Identity at the Center

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Aug 2026

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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? Visit us on the web at idacpodcast.com

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August 19, 2026Episode 4421 hr 29 min

#442 - Identiverse 2026 - Identity After Dark with Bravura Security

Recorded live at Identiverse 2026 in Las Vegas on June 17, Jeff and Jim are joined by Bart Allan, General Manager at Bravura Security, for a live recording with a studio audience. In a late-night talk show format, the three host an open Q&A driven by IAM practitioners in the room. From securing AI identities to whether access reviews are headed the way of the password, this is an unscripted conversation driven by practitioners for practitioners. Topics include identity as a business enabler, zero standing privilege, agentic authentication, standards for AI agents, vendor relationships, the captive customer problem, community, and hiring IAM talent. Thanks to Bravura Security for supporting the Identity at the Center podcast. Connect with Bart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartholomewallan/ Learn more about Bravura Security: http://bravurasecurity.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 http://idacpodcast.com 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:03:00 AI Identities: Should IAM Teams Panic? 00:07:30 Identity as a Business Enabler vs. Cost Center 00:24:00 Continuous Identity and the Future of Access Reviews 00:35:00 Zero Standing Privilege and JIT Access 00:38:00 Standards for Agentic AI 00:46:00 Vendor Relationships and the Captive Customer Problem 00:55:56 Normalizing Rip and Replace 01:01:00 IDPro, Identity Beers, and Building Community 01:11:00 Agentic Authentication and Non-Human Identities 01:18:00 Hiring IAM Talent 01:26:00 Team Diversity and Multiple Perspectives 01:27:00 Closing Identity at the Center, IDAC, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Bart Allan, Bravura Security, Identiverse 2026, Identiverse, IAM, identity and access management, identity security, AI identities, agentic identity, agentic authentication, non-human identities, NHI, access reviews, zero standing privilege, JIT access, continuous identity, IGA, vendor selection, identity community, IDPro, IdentiBeer, live podcast

August 17, 2026Episode 44137 min

#441 - Identiverse 2026 - Sachini Siriwardene and Ian Glazer

Live from Identiverse 2026 in Las Vegas, Jeff and Jim sit down with Sachini Siriwardene, winner of this year's Kim Cameron Award, along with Ian Glazer of the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation (DIAF). Sachini shares how she moved from open banking API security into consumer identity work at a bank, and what led her to apply for the award named after identity pioneer Kim Cameron. Ian explains DIAF's mission to remove financial barriers to industry participation and previews the upcoming Vittorio Bertocci award for standards contributors. The conversation covers agentic AI and non-human identity governance, the AuthZen specification, continuous access management, and how practitioners can separate real AI capability from marketing hype. The group also swaps favorite hallway conversations from the show floor, including a discussion on extending the shared signals framework beyond RISC and CAPE, before wrapping with some very Vegas talk about the Sphere.Connect with Sachini: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachini-siriwardene/Connect with Ian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iglazer/Learn more about the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation: https://diaf.org/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.com00:00 - Cold open and conference banter01:35 - Jim's origin story with identity and Kim Cameron03:22 - Welcoming Sachini Siriwardene and Ian Glazer04:02 - Ian explains the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation05:54 - How Sachini got into identity through open banking08:46 - The moment identity clicked as mission critical09:47 - Agentic AI and non-human identity governance11:25 - Optimist or pessimist on AI and the job market14:45 - Applying for and winning the Kim Cameron Award15:41 - How DIAF selects award recipients17:21 - Standout sessions and the AuthZen specification18:36 - First impressions of Identiverse20:01 - Advice for future award applicants22:03 - Managing agentic identity in practice23:16 - Separating AI hype from real capability24:32 - Where the identity industry can improve27:08 - Acting fast without chasing hype28:05 - Favorite hallway conversations29:23 - Extending the shared signals framework30:39 - A D&D themed conference talk31:08 - Vegas talk and the Sphere experience34:19 - Wrap up and how to support DIAFIDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Sachini Siriwardene, Ian Glazer, Identiverse 2026, Kim Cameron Award, Vittorio Bertocci Award, Digital Identity Advancement Foundation, DIAF, agentic AI, non-human identity, AuthZen, continuous access management, open banking, OAuth2, FAPI, shared signals framework

