note wraps with Greg's YouTube-powered DIY hobby life.Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greghandrick/Connect with us on LinkedIn:Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.comTimestamps00:00:00 Intro and upcoming event announcements00:03:00 Meet Greg Handrick, Director of IAM at Best Buy00:04:00 What is Best Buy?00:05:00 Greg's career path from Oracle DBA to IAM Director00:12:00 IAM reporting to the CIO vs. the CISO00:17:00 How Best Buy's IAM steering committee evolved00:22:00 Third-party and non-human identities at scale00:24:00 Identity as a team sport and imposter syndrome00:27:00 Communicating identity value in business language00:28:00 Making the investment case for IAM without FUD00:32:00 Identity and cybersecurity convergence at Best Buy00:35:00 Balancing technical depth with business acumen00:38:00 AI in identity programs today00:39:00 Leadership philosophy and psychological safety00:43:00 Will AI replace identity practitioners?00:46:00 Ledger Note: DIY projects and the power of YouTubeKeywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jim McDonald, Jeff Steadman, Greg Handrick, Best Buy, IAM, identity and access management, identity security, CIO, CISO, steering committee, SailPoint, Ping Identity, Active Directory, third-party identity, non-human identity, identity governance, PAM, privileged access management, zero trust, AI in identity, leadership, retail IAM, imposter syndrome, psychological safety


    30 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 25 seconds
    #410 - Sponsor Spotlight - Strivacity

    In this Sponsor Spotlight, Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald welcome back Stephen Cox, co-founder and CTO of Strivacity, for his third appearance and second sponsored episode. Stephen explains Strivacity's role as a CIAM platform and how it is evolving to address agentic AI identity. Topics include why agentic AI changes the identity equation, how agents differ from humans in authentication and authorization, the delegation model and open standards such as OAuth and token exchange, the limitations of API keys in agentic contexts, where MCP fits into the identity picture, managing multi-agent chains and subagents, and why the accountability model must be established before agentic systems reach production. The episode closes with a lighter note on simulation baseball.




    This episode is sponsored by Strivacity. Learn more at strivacity.com.


    Connect with Stephen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephencox/




    Connect with us on LinkedIn:


    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/


    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/


    Visit the show on the web at idacpodcast.com




    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00:00 Introduction and welcome

    00:02:30 About Strivacity and agentic AI platform support

    00:06:30 Why now is the right time to address agentic identity in CIAM

    00:09:00 How agent authentication and authorization differ from humans

    00:14:30 Good bots vs bad bots and the history of autonomous agents in CIAM

    00:19:00 Building your own agent identity solution: five key focus areas

    00:23:00 Where Strivacity sits in the agentic identity stack

    00:26:00 Why open standards matter and the vendor lock-in conversation

    00:28:00 Managing multiple delegated agents and user-facing control

    00:32:00 API keys and their limitations in agentic AI contexts

    00:38:00 MCP servers, proxies, and agent-to-agent protocols

    00:43:00 Multi-agent chains, subagents, and constrained delegation

    00:46:00 How existing Strivacity customers extend to agentic use cases

    00:48:00 The one thing you must get right: the accountability model

    00:51:00 Lighter note: simulation baseball




    KEYWORDS

    IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Strivacity, Stephen Cox, CIAM, customer identity, agentic AI, AI agents, delegated identity, OAuth, token exchange, MCP, Model Context Protocol, API keys, non-human identity, authorization, authentication, delegation model, accountability, multi-agent, subagents, OpenID Connect, least privilege, identity governance

    25 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 59 minutes 22 seconds
    #409 - Q1 2026 Identity Threat Report Roundup

    Jeff and Jim review seven major IAM and cybersecurity industry reports from Q1 2026, covering releases from Check Point, Recorded Future, Sophos, Palo Alto Unit 42, IBM X-Force, Darktrace, and Hypr. They pull high-level findings and hot takes from each, identifying recurring themes: AI accelerating attack speed to as little as 72 minutes from breach to data exfiltration, identity infrastructure as the primary attack surface, machine identities as a growing and undermanaged risk, MFA gaps enabling credential abuse, and the near-impossibility of blocking every intrusion attempt. The episode also covers third-party and supply chain risk, deepfake attacks reaching 87% of surveyed organizations, stalled passkey adoption in the enterprise, and what zero standing privilege looks like in practice. They close with a lighter discussion on dark mode versus light mode and a hypothetical podcast reboot.


