Identity at the Center

Jeff and Jim are joined by Heather Flanagan, Content Chair, and Andi Hindle, Conference Chair, for a full preview of Identiverse 2026 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. They cover the 2026 theme of trust and change, why AI was removed as a standalone track and redistributed across all content areas, the provocative argument that non-human access now dramatically outpaces human access and is reshaping identity system design, whether authentication is truly solved, authorization as the harder unsolved problem, CFP surprises, networking events including Women at Identiverse, and predictions for 2027. Save 30% with code IDV26-IDAC30%. New IDPro members save $25 at idpro.org/idac.

Connect with Heather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hlflanagan/

Connect with Andi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahindle/

Identiverse 2026: https://events.identiverse.com/2026/begin?code=IDV26-IDAC30%25

Heather's IAM Conference List: https://github.com/fedidcg/meetings/wiki/2026-List-of-Identity-and-Related-Conferences-and-Standards-Development-Events

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
00:00:00 Introduction and SolarWinds breach banter
00:03:27 Identiverse preview and discount codes
00:06:10 Guest introductions
00:06:52 Role of Content Chair
00:08:46 Role of Conference Chair
00:11:16 2026 conference theme
00:15:00 AI as context, not a standalone track
00:16:32 Control plane vs enablement plane debate
00:22:19 What the industry is underestimating
00:24:00 Non-human access outpaces human access
00:26:52 Is authentication solved? Passkeys
00:30:31 Authorization: far from solved
00:36:04 Extensibility in standards and deployments
00:38:22 CFP surprises: fraud and identity proofing
00:41:48 Usability and UX gaps
00:43:18 Agentic AI: identity or governance?
00:47:55 Networking and newcomer programming
00:51:45 Women at Identiverse
00:52:46 AI-generated CFP submissions
00:55:00 Predictions for Identiverse 2027
00:58:04 Theme songs for Identiverse 2026
01:02:58 Heather's identity conference list on GitHub
01:04:47 Swag culture at identity conferences
01:12:25 Wrap-up

KEYWORDS
Identiverse 2026, Heather Flanagan, Andi Hindle, identity conference, NHI, non-human identity, agentic AI, passkeys, authentication, authorization, IAM, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, digital identity, continuous identity architecture, zero standing privilege, verifiable credentials, identity governance

This episode and the Identity at the Center podcast is supported by CrowdStrike. Learn more at crowdstrike.com.

Jeff Steadman and Jim McDonald sit down with Scott Kriz, GM of Continuous Identity at CrowdStrike, for a deep dive into continuous identity, zero standing access, and the convergence of identity and security. Scott traces his path from co-founding Bitium, to selling it to Google Cloud, to building SGNL and ultimately joining CrowdStrike. The conversation covers how continuous identity works in practice, why traditional PAM and IGA fall short in a real-time world, and what the rise of agentic AI means for identity governance at scale.

Connect with Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkriz/

Learn more about Crowdstrike: https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/platform/next-gen-identity-security/caep/?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
00:01:21 How Scott got into identity and co-founded Bitium
00:03:55 Selling to Google Cloud and the inspiration for SGNL
00:05:02 Continuous identity and zero standing access explained
00:09:13 Defining continuous identity at CrowdStrike
00:10:20 How continuous identity differs from PAM and IGA
00:15:06 Data as the foundation for continuous identity
00:19:29 Open ecosystems, Shared Signals Framework, and CAEP
00:25:26 Agents, identity chaining, SPIFFE, SPIRE, and MCP gateways
00:33:02 Identity inside CrowdStrike's broader security strategy
00:37:27 Identity security budgets and ROI-driven purchasing
00:40:04 Agentic scale and the need for automated identity controls
00:43:39 The SGNL acquisition: what it means for both companies
00:50:25 Zero trust as a real architectural framework
00:54:00 Helicopter skiing, avalanches, and staying present

Keywords: IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Scott Kriz, CrowdStrike, SGNL, continuous identity, zero standing access, PAM, IGA, zero trust, agentic AI, non-human identity, NHI, SPIFFE, SPIRE, MCP, identity security, real-time authorization, cybersecurity

Jeff and Jim recap their week at KuppingerCole's EIC 2026 in Berlin, covering standout keynotes, hallway conversations, and sessions on securing AI agents, CIAM, and AI versus nuclear regulation. They announce a giveaway of Eve Maler's signed copy of Mastering Digital Identity for YouTube commenters by June 12th. The episode also features live footage and a full interview with Espen Bago, founder of IdentiBeer, recorded at the Berlin event. Jeff, Jim, and Espen discuss the rapid global growth of the IdentiBeer community, terminology challenges around NHI and IAM concepts, the gap between conference talk and real client needs, and why the industry keeps bypassing foundational data work in the rush toward AI and agentic identity.

