Identity at the Center

Live from Authenticate 2025, Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald sit down with Dr. Tina Srivastava, an IDPro board member and co-founder of Badge Inc., for a crucial discussion on the rapidly evolving landscape of identity and authentication. Tina shares her insights on the conference, the evolution from physical hacks to sophisticated AI-driven threats like supercharged phishing, and the current chall...

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 fa...

In this episode, Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman are joined by Steve Rennick, Senior Leader for IAM Architecture at Ciena, for a wide-ranging discussion on the most pressing topics in identity today. The conversation kicks off with a practical look at vendor demos, sharing best practices for cutting through the slideware and getting to the heart of a product's capabilities. From there, they div...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center podcast, Jim McDonald interviews Sebastian Rohr, the Chief Troublemaker at Umbrella Labs. They discuss the evolution of identity management, the challenges of digital identity, and the importance of national ID systems. Sebastian shares his personal journey into the identity field, the impact of digital identities on individuals, and the challenges fac...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, Eve Maler, founder and CEO of Venn Factory joins host Jim McDonald. They discuss the significance of identity in the corporate world; detailing Eve's new book aimed at educating CEOs on the importance of treating identity as a strategic asset rather than mere infrastructure. They explore concepts like the evolving role of identity in secur...

This episode of the Identity at the Center podcast delves into the complex topic of death and the digital estate (DADE). Jim McDonald hosts Dean Saxe, Heather Flanagan, and Mike Kiser, who discuss the importance of planning for digital assets after death, the cultural implications of digital identity, and the evolving role of technology in managing these assets. They emphasize the need for individ...

This episode is sponsored by Hush Security. Visit hush.security/idac to learn more. In this sponsored episode of Identity at the Center, hosts Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald spotlight Hush Security, a company emerging from stealth with an innovative approach to machine identity and access management. CEO and co-founder Micha Rave explains why traditional secrets vaults can’t keep up with today’s s...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim dive into the concept of device identity within a Zero Trust framework. They are joined by Shea McGrew, CTO of Maricopa County Arizona, who provides insights into the importance of managing not just human but also device identities. The discussion explores the philosophical debate on whether machines can have identities, Zer...

Join Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald for the September 2025 mailbag episode of Identity at the Center! This episode features listener questions from around the world about digital identity, trust, technology challenges, inclusion, biometrics, and even a candid discussion on air travel etiquette. Whether you're new to IAM or a veteran, you'll find practical advice and real stories. Plus, hea...

This episode is sponsored by SGNL. Visit sgnl.ai/idac to learn more. In this sponsored episode of Identity at the Center podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim discuss hot trends in the identity space, focusing on continuous identity with their guest Erik Gustavson, co-founder and CPO at SGNL. Erik shares his journey into the IAM space, exploratory projects, the thought processes behind SGNL’s continuous ide...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center podcast, Jeff and Jim discuss various aspects of identity access management (IAM) policies and the importance of having a solid foundation. They emphasize the need for automation, controls, and how IAM policies should be created without technology limitations in mind. The discussion also covers the implementation challenges and the evolving concept of...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim engage in an insightful conversation with Darren Rolls, a veteran in the Identity and Access Management (IAM) field. They discuss the complexities of identity fabrics, the evolving landscape of IAM, the impact of AI, and the challenges of integrating new technologies with legacy systems. Darren shares his thoughts on upcomin...

Sponsored by Axonius. Visit https://www.axonius.com/idac to learn more. In this sponsored episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim talk with Amir Ofek, the CEO of AxoniusX, about the company's innovative solutions in identity and access management (IAM). The discussion covers Amir's journey into IAM, the unique challenges of managing identities, and how AxoniusX&#3...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim dive into the critical intersection of cloud security and identity and access management (IAM). They are joined by experts from RSM Justin Devine, Cloud Transformation Director, and Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan, Digital Identity Director, to discuss the challenges and strategies involved in explaining complex identity topics in bu...

Join Jeff and Jim in this special episode of the Identity at the Center podcast as they celebrate crossing 1 million downloads. The hosts share a major announcement, thank their supporters, and discuss the journey and future of the podcast. They also delve into the world of Identity and Access Management (IAM) with guest Anthony Viggiano, covering key topics such as access reviews, roles, data int...

This episode is sponsored by P0 Security. Visit p0.dev/idac to learn why P0 is the easiest and fastest way to implement just-in-time, short-lived, and auditable access to your entire infrastructure stack, like servers, databases, Kubernetes clusters, cloud consoles, and cloud services, for users as well as non-human identities. In this sponsor spotlight episode, Jim and Jeff are joined by Shashwat...

Join hosts Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald as they explore the critical intersection of attack surface management (ASM) and digital identity with Dan Lauritzen, Director with RSM Defense - RSM’s Managed Security Team. This episode dives deep into how identity has become a key component of your organization's attack surface and why breaking down silos between identity teams and Security Operatio...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim dive into an enriching discussion with Shawna Hofer, Chief Information Security Officer at St. Luke's Health System in Idaho. Discover the vital link between cybersecurity and patient safety, the evolving role of AI in healthcare, and the challenges of integrating new technologies securely. Shawna shares her unique journ...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim are joined by Felix Gaehtgens, a former Gartner analyst, to discuss the evolving landscape of machine identity. Felix shares insights into the differences between human and machine identities, the challenges posed by legacy identity management practices, and the importance of moving towards modern, dynamic, and ephemeral ide...

Welcome back to Identity at the Center! Jeff flies solo this week as Jim handles a cross-country move, bringing you an insightful conversation with Joni Brennan, the new Chair of the IDPro Board of Directors. In this episode, Joni shares her vision for IDPro's future, discussing what the organization does well and where improvements are needed. As both IDPro Chair and President of DIACC (Digit...

This episode is sponsored by Natoma. Visit https://www.natoma.id/ to learn more. Join Jeff from the IDAC Podcast as he dives into a deep conversation with Paresh Bhaya, the co-founder of Natoma. In this sponsored episode, Paresh shares his journey into the identity space, discusses how Natoma helps enterprises accelerate AI adoption without compromising security, and provides insights into the ris...

In this episode of Identity at the Center, recorded live from Identiverse 2025 in Las Vegas, Jim McDonald and Jeff Steadman are joined by special guests Diane Vicezar and Arynn Crow. Diane is a recent recipient of the Digital Identity Advancement Foundation's (DIAF) prestigious Kim Cameron Award, and Arynn is the Director of Governance and Transparency for DIAF. Join us for a conversation abou...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, hosts Jeff and Jim discuss highlights from Identiverse 2025, featuring special guest Sean O'Dell. They reflect on the importance of continuous identity management, event-driven architecture, and AI in identity and access management (IAM). The conversation covers a range of topics, including insights from the CAEP (continuous access evaluation...

This episode is sponsored by Trusona. Visit trusona.com/idac to learn more. In this episode of the Identity of the Center podcast, Jeff and Jim discuss identity verification challenges with Ori Eisen, the founder and CEO of Trusona. The conversation explores the problems surrounding help desk authentication and how Trusona's new product, ATO Protect, aims to address these issues by confirming...

In this episode of the Identity at the Center Podcast, Jeff and Jim broadcast live from Identiverse 2025. Special guest Andrew Shikiar from the FIDO Alliance joins to talk about efforts to push passkey adoption and reduce reliance on passwords. Topics covered include the technicalities of passkeys, their adoption by major banks like Wells Fargo, and initiatives for adding more signals for high ass...