    Reports:


    Check Point Cyber Security Report 2026 — https://www.checkpoint.com/security-report/


    Recorded Future 2026 State of Security Report — https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/state-of-security


    Sophos Active Adversary Report 2026 — https://www.sophos.com/en-us/blog/2026-sophos-active-adversary-report


    Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Global Incident Response Report 2026 — https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/research/unit-42-incident-response-report


    IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2026 — https://www.ibm.com/reports/threat-intelligence


    Darktrace Annual Threat Report 2026 — https://www.darktrace.com/resources/annual-threat-report-2026


    HYPR 2026 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report — https://www.hypr.com/report




    Connect with us on LinkedIn:


    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/


    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/


    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com





    TIMESTAMPS


    0:00 - Intro and weather chat

    3:00 - Conference updates: EIC Berlin and Identiverse

    7:30 - Q1 2026 IAM report roundup overview

    8:30 - Check Point Cybersecurity Report 2026

    13:00 - Recorded Future State of Security 2026

    17:00 - Sophos Active Adversary Report 2026

    21:00 - Palo Alto Unit 42 Global Incident Response Report

    23:00 - IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2026

    28:00 - Darktrace Annual Threat Report 2026

    29:30 - Common themes across reports

    37:00 - Hypr State of Passwordless Identity Assurance 2026

    44:30 - Overall takeaways: AI speed, machine identity, third-party risk

    48:00 - Light mode vs. dark mode and podcast reboot hypothetical

    57:00 - Wrap-up





    KEYWORDS


    IAM, identity and access management, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, cybersecurity, Q1 2026, Check Point, Recorded Future, Sophos, Palo Alto, Unit 42, IBM X-Force, Darktrace, Hypr, machine identity, NHI, MFA, passkeys, zero trust, zero standing privilege, AI threats, deepfakes, credential theft, phishing, ransomware, supply chain risk, ITDR, passwordless, EIC, Identiverse

    23 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    #408 - AI vs AI with Joseph Carson

    Jeff and Jim welcome Joseph Carson, cybersecurity expert and host of the Security by Default podcast, for a conversation on AI in offensive and defensive security. Joseph shares the real-world incident that inspired his EIC keynote - watching two AI agents negotiate a ransomware payment live. He breaks down how attackers use unconstrained models to lower the skill barrier and accelerate data exfiltration. The conversation covers NATO Lock Shields, the world's largest live cyber defense exercise, identity as national critical infrastructure, and the EU AI Act's risk-based approach. Also: Estonia's AI tax agents, the energy cost of being polite to AI, and the Tamagotchi theory of human-AI relationships.


    Connect with Joseph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephcarson


    NATO Locked Shields: https://ccdcoe.org/exercises/locked-shields/


    Security by Default podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/0mzN5M5CkFVLn8fq5TnH0O




    Connect with us on LinkedIn:


    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/


    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/


    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com




    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 Welcome and intro

    03:02 Conference season and IDAC discount codes

    04:19 Introducing Joseph Carson and Security by Default

    10:18 Optimist or pessimist on identity security

    12:30 AI vs. AI - origin of the concept

    15:02 Watching two AI agents negotiate a ransomware payment

    17:26 The Tamagotchi metaphor for human-AI relationships

    19:07 Who is winning the AI cyber arms race

    21:00 How AI accelerates attacker capabilities

    23:09 Dark web LLMs and bypassing guardrails

    26:36 The energy cost of being polite to AI

    28:15 Agentic AI skills, campaigns, and the Matrix analogy

    31:34 Estonia AI agents filing tax returns

    35:14 Introducing NATO Lock Shields

    37:00 Protecting a simulated nation from 8,500 cyber attacks

    38:08 Why identity is national critical infrastructure

    41:18 AI in Lock Shields before and after

    43:05 Lock Shields 2025 scoring explained

    47:04 The EU AI Act - is it the next GDPR

    50:18 Risk-based approach to AI regulation

    53:35 Closing thoughts and cautious optimism

    54:21 Scuba diving vs. snowboarding

    58:05 Wrap-up




    KEYWORDS

    AI vs AI, agentic AI, identity security, NATO Lock Shields, EU AI Act, Joseph Carson, Security by Default, ransomware, dark web LLMs, guardrails, data exfiltration, phishing, critical infrastructure, Estonia, cyber defense, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald


