Hybrid Identity Protection Podcast

Semperis
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Technology
  • Updated Semimonthly

The HIP Podcast is the premier podcast for cybersecurity pros charged with defending hybrid identity environments. Hosted by 15-time Microsoft MVP and Active Directory security expert, Sean Deuby. Presented by Semperis: the pioneers of identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise.

  1. Agentic AI and the Authorization Gap No One Closed with Geoffrey Mattson, CEO of SecureAuth

    4h ago

    Agentic AI and the Authorization Gap No One Closed with Geoffrey Mattson, CEO of SecureAuth

    This episode features Geoffrey Mattson, CEO of SecureAuth, joined by co-host Sarah Cicchetti, Director of Product Management at Semperis. Geoffrey has spent decades building and leading companies at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, including MistNet.ai, an AI-native threat detection platform acquired by LogRhythm, and Xage Security, where he drove zero trust adoption across the U.S. military, global energy firms, and Fortune 500 enterprises. At SecureAuth, he leads a platform built around continuous, real-time identity authority across workforces, APIs, and AI agents. In this episode, Geoffrey argues that agents combine the speed of automation with the unpredictability of humans, making real-time per-action authorization the only viable control model. He discusses why “friendly fire” from well-meaning employees is the biggest threat vector right now, how MCP vendors are ignoring their own OAuth spec, and what a practical agent rollout with real guardrails actually looks like. This episode reframes authorization as the problem the identity industry has been deferring for years and can no longer avoid. Guest Bio Geoffrey Mattson is a serial entrepreneur and globally recognized cybersecurity and AI executive with decades of experience building market-defining companies and technologies that protect the world’s most critical systems. He is currently CEO of SecureAuth, a leader in AI-driven identity and access management with its Continuous Authority, ensuring ongoing verification across workforces, customers, APIs, and AI agents. This is enabled through its Private Authority Platform, which puts authentication and authorization under your control through any deployment model (cloud, on prem, hybrid, air-gapped). Prior to SecureAuth, Mattson served as CEO of Xage Security, where he led the company in Zero Trust for critical environments from energy to agentic AI. Under his leadership, Xage achieved rapid adoption across the U.S. military, global energy firms, and Fortune 500 enterprises. Previously, Geoffrey Mattson was co-founder and CEO of MistNet.ai, an AI-native threat detection platform acquired by LogRhythm. He pioneered decentralized analytics and machine learning approaches for real-time cyber defense, and later served as SVP of Product at LogRhythm, driving global expansion and shaping the next generation of SIEM/SOAR solutions. Earlier, he held senior executive roles at Juniper Networks, overseeing a $2B product portfolio and leading major M&A efforts, and at Huawei Technologies as SVP and CTO for networking and data center platforms. His engineering leadership at Corona Networks, Caspian, and Bay Networks helped build foundational technologies in network and security architecture. Guest Quote “With agents, you have the power and the speed of an automated process with the unpredictability of a human. And in fact, we are seeing their behavior and their psychology makes them even perhaps less predictable than a human.” Time stamps 01:45 Meet Geoffrey Mattson: Serial Entrepreneur and Cybersecurity Executive 02:40 Why Identity Is Having a Moment 08:40 Defining Agent Identity 12:15 Behavioral Guardrails for Agents 14:37 Agent Identity Lifecycle 17:36 Just-in-Time vs. Standing Privilege 18:02 C-Suite Pressure and Friendly Fires 21:00 When Agents Live Off the Land 26:12 MCP, OAuth, and Token Pitfalls 28:04 Threat Models and Rollout Strategy 30:13 LLMs and Policy Authoring 31:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Geoffrey on LinkedIn Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    35 min
  2. Where Gartner Sees Identity Security Heading with Mark Diodati, Managing VP of IAM at Gartner

    May 26

    Where Gartner Sees Identity Security Heading with Mark Diodati, Managing VP of IAM at Gartner