August 10, 2026Episode 44052 min

#440 - Identiverse 2026 - Mike Kiser

Recorded live at Identiverse 2026, Jeff and Jim sit down with returning guest Mike Kiser, Director of Strategy and Standards at SailPoint, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans two of the standards world's most active frontiers. The first half breaks down C2PA, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, explaining how it differs from digital watermarking, how metadata and cryptographic signatures build a chain of custody for media, and why this work connects directly back to identity. The conversation then shifts to AI agents and the challenge of defining and governing intent, with Mike drawing an extended analogy to the early, under-regulated days of space exploration. The episode closes with reflections on the value of hallway conversations and community at Identiverse. Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-kiser/ 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 00:00 Introduction from Identiverse 2026 01:00 Mike previews his two Identiverse talks 01:35 What C2PA is and how chain of custody works 06:51 Watermarks versus C2PA explained 10:06 Why content provenance matters for identity 14:22 Is C2PA a standard or a working group 16:23 The SpaceX and space debris analogy for agent intent 20:13 Governing agent publishing without stifling innovation 22:00 Action Identification Theory and the how versus the why 27:47 Can an AI actually have intent 32:34 Why people humanize and fall in love with chatbots 38:37 The case for locking down intent early 39:39 Does intent change, or is it a new intent 46:19 Favorite hallway conversations at Identiverse 51:03 Wrap up and where to find Mike IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Mike Kiser, SailPoint, C2PA, Content Provenance and Authenticity, Identiverse 2026, Shared Signals Framework, AI Agents, Agentic Identity, Digital Watermarking, Decentralized Identity Foundation, Intent-Based Access Control

August 5, 2026Episode 43954 min

#439 - Sponsor Spotlight - Tuebora

This Sponsor Spotlight episode, made possible with support from Tuebora, features Jim McDonald in conversation with Sanjay Nadimpalli, CEO and founder of Tuebora. Sanjay shares his path into identity beginning as one of the first engineers at Aveksa, then discusses how intelligence is reshaping identity governance and administration by replacing static configuration with continuous, context-aware decision making. The conversation covers the concept of governance debt, how AI can interpret organizational intent expressed in natural language, and where human oversight remains essential. The discussion also explores governance of agentic identities, including how they differ from traditional service accounts, the challenges posed by their ephemeral and dynamic nature, and the policy-driven frameworks needed to manage them. Sanjay closes with a reflection on what identity practitioners should be thinking about for the next few years. Connect with Sanjay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaynadimpalli/ Learn more about Tuebora: https://www.tuebora.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 http://idacpodcast.com 00:00:00 - Introduction and welcome 00:00:56 - How Sanjay got into identity 00:02:40 - Full circle moment with Deepak Taneja and Zilla 00:03:05 - What Tuebora does 00:04:14 - The story behind the name Tuebora 00:05:20 - Can intelligence replace configuration 00:10:05 - Why static configuration falls short today 00:14:52 - Customer frustrations with legacy environments 00:21:09 - Comparing this to everyday AI tool use 00:23:31 - How intelligence drives outcomes 00:28:42 - Maintaining security control alongside AI 00:32:38 - The orchestra analogy for AI and human roles 00:35:28 - Introducing agentic identity governance 00:36:10 - Why agentic identities differ from service accounts 00:42:20 - The scale problem of agentic identities 00:44:00 - Building a framework for agent governance 00:47:35 - Closing advice for identity practitioners 00:52:06 - Where to find Tuebora next IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Sanjay Nadimpalli, Tuebora, Sponsor Spotlight, identity governance, IGA, agentic identity, AI agents, governance debt, explainability, IAM, access governance, non-human identity, Aveksa, continuous governance, identity governance and administration