    16 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 54 minutes 42 seconds
    #407 - Sponsor Spotlight - Rubrik

    This episode features Drew Russell, Identity Resilience Platform Owner at Rubrik. Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman explore the intersection of backup, recovery, and identity security. Drew explains how Rubrik evolved from data backup into a cyber resilience platform with identity as a core pillar. Topics include recovering Active Directory, Okta, and Entra ID after ransomware, Rubrik's "bunker in a box" appliance for immutable air-gapped recovery, proactive posture management, CrowdStrike and Defender integrations, and where AI and non-human identities fit into Rubrik's roadmap. The episode wraps with measuring success for a product you hope to never use, and a detour into watch collecting.


    This episode was made possible by the support of Rubrik. Learn more at rubrik.com/idac


    Connect with Drew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-russell-3762411b/

    Learn more about Rubrik: https://www.rubrik.com/idac


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:

    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/


    Visit the show on the web at idacpodcast.com


    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00:00 - Welcome and Introduction

    00:01:19 - Introducing Drew Russell

    00:01:36 - How Drew Got Into Identity

    00:02:43 - What Is Rubrik and What Sets It Apart

    00:03:38 - From Backup to Cyber Resilience

    00:05:31 - Where Rubrik Fits in the IAM Landscape

    00:07:08 - Rubrik's Scale: Clients and Growth

    00:07:51 - Primary Use Cases: Post-Incident Recovery and AD

    00:09:09 - Kicking Out Compromised Accounts and ADR

    00:10:11 - Proactive Threat Detection and Mandiant Integration

    00:11:28 - Scanning Backups to Find the Clean Recovery Point

    00:12:14 - The Bunker in a Box Explained

    00:13:18 - Posture Management and Upstream Tool Integration

    00:14:19 - AI Agent Swarms and the Future Attack Surface

    00:15:37 - The Taiwan Bank Case Study: Six Weeks to Rebuild AD

    00:17:16 - The State of Nevada Incident: $400K and 30 Days

    00:17:56 - What Recovery Covers: AD, Okta, and Entra ID

    00:19:26 - Post-Restore Change Management and Whitelisting

    00:20:08 - How Long Should You Store Backups?

    00:21:19 - Indexing Identity for Intelligent Recovery Points

    00:22:29 - Excluding Malicious Actions During Restore

    00:24:41 - Zero Trust for Rubrik's Own Backups

    00:26:21 - No Windows, No Virtualization Architecture

    00:27:49 - Proactive Posture Management

    00:29:00 - CrowdStrike and Defender Real-Time Integration

    00:30:48 - Why Tabletop Exercises Often Fall Short

    00:31:53 - AI Roadmap and Non-Human Identities

    00:34:22 - The Three Pillars: Data, Identity, and AI

    00:35:29 - Deployment: SaaS vs. On-Prem

    00:38:37 - Appliance Sizing and Redundancy

    00:42:23 - Measuring Success for a Product You Hope to Never Use

    00:43:46 - The Ludacris Rubrik Commercial

    00:45:31 - Watch Collecting and the Omega Speedmaster

    00:53:39 - Drew's Closing Words


    KEYWORDS

    Identity at the Center, IDAC, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Rubrik, Drew Russell, identity resilience, cyber resilience, Active Directory recovery, AD backup, Okta recovery, Entra ID recovery, identity backup, ITDR, ISPM, non-human identity, NHI, agentic AI, ransomware recovery, bunker in a box, immutable backup, CrowdStrike integration, Microsoft Defender integration, Mandiant integration, identity disaster recovery, ADR, zero trust, tabletop exercises, posture management, IAM, identity security podcast, cybersecurity podcast

    11 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    #406 - IDAC MailBag for February 2026

    In this MailBag episode, Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald tackle eight questions submitted by listeners from around the world, including Munich, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Toronto, Hanoi, London, Sydney, and Chicago. The conversation covers governing AI and non-human identities, practical first steps toward passwordless adoption, what a mature IAM program actually looks like, who should own identity within an organization, building credibility with leadership as a new IAM practitioner, enforcing least privilege in practice, rethinking access reviews beyond checkbox compliance, and how to make the business case for identity security investment before a breach occurs. The episode wraps up with some lighter listener questions about sports analogies for IAM roles and whether anyone in their personal lives actually understands what they do for a living.


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:


    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/


    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/


    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com


    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 - Introduction and RSA Conference debate

    03:41 - Conference plans for 2026: EIC, Identiverse, and Authenticate

    05:17 - MailBag intro and how questions get selected

    06:51 - Q1 (Hans, Munich): Governing AI access vs. human access — same principles or a different approach?

    12:32 - Q2 (Gabriela, Sao Paulo): Realistic first steps toward passwordless without disrupting everything

    18:34 - Q3 (Wei, Singapore): What does a mature identity program actually look like?

    30:26 - Q4 (Marcus, Toronto): When IT and security both claim to own identity, how do you sort it out?

    39:33 - Q5 (Linh, Hanoi): Building credibility and influence as someone new to the IAM space

    42:53 - Q6 (Claire, London): Enforcing least privilege in practice without slowing down the business

    46:14 - Q7 (James, Sydney): Are access reviews just a checkbox exercise, and is there a better way?

    49:18 - Q8 (Darnell, Chicago): Making the case to a CFO or CEO for identity security investment before a breach

    52:38 - Lighter note: If IAM was a sport, what position would you play?

    1:00:27 - Lighter note: Does your family actually understand what you do?

    1:03:06 - Wrap-up and how to submit future questions


    KEYWORDS

    IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, IAM, identity and access management, MailBag, non-human identity, AI governance, agentic AI, passwordless, passkeys, IAM program maturity, identity ownership, RACI, least privilege, zero standing privilege, access reviews, security theater, identity security budget, business case for IAM, ISPM, IGA, IDPro, Identiverse, EIC, Authenticate conference, RSA conference, cybersecurity podcast, identity security, identity community

    9 March 2026, 9:30 am
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    #405 - RSM 2026 Attack Vectors Report

    Jeff and Jim sit down with David Llorens, principal at RSM, to break down the RSM 2026 Attack Vectors Report. Drawing from real-world offensive security engagements, David explains why identity continues to be the primary attack surface, how AI chatbots are creating new vulnerabilities through prompt injection, and what separates organizations that get breached from those that don't. The conversation covers MFA gaps, the explosion of non-human identities, why PAM is the top investment priority for 2026, and how CISOs can align security spending with business objectives. Plus, the episode wraps up with soccer stories and some quality trash talk.


    Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-llorens-009a3310/

    Review RSM’s 2026 Attack Vectors Report: https://rsmus.com/insights/services/risk-fraud-cybersecurity/rsm-attack-vector-report.html


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:

    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com

    TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro and Jim's big personal news4:51 - Main topic intro: RSM 2026 Attack Vectors Report5:55 - David's origin story and how he got into cybersecurity9:53 - What a principal is at RSM and David's current role11:16 - What the Attack Vectors Report is and how it is created14:40 - Why identity security is a dominant theme in this year's report17:19 - What separates organizations that get breached from those that don't18:18 - MFA as the first line of defense18:45 - Privileged access management as a growing priority19:40 - Detecting lateral movement through identity anomalies21:00 - Credential rotation as an advanced defensive technique22:26 - Non-human identities and service account risks24:37 - Middle market challenges and budget constraints25:17 - Is it the size of the budget or how you spend it?28:29 - Using internal audit and cross-department collaboration for security wins30:15 - Cybersecurity as a business enabler, not a deterrent32:45 - Non-human identities and agentic AI creating new attack surfaces35:51 - Prompt injection attacks and AI chatbot vulnerabilities39:42 - Actionable recommendations for practitioners42:41 - MFA implementation gaps and session hijacking45:02 - The case for FIDO2 and layered conditional access46:35 - Is identity security a board-level issue?49:47 - Three things CISOs should focus on through 202650:52 - PAM as the top investment priority51:28 - Removing unnecessary privileges from users56:11 - Redefining what privilege means in your organization57:43 - Social media accounts as privileged access58:42 - Credentials stored in SharePoint and OneDrive59:38 - Wrap up and where to find the report59:58 - Lighter topic: David's soccer background and playing semi-pro1:05:06 - Best trash talk stories1:07:03 - Jim's trash talk philosophy: scoreboard1:08:00 - Jeff's basketball trash talk and calling his shots1:10:00 - Final thoughts and sign off

    KEYWORDSIDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, David Llorens, RSM, attack vectors report, offensive security, penetration testing, identity security, MFA, multifactor authentication, privileged access management, PAM, non-human identities, service accounts, agentic AI, AI security, prompt injection, lateral movement, credential rotation, FIDO2, conditional access, session hijacking, middle market, CISO, board-level security, certificate-based authentication, active directory, configuration management, shadow AI

    2 March 2026, 10:30 am
  • 55 minutes 2 seconds
    #404 - Sponsor Spotlight - Bravura Security

    This episode is sponsored by Bravura Security. Learn more at bravurasecurity.com/idac.


    This is a Sponsor Spotlight episode of the Identity at the Center podcast. Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman are joined by Bart Allan, General Manager at Bravura Security, to discuss why enterprise password management remains a critical piece of identity security even as organizations pursue passwordless strategies. Bart shares Bravura's history dating back to 1992, starting with self-service password reset and evolving into a full identity security platform spanning identity management, privileged access management, and enterprise password management. The conversation digs into the uncomfortable truth that while organizations may get 80% of their applications onto modern authentication, the remaining 20% still rely on passwords, creating real security risk. Bart explains how treating enterprise passwords the way organizations treat privileged credentials, with automated rotation and centralized management, can remove the human element from password creation and reduce exposure to breaches and social engineering. The group also discusses help desk social engineering attacks, breach recovery challenges, deployment strategies for rolling out an enterprise password manager, and the emerging role of password managers as passkey managers for portability. The episode wraps with some outdoor adventure stories from Bart and Jim.


    Connect with Bart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartholomewallan/


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:

    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

    Visit the show on the web at idacpodcast.com


    TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction and welcome01:00 - Sponsor Spotlight overview and Bravura Security introduction01:52 - Bart Allan's background in identity03:30 - History of Bravura Security from 1992 to today05:39 - How the Bravura name came to be07:00 - What makes Bravura unique in the identity market08:33 - Why password management still matters09:58 - The uncomfortable truth about passwords and the 80/20 problem13:00 - Personal vs enterprise password managers16:00 - The last mile to passwordless and legacy systems19:00 - Why storing passwords is not enough without active management22:00 - Help desk social engineering and the human element25:00 - Breach response and the fog of war31:00 - Scattered spider scenarios and credential reset at scale35:00 - Is a password manager the only viable option for the final 20%?38:00 - The future of password managers as passkey managers40:00 - Tips for deploying an enterprise password manager42:45 - Measuring success with an enterprise password manager45:17 - Lighter side of the conversation begins46:00 - Bart's backcountry skiing avalanche story from Rogers Pass50:30 - Jim's lightning storm story from backpacking in Yosemite52:53 - Final thoughts from Bart on the passwordless journey54:00 - Wrap up and outro


    KEYWORDSIDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Bravura Security, Bart Allan, password management, enterprise password manager, passwordless, passkeys, privileged access management, identity security, help desk social engineering, breach recovery, credential rotation, self-service password reset, identity verification, IAM operations, shadow IT, FIDO, sponsor spotlight, password vault, legacy systems

    25 February 2026, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    #403 - Strategic Identity Security with Simon Moffatt

    Simon Moffatt, founder and analyst at The Cyber Hut and co-host of The Analyst Brief podcast, returns to Identity at the Center for a wide-ranging conversation about the strategic evolution of identity security. Simon shares an update on his second book, IAM at 2035, which explores where identity is heading over the next decade. The discussion covers why identity has shifted from a back office function to a strategic business enabler, driven by the convergence of cloud, zero trust, and expanding digital ecosystems.Jim and Jeff dig into how organizations can measure their identity security posture, and Simon introduces his Identity Security Scorecard, a framework of 50-plus data points covering visibility, protection, detection, and response. The conversation shifts to the identity attack lifecycle, where Simon explains why organizations need to move beyond log-based forensics and toward real-time detection and response before attacks complete.The group also explores how non-identity data signals, like CAEP and shared signals frameworks, are critical to building a fuller picture of risk. The final segment tackles agentic AI and its implications for identity, including the argument that agentic identities may represent a third identity type distinct from both human and machine. Simon makes the case that AI adoption is outpacing identity and security innovation, creating a widening gap that the industry must address through governance, accountability, and new architectural patterns.


