EverydayIdentity

Breached Passwords and Modern Authentication: How Clerk Protects Your App from Known Risks TL;DR Using passwords found in previous breaches is like leaving your door unlocked for attackers. Developers can stop this risk cold—tools like Clerk Authentication and its competitors (Auth0, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, and others) automatically block known breached passwords during signup and reset. Let’s break down why this matters, what the latest password dumps look like, and how you can protect your users (and your reputation) in a few lines of code....

IAM 101: Zero Trust and Identity – Continuous Verification in Practice EverydayIdentity TL;DR Zero Trust isn’t a product—it’s a security philosophy. At its core is continuous verification: a principle that access decisions should never rely on a one-time check. This post breaks down how identity, context, device posture, and dynamic access policies form the foundation of Zero Trust, and how IAM teams can implement this model in practice. What Is Zero Trust?...

IAM 101: Why Identity in the Cloud Must Be Your #1 Security Priority for AWS, Azure, and Google TL;DR Identity is the real cloud perimeter. As businesses move to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, old security assumptions vanish—and identity becomes the #1 target for attackers. This post explains why managing cloud identities (not just passwords!) is the key to surviving in a world of SaaS, hybrid work, and zero trust....

Hidden Workers Lost in the ATS Hiring Black Hole An Opinion From the Other Side of the Algorithm There’s an uncomfortable truth most HR leaders won’t say out loud: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) aren’t finding your next best hire—they’re hiding them. Over the past decade, automation in recruiting was sold as a revolution. More candidates. More efficiency. Less bias. But walk into any organization struggling to fill open roles, and you’ll hear a different story: “We just aren’t seeing enough qualified people....

IAM 101: Common Misconfigurations – Avoiding the Hidden Identity Traps TL;DR Misconfigured identity systems are among the most overlooked risks in cybersecurity. From unreviewed admin roles to open SSO bypasses, these missteps aren’t always malicious—but they are dangerous. In this post, we break down: The top IAM misconfigurations seen in real environments How small errors can lead to major breaches Audit and automation strategies to catch them early Lessons from recent incidents 🔍 Background I’ve audited dozens of IAM environments, and one thing is consistent: The biggest risks aren’t from what’s missing—they’re from what’s configured wrong....

When a Phished Employee Has Admin Rights TL;DR Phishing remains one of the most effective initial access methods for attackers—but the real risk begins when the compromised user has admin or privileged rights. In this post, we’ll dissect how privilege escalation turns a single click into a breach, the downstream impacts, and practical steps to contain the blast radius in your own organization. The Real-World Scenario: One Click, Total Compromise Let’s paint a picture....

What Does an IAM Manager Actually Do? First-Hand Insights from a 15-Year IAM Pro Introduction Fifteen years ago, I stumbled into Identity and Access Management (IAM) when “cloud SSO” was still a buzzword and the biggest access threat was a sticky note password. Fast-forward to today, and I manage an IAM team responsible for protecting thousands of users, devices, and applications. If you’re wondering what an IAM Manager actually does—and what it takes to thrive in the role—this post is for you....

TL;DR Privileged Access Management (PAM) helps you secure the accounts that matter most—those with elevated permissions and the keys to your most sensitive systems. In 2025, attackers are still targeting admin accounts, service accounts, and infrastructure consoles. This article covers: What PAM is and why it matters Real-world breaches involving privileged accounts Best practices for securing high-risk access Tools and controls to implement PAM effectively 🔍 Background In my early IAM years, I saw developers with full domain admin rights—and no session logging....

Protecting Your Digital Identity: Essential Strategies for 2025 In today’s interconnected world, our digital footprints extend across countless platforms and services. As we’ve seen throughout 2024, the landscape of digital threats continues to evolve at an alarming pace. With major data breaches affecting millions and increasingly sophisticated phishing campaigns, protecting your personal identity online has never been more crucial. This guide explores comprehensive strategies to safeguard your digital identity, with a particular focus on recent developments and the emerging “Zero Trust Human” approach....

AI + Human-in-the-Loop IAM: Compliance Mapping Guide Introduction This guide maps how AI-driven IAM—with human-in-the-loop—meets the world’s leading security compliance frameworks. Use this as a reference for your governance and audit strategies. SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) Key Controls: Change management for financial systems, privileged access approval, audit logs. HiTL Mapping: All privileged access changes require manual sign-off. Maintain full, immutable logs of both automated and human actions. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Key Controls: Controls for PHI, traceability of access, breach notification....