August 3, 2026Episode 43839 min

#438 - Identiverse 2026 - Sean O'Dell

Recorded live at Identiverse 2026 in Las Vegas, Jeff sits down with Decoded co-host Sean O'Dell for a wide-ranging state of the union on continuous identity, shared signals, and the identity questions AI keeps raising. Sean shares what he is hearing on the ground about the upcoming transaction tokens spec, why continuous identity has moved from concept to mainstream adoption, and how shared signals are expanding into commerce. The conversation shifts to AI: the real cost of securing it, why model provenance matters, and the murky question of who is on the hook when an AI agent makes an expensive or harmful decision on your behalf. They debate companion agents, consent versus power of attorney, and whether the identity industry even owns this problem. Sean closes with a simple piece of advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed by AI right now. Connect with Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanodentity/ 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 Intro and a Decoded update 00:44 Transaction tokens spec preview 01:51 State of the union on continuous identity 03:39 The questions organizations are asking 04:34 Is it still all about the data 05:07 Shared signals framework moving into commerce 06:40 Is AI a fad at Identiverse this year 07:11 The real cost of securing AI 08:00 Model provenance and indemnity 09:39 IAM for AI versus AI for IAM 10:18 Trusting agents to act without oversight 14:51 Assigning authority to the who and the what 16:13 The cruise booking example and who is on the hook 20:16 Companion agents, consent, and power of attorney 23:00 Does the identity industry own this problem 25:00 Relationship and intent as the real issue 28:03 Could an insurance market emerge for agentic AI 29:18 An access review scenario gone wrong 30:41 Small specialized language models for identity tasks 32:11 Favorite hallway conversations at Identiverse 36:05 Wrap up and words of wisdom on AI FOMO Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Sean O'Dell, Decoded, Identiverse 2026, continuous identity, transaction tokens, shared signals framework, agentic AI, AI security, model provenance, IAM, digital identity, identity and access management

July 27, 2026Episode 43755 min

#437 - Identiverse 2026 - Pam Dingle

Live from the IDAC booth at Identiverse 2026, Jeff and Jim sit down with Pam Dingle, Director of Identity Standards at Microsoft, to unpack agentic identity. Pam breaks down assistive versus autonomous agents, walks through where standards like SPIFFE and OAuth hold up, and explains the difference between delegation, impersonation, and partition. The conversation also covers credential discovery risk, shared signals and revocation, what enterprises should prioritize now, and the value of hallway conversations at Identiverse. Connect with Pam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pameladingle/ OAuth Actor Profile for Delegation: https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-mcguinness-oauth-actor-profile-00.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 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and Identiverse 2026 vibes 04:01 Defining agentic identity 07:06 Has the earth really shifted 11:38 An old problem thats been bejeweled 15:13 From Nulli Secundus to Microsoft 16:00 How standards are holding up 19:27 Client ID metadata and just in time trust 21:41 Shared signals and the revocation problem 24:43 Deploying agentic identity at scale 28:11 Registries at scale 29:04 Delegation authorization and attenuation 32:33 Delegation vs impersonation vs partition 36:03 The one thing you can fix right now 37:56 Favorite hallway conversation 42:29 The solar system of hallway conversations 45:51 Remembering Kim Cameron 48:00 New voices to watch 52:08 Wrap up and thank you Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Pam Dingle, Pamela Dingle, Microsoft, Identiverse 2026, agentic identity, agentic AI, non-human identity, delegation, impersonation, SPIFFE, OAuth, identity standards, IAM, digital identity, workload identity