    This episode features Mark Diodati, Managing Vice President for Identity and Access Management at Gartner. Mark has spent two decades shaping how the industry thinks about authentication, privileged access, and cloud identity, working with renowned companies like Ping Identity, CA, RSA, and now, Gartner. Today, he leads Gartner's global IAM for Leaders analyst team and sets its research agenda across the full identity stack. In this episode, Mark explains how Gartner's research model works and what his team is prioritizing across identity verification, authorization, ITDR, and decentralized identity. He also breaks down what AI means for identity right now and why securing AI agents is harder than most teams realize. This episode is a deep dive into where identity is heading from someone whose job is to listen to everyone. Guest Bio Mark Diodati is the Managing Vice President for Identity & Access Management at Gartner. Mark is a longtime identity pioneer who helped shape the way the industry thinks about authentication, privileged access management, and cloud identity. He leads a large team of analysts, sets the global IAM research agenda, and rigorously reviews every document to keep the bar high. Before that, he guided Gartner’s IAM research for technical professionals, chaired major industry conferences like Catalyst Europe and the Cloud Identity Summit, and drove triple-digit growth in attendance and sponsorships. Earlier in his career, he held key leadership roles at CA, RSA, and Ping Identity, influencing product strategy and partnerships that many identity practitioners rely on today. Guest Quote " One thing we're critically aware of at Gartner is that nobody knows everything. It's impossible.” Time stamps (02:11) Meet Mark Diodati: Identity Analyst and IAM Research Leader (06:00) Inside Gartner: Research, Conferences, and Consulting (09:18) Hiring and Training the Gartner Analyst (15:26) How the Inquiry Process Works (24:07) Gartner Research Products for Identity Professionals (28:02) IAM Research Priorities Right Now (32:31) AI and Identity: Opportunity and Risk (39:35) A Musical Moment with Mark (44:26) Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    45 min
  3. Why Identity Security Needs Its Own Program with Angie Klein, IAM Business Technology Manager at Federated Insurance

    May 12

    Why Identity Security Needs Its Own Program with Angie Klein, IAM Business Technology Manager at Federated Insurance

    This episode features Angie Klein, IAM Business Technology Manager at Federated Insurance. Angie brings over a decade of experience spanning systems development and identity security leadership, holding CISSP, CIDPRO, and CISM certifications and working hands-on with CyberArk, SailPoint IDN, and Active Directory in a regulated environment. In this episode, Angie dives into the organizational and cultural work that most identity programs skip. She shares why identity deserves its own program, how to apply OCM to bring resistant stakeholders on board, and why governance must come first. Angie's core argument is that if identity security creates too much friction, people will route around it, and that's where the real risk lives. This episode makes the case that the hardest part of identity security isn't the technology, it's getting people to trust it enough to stop working around it. Guest Bio As the IAM Business Technology Manager at Federated Insurance, Angie is dedicated to advancing our Identity and Access Management program and the industry as a whole. With over 10 years of experience and currently leading a team of Security Engineers and Identity and Access Analysts, Angie is passionate about IAM and love to see "ah ha" moments when colleagues understand that security is everyone's job. Angie bring over a decade of experience as a Systems Developer, providing extensive technical expertise in the Identity Security domain. I hold certifications, including CISSP, CIDPRO, and CISM. Additionally, she has experience working in the insurance industry and am skilled in CyberArk, Active Directory, SailPoint IDN, Analytical Skills, Project Management, and Public Speaking. Guest Quote "Identity security is ultimately about trust. People have to trust that you are doing the things that will help them do their job securely and not stop them from doing their job." Time stamps 01:45 Meet Angie Klein: Expert IAM Practitioner 01:22 Why Identity Needs Its Own Program 04:30 Why Identity Programs Stall 07:27 Organizational Change Management (OCM) Explained 12:51 OCM in Action 17:08 How to Gain Buy-In for an Identity Security Program 25:05 First Steps for Standing Up a Program 30:22 The Core Pillars of Identity Security 35:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Angie on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    38 min
  4. Securing Non-Human Identities in the Age of Agentic AI with Sarah Cecchetti, Director of Product Management at Semperis

