Stay ConnectedIdentity 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
Copyright: © 771327
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
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
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
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
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
Jim McDonald takes the Identity at the Center podcast on the road to Rome, Italy, for a special two-part episode. The first segment is an IdentiBeer roundup where Jim gathers quick-fire takes from practitioners in the Italian IAM community, including Andrea Rossi and Alessandro Piscopo of IAMONES and Marco Venuti of Thales on the biggest trends shaping identity today. The second segment is a three-course meal where Jim sits down with Alessandro Piscopo, Head of AI and Co-founder at IAMONES, to discuss AI and identity over food and wine.
Across a seafood starter, scialatielli alla pescatora, and tiramisu, the conversation covers the history of AI in identity, why LLMs represent a revolution rather than an evolution, the AI-first product philosophy versus retrofitting AI onto legacy systems, compute and architecture constraints facing large language models, and what life looks like for the IAM practitioner in 2030. Alessandro envisions an identity equivalent of Claude Code, a specialized AI tool that democratizes identity expertise the way coding assistants have transformed software development.
0:00 Intro and IdentiBeer Rome roundup
7:01 Alessandro on AI for IAM vs. IAM for AI
12:00 Three-course dinner begins - Course 1: Seafood starter
14:09 History of AI in identity, from ML models to LLMs
17:51 Course 2: Scialatielli alla pescatora and Falanghina wine
19:56 AI-first products vs. AI layered onto legacy systems
22:00 Transition period and the new world of identity
24:04 The ChatGPT moment vs. the iPhone moment
27:05 Compute constraints, energy costs, and architecture breakthroughs
30:46 Smaller models and cost-efficiency tradeoffs
32:35 Course 3: Tiramisu, baba, and espresso
33:00 Life as an IAM practitioner in 2030
35:19 Claude Code for IAM and democratizing identity tools
37:24 App store ecosystem analogy for AI platforms
43:07 Closing thoughts
Keywords: IAM, identity and access management, AI for IAM, IAM for AI, agentic AI, non-human identity, IGA, LLMs, large language models, AI-first, machine learning, Alessandro Piscopo, IAMONES, Jim McDonald, Jeff Steadman, Identity at the Center, IDAC, IdentiBeer, Rome, Italy, Marco Venuti, Thales, Andrea Rossi, agentic identity, transformer architecture, compute efficiency, identity practitioner 2030, Claude Code for IAM, identity democratization, Identiverse, European Identity Conference
Recorded live at EIC 2026 in Berlin, Jeff and Jim sit down with Martin Kuppinger, founder and distinguished analyst at KuppingerCole. They dig into the tectonic shifts AI is bringing to identity and security, the AI security fabric framework, why decentralized identity thinking may be essential for governing the agentic mesh, the ongoing debate over NHI terminology, what organizations can do tactically today, and what concerns Martin most about where the industry is heading by 2030.
Connect with Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinkuppinger/
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 Welcome
00:50 What a Distinguished Analyst Does
01:37 EIC 2026: Thought Leadership and Best Practice
04:17 Agentic AI: Non-Directed, Non-Deterministic Identity
08:22 Speed of Change: Tactical Now, Strategic Later
12:34 The AI Security Fabric: Five Capability Blocks
15:10 Identity Fabric Origins and Market Growth
18:27 Discovery as the Foundation for Governance
19:48 Governance, Explainability, and Organizational Gaps
22:00 Agent Lineage and Rethinking NHI Terminology
23:50 LLMs vs. Small Language Models
26:23 Is Agentic Identity a Genuinely New Problem?
32:29 Humanoid Robots and the Limits of AI Reasoning
37:05 Decentralized Identity, Trust Frameworks, and Signals
41:07 Identity Verification and Consent for Agents
48:42 What Concerns Martin About the Future of Identity
50:34 Favorite AI Application: Assisted Driving
55:00 Self-Driving Cars, Data, and Personal Privacy
Keywords: Martin Kuppinger, KuppingerCole, EIC 2026, EIC Berlin, agentic AI, AI security fabric, identity fabric, decentralized identity, AI governance, non-human identity, autonomous identity, dependent identity, agent lineage, explainability, MCP server, small language models, verifiable credentials, risk-based authorization, OT security, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, IAM, identity security
Recorded live at EIC 2026 in Berlin, Jeff and Jim sit down with Martin Sandren, IAM Product Lead at IKEA, for a wide-ranging conversation covering nearly every corner of modern identity security. Martin shares what has changed since his first IDAC appearance on episode 293, including the rise of AI, growing interest in digital sovereignty, and the maturing shared signals framework. The conversation moves through risk-based defense in depth, tiered MFA rollout strategies, session management, and the real challenge of trusting AI to make security decisions. Martin introduces identity dark matter and explains how IVIP can surface the 95-plus percent of applications that never reach an IGA system. The episode also covers shadow AI, MCP server risks, the SaaSpocalypse debate, and the EU AI Act. It closes on a grounded note: solar panels.
Connect with Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsandren/
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 Welcome and EIC 2026 intro
01:47 What has changed in two years: AI, sovereignty, shared signals
03:06 Martin's EIC presentations: AI for IAM and IAM for AI
04:46 Can you prioritize one direction over the other?
07:13 What would it take to trust AI making identity decisions?
09:32 AI-enhanced detection and risk-based session management
13:07 Session invalidation and the shared signals framework
14:11 Defense in depth and right-sizing privileges
18:25 MFA today: any MFA versus phish-resistant MFA
19:17 AI chatbots, enterprise LLMs, and shadow AI
23:11 MCP servers, NHI risk, and return on risk thinking
27:00 AI configuring IAM systems: how close are we?