July 22, 2026Episode 43646 min

#436 - Sponsor Spotlight - P0 Security

In this Sponsor Spotlight episode, Jeff Steadman flies solo and welcomes Greg Danyi, co-founder and CTO of P0 Security, to the show. Greg walks through P0's approach to runtime access control, covering how it applies to humans, non-human identities, and AI agents alike. The conversation digs into the difference between authentication and authorization, why zero standing privilege is more achievable now than before agentic adoption took hold, and how dynamic, evidence-based policies can reduce reliance on manual approvals. Greg also shares real examples, including row-level access control for data lakes and a CRM mishap that shows how easily agents can misinterpret intent. The episode closes with a look at where enterprise AI agent governance may be headed over the next few years, plus a lighter conversation about explaining IAM to a 10-year-old. This episode is made possible through the generous support of P0 Security as part of IDAC's nonprofit Sponsor Spotlight series. Learn more at p0.dev/idac. Connect with Greg (Gergely): https://www.linkedin.com/in/gergely-danyi/ Learn more about P0: https://p0.dev/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.com 00:00 - Introduction and sponsor acknowledgment 01:13 - Greg Danyi's path into IAM 02:18 - What P0 Security solves for 03:21 - Where P0 fits versus PAM and IGA 04:46 - Agentic identity as a driver of adoption 05:27 - MCP servers and unpredictable agent actions 07:10 - Defining runtime access control 08:50 - How authentication and authorization work together 09:07 - Standing access versus expressed intent 10:16 - Zero standing privilege in practice 12:27 - Agentic identity as a distinct identity class 19:24 - Automated evidence for approvals 20:42 - Walking through a support agent example 22:13 - Row-level access control for data lakes 23:35 - Dynamic roles explained 29:55 - CRUD risks and underestimated concerns 31:32 - Human intent and giving agents clear direction 36:32 - Where enterprise AI agent governance is headed 39:36 - Advice for CIOs and CISOs getting started 41:15 - Explaining IAM to a 10-year-old 42:29 - Board games, dice, and calculated risk 44:00 - Closing thoughts and where to learn more Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Greg Danyi, P0 Security, runtime access control, agentic identity, zero standing privilege, non-human identity, authentication, authorization, IAM podcast

July 20, 2026Episode 43526 min

#435 - Majority Rules: IDAC Live at Identiverse 2026

Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman took the Identity at the Center podcast live at Identiverse 2026 in Las Vegas for a crowd-sourced game show called Majority Rules. Identity professionals competed in real time, picking answers to IAM and conference questions in a race to predict the majority. With a prize pool of over $5,000 for the top ten scorers, the stakes were high and the honesty was brutal. The episode also marks a milestone: IDAC hitting two million downloads. Thanks to Shirley Han and the CyberRisk Alliance team, and to sponsors Hyper, Red Block, SlashId, Rubrik, Stratacity, FusionAuth, Nexus, CrowdStrike, Hush Security, PlainId, RSM, and CyberRisk Alliance. 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 0:00 Introduction and Two Million Downloads Milestone 1:00 Sponsor and Event Team Recognition 3:00 How to Play Majority Rules 4:00 Warm-Up Round Begins 6:00 Battle Royale Mode Explained 8:30 Decentralized Identity and the LDAP Reality 10:30 Las Vegas Evening Entertainment 11:30 Top Identity Trends at Identiverse 2026 12:30 Access Certification and the 4:55 PM Click 13:30 Classic Vegas and Expo Hall Favorites 14:50 PAM Strategies and the Post-it Note 16:00 Conference Navigation and Footwear Survival 18:00 Identity Log Monitoring Chaos 19:30 Hallway Track Conversations 20:30 Cloud Entitlements and Everyone Gets Root 21:00 Sleep Habits at a Security Conference 22:00 Business Cards in 2026 23:00 Legacy App Strategy and Thoughts and Prayers 24:45 Las Vegas Dining Preferences 25:30 Winners Announced and Closing Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Identiverse, Identiverse 2026, Majority Rules, live event, game show, IAM, identity and access management, decentralized identity, LDAP, SSO, PAM, privileged access management, cloud entitlements, ISPM, access certification, Las Vegas, cybersecurity, conference