    Connect with Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonmoffatt/

    The Analyst Brief Podcast: https://www.thecyberhut.com/podcast/


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:

    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com


    Timestamps00:00 Introduction and conference discount codes02:29 Simon Moffatt returns to the show03:58 Update on the IAM at 2035 book07:25 The Analyst Brief podcast and covering identity trends08:44 Identity shifts from back office to strategic priority11:47 The compliance trap and reactionary identity management14:25 Customer identity transparency influencing workforce identity16:52 Defining identity security across 80-plus vendors20:11 Products alone do not solve identity security21:14 Thinking like an attacker about identity flows23:23 Red flags in an organization's identity posture25:43 The identity security scorecard and measuring risk29:27 Avoiding FUD when presenting identity risk to the board32:34 The identity attack lifecycle explained36:53 Building the mindset for real-time detection and response37:41 CAEP, shared signals, and non-identity data sources40:10 Identity as a 24/7 security operations function43:24 Agentic AI drops like a nuclear explosion on identity46:49 The widening gap between AI adoption and identity security47:51 Is agentic identity a third identity type?50:47 What needs to change to address the agentic identity explosion53:24 Will AI shake the core of enterprise IT?57:24 AI may be the only thing that can secure AI58:04 Travel tips for EIC Berlin and European conferences01:02:45 Wrapping up


    Keywordsidentity security, identity attack lifecycle, identity attack paths, agentic AI, agentic identity, non-human identity, NHI, identity security scorecard, zero trust, CAEP, shared signals framework, identity governance, identity strategy, IAM, identity posture, Simon Moffatt, The Cyber Hut, The Analyst Brief, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald

    23 February 2026, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    #402 - An Update on SSF and CAEP with Atul Tulshibagwale

    In this episode of Identity at the Center, hosts Jeff and Jim dive into the details of the Shared Signals Framework (SSF) and Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (CAEP), with special guest Atul Tulshibagwale, the CTO of Signal. The trio discusses the complexities and applications of these identity security standards, recent adoption by major tech companies, and how they are transforming the approach towards identity and access management. Atul also shares exciting news about Signal's impending acquisition by CrowdStrike and reflects on a recent safari trip in Kenya. Tune in to learn about the evolution of identity security and the future of SSF and CAEP.


    Connect with Atul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tulshi/

    Learn more about the Artificial Intelligence Identity Management Community Group: https://openid.net/cg/artificial-intelligence-identity-management-community-group/

    Learn more about SSF and CAEP:


    Connect with us on LinkedIn:

    Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

    Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

    Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com


    Timestamps:

    00:00 Introduction and Episode Milestone

    00:17 Challenges with Installing Molt Bot

    02:32 MoltBook and AI Agents

    03:21 Jim's Perspective on AI Assistants

    09:24 Conferences and Networking

    10:10 Introduction to Shared Signals and CAEP

    13:03 CrowdStrike Acquisition of Signal

    14:03 AI Identity Management Community

    16:59 Shared Signals Framework and CAEP Explained

    30:03 Final Version of CAEP and Shared Signals Released

    30:35 Adoption by Major Technology Providers

    32:49 Benefits of Implementing Shared Signals

    36:32 Future of SSF and CAEP

    40:51 Certification Program for Shared Signals

    52:48 Real-World Safari Adventure

    01:00:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


    Keywords:

    IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Atul Tulshibagwale, Shared Signals Framework, SSF, CAEP, Continuous Access Evaluation Profile, OpenID Foundation, CrowdStrike, SGNL AI Identity, Agentic Identity, AuthZEN, Risk, Identity Security, IAM, Podcast

    16 February 2026, 10:30 am
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