    Apr 28

    Securing Non-Human Identities in the Age of Agentic AI with Sarah Cecchetti, Director of Product Management at Semperis

    This episode features Sarah Cecchetti, Director of Product Management at Semperis. A veteran identity executive, Sarah co-founded IDPro and co-authored NIST SP 800-63-3C Digital Identity Guidelines. She previously led Amazon Cognito as Head of Product at AWS, where she also open-sourced Cedar, the policy language at the center of this conversation. In this episode, Sarah presents her Bsides Seattle talk "Identity Crisis: IAM's Wild Ride in the AI Jungle" on why the assumptions that shaped modern identity have been overturned by the pace of agentic AI. She covers where authentication and authorization standards currently fall short for non-human identities and walks through the emerging frameworks the industry is building to fill that gap. This episode makes the case that natural language safety instructions are not a substitute for provable, external guardrails. Guest Bio Sarah Cecchetti is a seasoned technology executive driving product management at Semperis. At AWS, she led Amazon Cognito to triple-digit growth as Head of Product and led the open-sourcing of Cedar, a new access management language. She co-founded IDPro and co-authored NIST SP 800-63-3C Digital Identity Guidelines. Sarah has designed secure identity systems for corporate clients as well as US and Canadian governments and is recognized as a top identity professional by Okta Ventures and OWI. She’s a keynote speaker at global identity conferences like Identiverse and Authenticate. Guest Quote  “[The] average enterprise has 250,000 non-human identities, and 97% of those have excessive privilege. And 68% of organizations lack AI identity controls...The concept of excessive privilege has almost been accepted by the industry at this point. That's just the way it's done.” Time stamps 01:45 Meet Sarah Cecchetti: Seasoned Identity Executive 02:36 Sarah’s Bsides Seattle Talk: Identity Crisis: IAM's Wild Ride in the AI Jungle 04:19 How Deepfakes Broke Biometrics 06:37 The Scale of Non-Human Identities 09:34 How NHIs Differ from Human Identities 10:38 Why FIDO Doesn't Work for AI Agents 12:19 Introducing SPIFFE and Workload Identity 15:45 How SPIFFE Works in Practice 17:34 Where AI Protocols Are Falling Short 21:12 The Problem with OAuth Client Credentials 23:18 Dynamic Registration and Database Sprawl 24:38 Client ID Metadata Documents Explained 28:43 Authentication Standards: Who Wins the Client ID Field? 30:21 Cedar: Deterministic Authorization for AI Agents 33:58 Clawdrey Hepburn: Sarah's AI Agent in Practice 40:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links OAuth Client ID Metadata Document Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    43 min
  5. 1 Thing to Do to Avoid a Breach: 5 Identity Experts Answer

    Apr 14

    1 Thing to Do to Avoid a Breach: 5 Identity Experts Answer

    This episode features a virtual roundtable hosted by Michele Crockett, Associate VP of Product Marketing at Semperis. The panel brings together five practitioners with deep experience in identity security: Alex Weinert, Chief Product Officer at Semperis; Christopher Brumm, Cyber Security Architect at glueckkanja; Eric Woodruff, Chief Identity Architect at Semperis; Jorge de Almeida Pinto, Senior Incident Response Lead at Semperis; and Michael Van Horenbeeck, CEO and Senior Solution Architect at The Collective Consulting. Collectively, they represent experience across incident response, Microsoft product development, enterprise architecture, and security leadership. In this discussion, the panel addresses how to allocate limited security budgets across prevention and recovery, why the same AD misconfigurations keep appearing in assessments year after year, and what AI means for defenders and attackers alike. This episode is a practical, field-tested conversation about what moves the needle when resources are constrained. Guest Quote "80% of permissions that are out there are users that have access to systems they don't need. Going back to that Tier 0 system, a hundred percent of what's got access to Tier 0, you should know what it is, why it has access, why it needs it, [and] what's going on...  Any apps that you can't prove what they're there for, turn them off. See who yells." Time stamps 0:00 Meet the Panelists 00:00 AI in Cybersecurity 02:23 Budgeting for Identity Security 05:08 Field Lessons and AD Misconfigs 08:48 Prioritizing Prevention and Funding 12:59 Current Attacker Trends 14:56 Hybrid and Multi Cloud Risks 17:02 Entra Private Access POC 18:28 Lightning Round Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Alex on LinkedIn Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Connect with Eric on LinkedIn Connect with Michael on LinkedIn Connect with Jorge on LinkedIn Connect with Michele on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    28 min
  6. Governance After the Fact: The Hidden Risk of App Sprawl with Sander Berkouwer and Raymond Comvalius, Microsoft MVPs