31:30 LLM costs, the SaaSpocalypse, and enterprise AI futures
40:10 Identity dark matter and the IVIP concept
44:16 CMDB versus IVIP: do you need both?
46:18 The EU AI Act and building an AI governance registry
49:18 Where to start: get your AI inventory in place first
50:00 Closing thoughts and the solar panel tangent
KEYWORDS
AI for IAM, IAM for AI, identity dark matter, IVIP, IGA, shared signals framework, phish-resistant MFA, defense in depth, session management, MCP servers, NHI, shadow AI, SaaSpocalypse, EU AI Act, AI governance, zero standing privilege, EIC 2026, IKEA, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Martin Sandren
This episode is presented courtesy of SailPoint. Rob Sebaugh, Senior Identity Strategist at SailPoint, joins Jeff and Jim for a wide-ranging conversation on the past, present, and future of identity governance. Rob brings more than two decades of practitioner experience to the table, including 16 years running large-scale identity programs before making the move to the vendor side. The conversation covers what identity governance means today, why it must move to the forefront rather than be treated as an afterthought in an agentic world, and how organizations need to think fundamentally differently about non-human identities. Jeff and Jim explore the concept of treating AI as a first-class identity, how AI is beginning to replace rubber-stamp access certifications, the shift toward policy-based access control, and the practical path toward zero standing privilege. The episode wraps with a lighter conversation about Rob's 3D printing hobby.
About SailPoint:
SailPoint (Nasdaq: SAIL) is defining the new era of adaptive identity security. In a world where non-human identities now significantly outnumber humans, our AI-powered platform unifies identity, security, and data intelligence to protect today’s enterprise from advanced identity-based threats. We deliver the identity solution that spans both the breadth of identities and the depth of context needed to drive real-time access with confidence. Built on principles like zero-standing privilege and contextualized risk, our SailPoint platform transforms identity from a point of vulnerability into a powerful security advantage. Trusted by many of the world's leading organizations, SailPoint secures the enterprise with intelligent, autonomous identity security.
Learn more about SailPoint: https://www.sailpoint.com/
Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-sebaugh-1ba9013/
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 Introduction
00:48 Rob Sebaugh and the identity strategist role at SailPoint
04:38 Practitioner advice from the field
07:49 What SailPoint does: the hotel key analogy
11:04 Buying identity technology means buying a business process
13:30 What identity governance is and why it still matters
16:47 Risk-appropriate governance and privileged access
19:39 Non-human identities and the scale of the agentic challenge
22:57 Treating AI as a first-class identity
24:28 When AI makes governance decisions: beyond rubber stamping
28:04 Is identity governance a binary decision?
29:58 Securing data inside AI and large language models
34:09 Identity: the field that reinvents itself
35:01 Identity as the new control plane
37:21 Is all access privileged access?
40:25 Zero standing privilege in practice
44:22 Innovation, continuous identity, and what SailPoint is building
46:28 Identity posture management
50:13 Practitioner advice for the next three to five years
53:00 The future of IGA in ten years
57:44 Lighter note: 3D printing with Rob Sebaugh
1:05:35 Final thoughts on SailPoint
Keywords: Rob Sebaugh, SailPoint, identity governance, identity security, IGA, non-human identities, agentic AI, zero standing privilege, just-in-time access, identity posture management, control plane, zero trust, policy-based access control, AI certification, rubber stamping, sponsor spotlight, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald
Recorded live at EIC 2026 in Berlin, Jeff and Jim sit down with Thomas Zarnhofer, IAM Architect at a major retail company in central Europe. Thomas shares his experience leading a full IGA transformation from a decade-old on-premise system to a modern cloud-based platform. The conversation covers the shift from a contract-based to a person-based identity model, the importance of cleaning data before migration begins, a three-phase framework of Foundation, Migration, and Adoption, lessons learned from running two systems in parallel, and a look at how AI could make IGA predictive. The episode ends with Thomas's tips for visiting Austria.
Connect with Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tzarnhofer/
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 Introduction and EIC 2026 Setting
02:00 Thomas's Identity Origin Story
04:21 The Catalyst for IGA Modernization
07:43 Contract-Based vs Person-Based Identity Models
09:22 Consolidating Master Data Sources
11:39 Data Quality and Attribute Ownership
13:34 Partnering with HR for Clean Data
16:43 Data Analysis: Why They Chose Excel Over AI
17:53 Clean Your Data Before You Migrate
18:23 The Three Phases: Foundation, Migration, Adoption
20:12 Driving Adoption Across the Organization
21:10 Running Two Systems in Parallel
22:47 Challenge Everything vs Lift and Shift
27:23 Surprises in the Cloud IGA Journey
29:02 Testing Requirements in the Cloud
29:51 AI and the Future of IGA
32:25 AI Chatbots and Role Discovery
35:30 Scoping Business Role Visibility
36:06 Life Outside IAM: Travel and Austria Tips
Keywords:
IAM, IGA, Identity Governance, IGA Migration, On-Premises to Cloud, Identity Model, Contract-Based Identity, Person-Based Identity, Master Data, Data Quality, HR Integration, Joiner Mover Leaver, Cloud IGA, Retail IAM, EIC 2026, AI in IGA, Predictive IGA, Role Management, Access Governance, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Thomas Zarnhofer
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