Zero Trust

#The Future of IAM: AI & Automation TL;DR Identity and Access Management (IAM) is evolving fast. AI and automation are moving IAM from static, rules-based controls to adaptive, intelligence-driven systems. Machine learning powers real-time anomaly detection, behavior-based authentication reduces reliance on passwords, and identity orchestration unifies workflows across multi-cloud and legacy systems. But with innovation comes new risks: AI agents, machine identities, and autonomous threats demand fresh governance and continuous monitoring....

Introduction: Why Context Is the New Secret Weapon In the world of digital security, the “who” is no longer enough. Identity and Access Management (IAM) has evolved beyond verifying a username and password. Today, the most resilient defenses are those that understand context—blending real-time signals about the user, their device, location, and behavior to make smarter access decisions. Welcome to the world of Context-Aware Access. If you’ve ever been prompted for a second factor when logging in from a new device, or denied access while traveling, you’ve seen context in action....

#IAM in the Cloud & SaaS Era: Tackling Shadow IT, API Sprawl, and Access Chaos TL;DR As enterprises shift further into cloud and SaaS ecosystems, identity and access management (IAM) becomes a tangled web of apps, permissions, and overlooked risks. This post outlines the top threats—like Shadow IT and API sprawl—and offers strategies to maintain control. The Identity Challenge in a Cloud-First World Modern enterprises are no longer running a single stack—they’re running hundreds....

IAM 101: The IAM Backbone – A Unified and Secure Foundation TL;DR Directories and identity federation are the backbone of any modern IAM program. They serve as the new security perimeter, enable Zero Trust, and automate lifecycle management. Misconfigurations here can undermine your entire security posture. Background: The Shift to Identity as the New Perimeter Not long ago, enterprise security meant big firewalls and locked-down networks. Today, those barriers are porous—thanks to remote work, SaaS, and hybrid environments....

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?...

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....

TL;DR AI brings speed, scale, and intelligence to Identity and Access Management (IAM). But real-world breaches, compliance rules, and business complexity prove a critical truth: without a human-in-the-loop (HiTL), automation introduces unacceptable risks. This guide covers how AI is transforming IAM, what can go wrong, real-world incidents, case studies, key compliance requirements (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, NIST, and more), and a downloadable mapping document for your security program. 1. Introduction: The New Age of IAM Automation Identity and Access Management (IAM) is now at the crossroads of AI, automation, and Zero Trust....

TL;DR Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) remains one of the most effective and underutilized defenses in modern cybersecurity. Despite being widely available, it’s often poorly implemented or misunderstood. In this post, we break down: Why MFA is still essential in 2025 Common MFA methods (and which to avoid) How attackers are bypassing MFA Best practices for enterprise adoption 🔍 Background Fifteen years into IAM, I’ve watched the industry shift from passwords to push prompts, biometrics, and passkeys....

TL;DR If you’re leading or supporting an Identity and Access Management (IAM) program, you’re already touching all five functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)—you just may not be thinking of it that way. This post breaks down how each function of the NIST CSF maps directly to your identity lifecycle, from provisioning to detection to post-breach recovery. 🧠 Background: Why NIST CSF Still Matters The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) remains a go-to model for organizations aiming to assess and improve their security posture....

TL;DR Access control models define who can access what within your systems—and more importantly, under what conditions. The most common models—RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control), and PBAC (Policy-Based Access Control)—offer different strengths depending on your organization’s complexity, compliance needs, and operational maturity. In this post, we’ll explore each model, compare real-world use cases, and help you decide which approach fits your identity strategy. 🔍 Background In the IAM world, authorization is the engine that drives secure access—yet it’s also where things get messy....