July 13, 2026Episode 43442 min

#434 - Identiverse 2026 - IdentiBeer Las Vegas

Recorded the night before Identiverse 2026 at BrewDog in Las Vegas, Jeff hosts a roundtable of IdentiBeer chapter leaders and community members from around the world. Espen Bago (Oslo), Marco Venuti (Rome and Milan), Heiko Klarl (Munich), Craig Ramsay (Nashville), Tina Srivastava and Elie Azerad (San Francisco), Bertrand Carlier (Paris, in planning), Ole Shved (Detroit, forming), and Roland Baum (Frankfurt) share what makes IdentiBeer work, how chapters get started, and what draws people in. First-time Identiverse attendee Varshith Reddy joins mid-conversation for some live conference tips. The group celebrates going 35 minutes without mentioning AI and closes with everyone's drink of choice and an impromptu MFA rap. 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 0:00 Welcome and intro 0:41 What is IdentiBeer? Espen Bago explains 2:31 Marco Venuti and the Italian chapters 5:07 Could there be an IdentiBeer conference? 6:03 Heiko Klarl and IdentiBeer Munich 7:09 Craig Ramsay and the new Nashville chapter 9:53 Beer is just clickbait and vendor neutrality 12:45 Tina Srivastava and the IDPro Slack connection 13:18 Ole Shved and the future Detroit chapter 14:14 Advice for new chapter organizers 16:33 Keep the momentum: do another one soon 17:01 What draws people to IdentiBeer? 17:37 The IdentiBeer charter and inclusivity 18:20 Elie Azerad and the San Francisco chapter 21:08 Tina and the South Bay satellite idea 25:50 Bertrand Carlier and plans for Paris 29:31 Varshith Reddy: tips for first-time Identiverse attendees 34:12 35 minutes without saying AI 36:20 Roland Baum and the Frankfurt Identivier 39:06 What is your drink of choice? 40:48 Tina's MFA rap and closing thoughts Keywords: IdentiBeer, Identiverse 2026, IAM community, Identity and Access Management, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Espen Bago, Marco Venuti, Heiko Klarl, Craig Ramsay, Tina Srivastava, Elie Azerad, Bertrand Carlier, Ole Shved, Roland Baum, Varshith Reddy, IDPro, community building, vendor neutral, IAM networking, Las Vegas

July 8, 2026Episode 43355 min

#433 - Sponsor Spotlight - FusionAuth

Jim McDonald sits down with Dan Moore, Senior Director of CIAM Strategy and Identity Standards at FusionAuth, for an in-depth conversation on customer identity and access management. Dan explains how FusionAuth views authentication as the front door to any application and why control, deployment flexibility, and developer ownership are central to their approach. The discussion covers progressive registration, friction vs. usability, customization options, identity standards, the build vs. buy debate, risk-based MFA, and how AI agents will shape the future of customer identity. This episode and others is made possible with support from FusionAuth. Learn more at fusionauth.io/idac. Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mooreds/ Learn more about FusionAuth: https://fusionauth.io/idac Blog article mentioned: https://bobdahacker.com/blog/fifa-hack 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 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 What is FusionAuth? 00:03:15 Dan's identity origin story 00:04:19 Developer focus and ethos 00:06:54 Authentication as the front door 00:10:00 Balancing friction and usability 00:15:24 Customization in CIAM 00:18:10 What sets FusionAuth apart 00:20:33 FusionAuth's customer sweet spot 00:25:48 Deployment flexibility and the control spectrum 00:30:19 Common challenges in CIAM 00:33:06 Build vs. buy for authentication 00:36:00 Omni-channel authentication 00:40:27 Why identity standards matter 00:42:07 Risk-based MFA and intelligent challenges 00:45:00 AI agents and the future of CIAM 00:49:23 Closing thoughts 00:51:35 Vacation roundup Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Dan Moore, FusionAuth, CIAM, customer identity, authentication, access management, IAM, identity standards, MFA, risk-based authentication, progressive registration, OAuth, OIDC, SAML, AI agents, deployment flexibility, build vs buy, Sponsor Spotlight