    Mar 31

    Governance After the Fact: The Hidden Risk of App Sprawl with Sander Berkouwer and Raymond Comvalius, Microsoft MVPs

    This episode features Sander Berkouwer and Raymond Comvalius, two longtime identity security experts and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs). Sander is an independent identity architect and author of the Active Directory Cookbooks. Raymond is an IT specialist and senior technical consultant specializing in hybrid identity, Microsoft Entra ID, and identity lifecycle automation. In this episode, they explore a growing blind spot in cloud security: application governance. As organizations adopt more cloud apps and integrations, identity platforms like Microsoft Entra ID often accumulate hundreds of application registrations with little oversight. They explain why governance so often falls behind adoption, share practical steps organizations can take to regain control, and discuss the next frontier of identity. Guest Bios Sander Berkouwer DirTeam Sander Berkouwer works as an independent identity architect in the Netherlands, where he helps organizations make the most out of Microsoft products, services, strategies, and technologies. Sander blogs on DirTeam.com. He regularly gets invited as speaker for his enthusiastic approach, his in-depth real-world knowledge and as the author of the much-appraised Active Directory Cookbooks. Sander has been awarded the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award (for the last 17 years), Veeam Vanguard award (for the last 8 years) and VMware vExpert (for 3 years). Raymond Comvalius Raymond Comvalius is an IT specialist and senior technical consultant with more than two decades of experience delivering enterprise infrastructure, identity, and security improvements. His work centers on hybrid identity and Microsoft ecosystems, including Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, and identity lifecycle automation with Microsoft Graph and scripting. Raymond advises teams on pragmatic roadmaps for strengthening authentication (MFA, passkeys/FIDO2, Windows Hello), improving governance, and operationalizing secure access at scale across cloud and on-prem environments. Beyond consulting, he serves as a board member and co-hosts the IT Bro’s Podcast, sharing news and insights for identity and security professionals. Guest Quotes  “In your tenant, you want to know what objects are in there, and it doesn't matter if those are users or groups or applications. You want to know what's in there so that you can keep track of what's going on.” - Raymond Comvalius “There's a difference between an application and an agent. An agent is far more ephemeral. It does a job that requires some sort of permission. It spins up, it does its thing, and it spins down.” - Sander Berkouwer Time stamps 00:45 Meet Sander Berkouwer and Raymond Comvalius: Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) 02:32 Importance of Entra Application Governance 12:29 How to Get Started with Application Governance 20:18 Understanding Entra Agent ID 26:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Sander on LinkedIn Connect with Raymond on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    28 min
  7. 130 MPH Decisions: What Drag Racing Teaches About Incident Response with Krista Arndt, Associate CISO at SLUHN

