Identity at the Center

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.comTIMESTAMPS00:00:00 Introduction and welcome00:02:30 About Strivacity and agentic AI platform support00:06:30 Why now is the right time to address agentic identity in CIAM00:09:00 How agent authentication and authorization differ from humans00:14:30 Good bots vs bad bots and the history of autonomous agents in CIAM00:19:00 Building your own agent identity solution: five key focus areas00:23:00 Where Strivacity sits in the agentic identity stack00:26:00 Why open standards matter and the vendor lock-in conversation00:28:00 Managing multiple delegated agents and user-facing control00:32:00 API keys and their limitations in agentic AI contexts00:38:00 MCP servers, proxies, and agent-to-agent protocols00:43:00 Multi-agent chains, subagents, and constrained delegation00:46:00 How existing Strivacity customers extend to agentic use cases00:48:00 The one thing you must get right: the accountability model00:51:00 Lighter note: simulation baseballKEYWORDSIDAC, 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

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-securitySophos Active Adversary Report 2026 — https://www.sophos.com/en-us/blog/2026-sophos-active-adversary-reportPalo Alto Networks Unit 42 Global Incident Response Report 2026 — https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/research/unit-42-incident-response-reportIBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2026 — https://www.ibm.com/reports/threat-intelligenceDarktrace Annual Threat Report 2026 — https://www.darktrace.com/resources/annual-threat-report-2026HYPR 2026 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report — https://www.hypr.com/reportConnect 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.comTIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro and weather chat3:00 - Conference updates: EIC Berlin and Identiverse7:30 - Q1 2026 IAM report roundup overview8:30 - Check Point Cybersecurity Report 202613:00 - Recorded Future State of Security 202617:00 - Sophos Active Adversary Report 202621:00 - Palo Alto Unit 42 Global Incident Response Report23:00 - IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 202628:00 - Darktrace Annual Threat Report 202629:30 - Common themes across reports37:00 - Hypr State of Passwordless Identity Assurance 202644:30 - Overall takeaways: AI speed, machine identity, third-party risk48:00 - Light mode vs. dark mode and podcast reboot hypothetical57:00 - Wrap-upKEYWORDSIAM, 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

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/josephcarsonNATO Locked Shields: https://ccdcoe.org/exercises/locked-shields/Security by Default podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/0mzN5M5CkFVLn8fq5TnH0OConnect 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 Welcome and intro03:02 Conference season and IDAC discount codes04:19 Introducing Joseph Carson and Security by Default10:18 Optimist or pessimist on identity security12:30 AI vs. AI - origin of the concept15:02 Watching two AI agents negotiate a ransomware payment17:26 The Tamagotchi metaphor for human-AI relationships19:07 Who is winning the AI cyber arms race21:00 How AI accelerates attacker capabilities23:09 Dark web LLMs and bypassing guardrails26:36 The energy cost of being polite to AI28:15 Agentic AI skills, campaigns, and the Matrix analogy31:34 Estonia AI agents filing tax returns35:14 Introducing NATO Lock Shields37:00 Protecting a simulated nation from 8,500 cyber attacks38:08 Why identity is national critical infrastructure41:18 AI in Lock Shields before and after43:05 Lock Shields 2025 scoring explained47:04 The EU AI Act - is it the next GDPR50:18 Risk-based approach to AI regulation53:35 Closing thoughts and cautious optimism54:21 Scuba diving vs. snowboarding58:05 Wrap-upKEYWORDSAI 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