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

00:00:10 Welcome and EIC 2026 Setup
00:03:57 Eve Maler Book Giveaway Details
00:05:00 Conference Highlights: Keynotes and Hallway Con
00:06:07 Elizabeth Garber's Standing Ovation Keynote
00:07:02 Brazil Invitation and Securing AI Agents
00:09:10 Nuclear Regulation vs. AI Regulation
00:11:07 Upcoming EIC Episode Preview
00:14:16 IdentiBeer Berlin Live Event
00:14:29 Interview with Espen Bago Begins
00:15:14 IdentiBeer Growth and Global Expansion
00:17:23 The IdentiBeer Name Debate
00:23:26 Data Quality Gaps in NHI and IAM
00:26:31 Who Owns IAM Terminology?
00:34:20 Conference Talk vs. Client Reality
00:40:52 The HR-IAM Gap Nobody Talks About
00:43:17 Fundamentals: The Karate Kid Analogy

Keywords: EIC 2026, European Identity Conference, IdentiBeer, Espen Bago, Eve Maler, Elizabeth Garber, Mastering Digital Identity, Berlin, Identiverse, NHI, non-human identities, IAM fundamentals, AI regulation, agentic identity, IGA, PAM, CIAM, IDPro, identity community, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald

Jeff and Jim are back with the May 2026 mailbag, answering listener questions from Amsterdam, Mumbai, Austin, and Berlin. Topics include navigating IAM vendor acquisitions, defending against AI deepfakes in remote onboarding, governing contractor and third-party identities, fixing the leaver process in IGA, and tackling a decade of IAM technical debt. The episode closes with unpopular industry opinions: why RFPs are procurement theater, why rip and replace should be normalized, and why one-throat-to-choke vendor thinking usually backfires.

IDPro new member discount: https://idpro.org/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

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro and SNL nostalgia
03:25 AI model roundup: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and usage limits
10:16 Identiverse 2026 and IDPro member discount
14:53 Q1: Navigating vendor acquisitions (Isabelle, Amsterdam)
24:00 Q2: AI deepfakes in identity verification (Rajan, Mumbai)
32:32 Q3: Contractor and third-party identity governance (Caleb, Austin)
43:00 Q4: The leaver process and IGA scope gaps (Anonymous)
51:10 Q5: Tackling IAM technical debt (Tomas, Berlin)
57:00 Normalizing rip and replace
01:01:00 RFPs, one throat to choke, and other hot takes
01:08:00 Wrap-up

KEYWORDS
IAM, identity governance, IGA, vendor consolidation, acquisitions, deepfakes, identity verification, contractor management, non-employee identity, technical debt, rip and replace, RFP, joiner mover leaver, leaver process, Identiverse 2026, IDPro, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald

Jeff and Jim welcome back Robert Snodgrass, Principal at RSM, for a deep dive into the RSM Middle Market Business Index cybersecurity report. The conversation covers the confidence gap facing middle market organizations, why digital identity remains undervalued despite being the primary attack surface, non-human identity governance, flat cybersecurity budgets, risk framework adoption, and what good incident response preparedness actually looks like. The episode wraps with a spirited Bitcoin Pizza Day toppings debate.

Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-snodgrass-7a199412/

Review the RSM US Middle Market Business Index Special Report on Cybersecurity 2026: https://rsmus.com/middle-market/cybersecurity-mmbi.html?cmpid=ola:45559-idac:bb01

IDPro new member discount: https://idpro.org/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

TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Introduction and Scatter Spider social engineering discussion
00:04:00 IDPro discount code and upcoming conferences
00:06:26 Guest intro: Robert Snodgrass and the MMBI report
00:09:05 Defining the modern middle market
00:12:00 The confidence gap: 96% confident, 18% breached
00:15:04 Why attackers log in and top identity investment priorities
00:19:00 Why only 23% of leaders prioritize digital identity
00:22:00 Internal partnerships as the path to identity program success
00:25:10 AI, shadow AI, and non-human identity risks
00:31:00 NHI governance at scale: 45 to 1 ratio
00:34:50 Cybersecurity budget realities in the middle market
00:39:00 EU regulation and top-line cybersecurity drivers
00:42:03 NIST CSF adoption and risk framework value
00:46:00 Incident response planning: the two-minute drill
00:52:16 Bitcoin Pizza Day and closing thoughts

KEYWORDS
identity security, middle market, cybersecurity, MMBI, RSM, Robert Snodgrass, phishing-resistant MFA, non-human identities, NHI, shadow AI, incident response, NIST CSF, IAM, identity governance, ransomware, tabletop exercises, digital identity, cybersecurity budget, identity program, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald