This episode is sponsored by HYPR. Visit hypr.com/idac to learn more.
In this episode from Authenticate 2025, Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman are joined by Bojan Simic, Co-Founder and CEO of HYPR, for a sponsored discussion on the evolving landscape of identity and security.
Bojan shares his journey from software engineer to cybersecurity leader and dives into the core mission of HYPR: providing fast, consistent, and secure identity controls that complement existing investments. The conversation explores the major themes from the conference, including the push for passkey adoption at scale and the challenge of securely authenticating AI agents.
A key focus of the discussion is the concept of "Know Your Employee" (KYE) in a continuous manner, a critical strategy for today's remote and hybrid workforces. Bojan explains how the old paradigm of one-time verification is failing, especially in the face of sophisticated, AI-powered social engineering attacks like those used by Scattered Spider. They discuss the issue of "identity sprawl" across multiple IDPs and why consolidation isn't always the answer. Instead, Bojan advocates for a flexible, best-of-breed approach that provides a consistent authentication experience and leverages existing security tools.
Connect with Bojan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bojansimic/
Learn more about HYPR: https://www.hypr.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
Chapter Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction at Authenticate 2025
00:23 - Sponsored Episode Welcome: Bojan Simic, CEO of HYPR
01:11 - How Bojan Simic Got into Identity and Cybersecurity
02:10 - The Elevator Pitch for HYPR
04:03 - The Buzz at Authenticate 2025: Passkeys and Securing AI Agents
05:29 - The Trend of Continuous "Know Your Employee" (KYE)
07:33 - Is Your MFA Program Enough Anymore?
09:44 - Hackers Don't Break In, They Log In: The Scattered Spider Threat
11:19 - How AI is Scaling Social Engineering Attacks Globally
13:08 - When a Breach Happens, Who's on the Hook? IT, Security, or HR?
16:23 - What is the Right Solution for Identity Practitioners?
17:05 - The Critical Role of Internal Marketing for Technology Adoption
22:27 - The Problem with Identity Sprawl and the Fallacy of IDP Consolidation
25:47 - When is it Time to Move On From Your Existing Identity Tools?
28:16 - The Role of Document-Based Identity Verification in the Enterprise
32:31 - What Makes HYPR's Approach Unique?
35:33 - How Do You Measure the Success of an Identity Solution?
36:39 - HYPR's Philosophy: Never Leave a User Stranded
39:00 - Authentication as a Tier Zero, Always-On Capability
40:05 - Is Identity Part of Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
41:36 - From the Ring to the C-Suite: Bojan's Past as a Competitive Boxer
47:03 - How to Learn More About HYPR
Keywords:
IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Bojan Simic, HYPR, Passkeys, Know Your Employee, KYE, Continuous Identity, Identity Verification, Authenticate 2025, Phishing Resistant, Social Engineering, Scattered Spider, AI Security, Identity Sprawl, Passwordless Authentication, FIDO, MFA, IDP Consolidation, Zero Trust, Cybersecurity, IAM, Identity and Access Management, Enterprise Security
Identity at the Center 