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/idacConnect with Drew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-russell-3762411b/Learn more about Rubrik: https://www.rubrik.com/idacConnect 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.comTIMESTAMPS00:00:00 - Welcome and Introduction00:01:19 - Introducing Drew Russell00:01:36 - How Drew Got Into Identity00:02:43 - What Is Rubrik and What Sets It Apart00:03:38 - From Backup to Cyber Resilience00:05:31 - Where Rubrik Fits in the IAM Landscape00:07:08 - Rubrik's Scale: Clients and Growth00:07:51 - Primary Use Cases: Post-Incident Recovery and AD00:09:09 - Kicking Out Compromised Accounts and ADR00:10:11 - Proactive Threat Detection and Mandiant Integration00:11:28 - Scanning Backups to Find the Clean Recovery Point00:12:14 - The Bunker in a Box Explained00:13:18 - Posture Management and Upstream Tool Integration00:14:19 - AI Agent Swarms and the Future Attack Surface00:15:37 - The Taiwan Bank Case Study: Six Weeks to Rebuild AD00:17:16 - The State of Nevada Incident: $400K and 30 Days00:17:56 - What Recovery Covers: AD, Okta, and Entra ID00:19:26 - Post-Restore Change Management and Whitelisting00:20:08 - How Long Should You Store Backups?00:21:19 - Indexing Identity for Intelligent Recovery Points00:22:29 - Excluding Malicious Actions During Restore00:24:41 - Zero Trust for Rubrik's Own Backups00:26:21 - No Windows, No Virtualization Architecture00:27:49 - Proactive Posture Management00:29:00 - CrowdStrike and Defender Real-Time Integration00:30:48 - Why Tabletop Exercises Often Fall Short00:31:53 - AI Roadmap and Non-Human Identities00:34:22 - The Three Pillars: Data, Identity, and AI00:35:29 - Deployment: SaaS vs. On-Prem00:38:37 - Appliance Sizing and Redundancy00:42:23 - Measuring Success for a Product You Hope to Never Use00:43:46 - The Ludacris Rubrik Commercial00:45:31 - Watch Collecting and the Omega Speedmaster00:53:39 - Drew's Closing WordsKEYWORDSIdentity 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

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.comTIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction and RSA Conference debate03:41 - Conference plans for 2026: EIC, Identiverse, and Authenticate05:17 - MailBag intro and how questions get selected06:51 - 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 everything18:34 - 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 space42:53 - Q6 (Claire, London): Enforcing least privilege in practice without slowing down the business46:14 - 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 breach52:38 - 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 questionsKEYWORDSIDAC, 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

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.htmlConnect 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.comTIMESTAMPS0:00 - 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 offKEYWORDSIDAC, 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

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.comTIMESTAMPS00:00 - 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 outroKEYWORDSIDAC, 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

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.comTimestamps00:00 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 upKeywordsidentity 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

Atul Tulshibagwale, CTO of Signal and SSF/CAEP co-chair, brings updates on Shared Signals Framework and CAEP and their industry rollout. He covers production adoption by major providers, how SSF/CAEP enable continuous session and identity signals, plans for certification, and applying these standards to agentic identities. He also shares Signal’s CrowdStrike acquisition news and a lively Kenya safari anecdote.

This episode is sponsored by PlainID. Visit plainid.com/idac to learn more.In this sponsored episode, Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman talk with Gal Helemski, CTO and co-founder of PlainID, about the evolving landscape of authorization. The conversation covers the transition from traditional roles and attributes to a modern policy-based access control (PBAC) approach. Gal explains how PlainID helps organizations centralize authorization logic, improve security posture, and simplify the management of access across complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The discussion also touches on the importance of visibility into who has access to what and the role of standards like Cedar and Rego in the future of authorization.Connect with Gal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gal-helemski-b9542231/Learn more about PlainID: plainid.com/idacConnect 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.comTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Sponsor Spotlight02:15 Meet Gal Helemski from PlainID05:30 The shift from RBAC to PBAC10:45 Challenges with traditional authorization methods15:20 How PlainID centralizes authorization logic22:10 Integrating with existing identity providers28:45 The role of visibility and auditing in authorization35:30 Discussion on authorization standards: Cedar and Rego42:15 Future trends in identity and access management50:00 Final thoughts and where to learn moreKeywords:IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, PlainID, Authorization, Policy-Based Access Control, PBAC, RBAC, Cybersecurity, IAM, Access Management, Gal Helemski, Identity Security