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





#435 - Majority Rules: IDAC Live at Identiverse 2026

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



#434 - Identiverse 2026 - IdentiBeer 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





#433 - Sponsor Spotlight - FusionAuth

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

#432 - IdentiBeer Rome and 3 Courses of IAM with Alessandro Piscopo

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

#431 - Tectonic Shifts in Identity Security with Martin Kuppinger

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







#430 - AI for IAM and IAM for AI with 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

#429 - Sponsor Spotlight - SailPoint

Recorded live at EIC 2026 in Berlin, Jeff and Jim sit down with Thomas Zarnhofer, IAM Architect at SPAR-ICS, the IT unit of the SPAR Austria Group, which operates roughly 3,000 retail stores and 32 shopping centers across 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

03:38 What Is SPAR-ICS?

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







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, SPAR-ICS, Retail IAM, EIC 2026, AI in IGA, Predictive IGA, Role Management, Access Governance, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Thomas Zarnhofer





#428 - Modernizing IGA with Thomas Zarnhofer

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

#427 - Identiverse 2026 Preview with Heather Flanagan and Andi Hindle

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

#426 - Sponsor Spotlight - Crowdstrike

Identity 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? Want to join the conversation? Visit IdentityAtTheCenter.com or email us at questions@identityatthecenter.com

Jeff Steadman

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