    Mar 17

    130 MPH Decisions: What Drag Racing Teaches About Incident Response with Krista Arndt, Associate CISO at SLUHN

    This episode features Krista Arndt, Associate CISO at St. Luke’s University Health Network. With a career spanning healthcare, finance, crypto, and the Department of Defense, Krista brings a uniquely nontraditional path into cybersecurity, one shaped by mission-driven leadership, authenticity, and a commitment to mentorship. In this episode, Krista explains why identity sits at the center of nearly every major cyber incident and shares lessons from real-world response work. She also draws a striking parallel between incident response and her life as a national drag racing competitor, where staying calm under pressure and building in fail-safes can mean the difference between disaster and resilience. This episode is a powerful look at what it means to lead in cybersecurity. Guest Bio Krista Arndt is the Associate CISO SLUHN. As the Associate CISO, Krista is responsible for managing the security program's day-to-day operational effectiveness. In her previous roles, Krista assisted with developing and leading security programs in crypto, finance, and the Department of Defense. Krista earned her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Felician College in NJ where she was a scholarship athlete, serving as the women’s basketball team captain. She also holds her CISM and CRISC certifications and NHRA competition driver's license. Krista is an active member of ISACA, serves as InfraGard Philadelphia Chapter’s Healthcare Sector Chief, serves on Neumann University's Business Advisory Council and is Marketing Committee chair for Women in Cybersecurity-Delaware Valley Affiliate. Krista is also a published author, detailing her journey to embracing her unique authenticity in her book, “Permission to be Real; How to Lead, Influence, and Thrive Without Fitting the Mold". Through this service and her writing, Krista's mission is to give back to her community by providing mentorship and support for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, especially for women who wish to enter the field.  When off the clock, Krista takes her affinity for overcoming challenges to the garage and the race track, where she enjoys building and improving her own race car, competing as a driver in national drag racing events with her family, and using her racing as a forum to advocate for neurodiversity awareness and inclusion. Guest Quote “In the incidents that I've been involved in, major or not, I’ll tell you—identity is at the crux of that... They’re trying to get unfettered access…  How do they get unfettered access? Through an identity that isn’t secured correctly.” Time stamps 00:45 Meet Krista Arndt: Veteran CSO 06:17 Writing Permission to Be Real 10:43 Speaking the Business Language: Why Security Translation Matters 12:49 Lessons from Real-World Incidents 15:43 AI Agents and the Next Wave of Identity Risk 16:55 What Drag Racing Teaches About Incident Response 23:28 Surviving the CISO Seat 26:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Krista on LinkedIn Check out Krista’s book: Permission to be Real Learn more about St. Luke’s University Health Network Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis

    28 min
  8. Is Active Directory Dead? The Future of Microsoft AD with Cliff Fisher, Senior Solutions Architect at Semperis

    Mar 3

    Is Active Directory Dead? The Future of Microsoft AD with Cliff Fisher, Senior Solutions Architect at Semperis

    This episode features Cliff Fisher, Senior Solutions Architect at Semperis and former Senior Technical Program Manager on Microsoft’s Active Directory product group. With over a decade spent inside Microsoft supporting enterprise customers and helping guide Active Directory’s security and roadmap, Cliff brings a rare insider perspective on what’s actually happening behind the scenes of one of the world’s most widely deployed identity platforms. In this episode, Cliff tackles the question many organizations are still asking: Is Active Directory really going away? He explains why the shift to cloud identity has moved far slower than expected, shares polling data that confirms hybrid environments are here for the long term, and breaks down how Microsoft is still investing in AD through security hardening, supportability improvements, and features like Windows LAPS. This episode offers a clearer look at why Active Directory remains central to enterprise identity and what defenders need to prepare for as hybrid becomes the default reality. Guest Bio With nearly 20 years of Active Directory experience across varied roles in system administration, support, debugging, and program management, Cliff spent over a decade at Microsoft supporting Premier and Unified customers and, most recently, managing the releases of Windows LAPS, new features for Server 2025, and monthly security and quality updates. In January of 2026, he joined Semperis, bringing his unique blend of skills, perspectives, and passion to their stacked roster of established identity experts. Guest Quote  “The easiest way to get everyone secure is to get people all to the cloud. What [Microsoft] didn't realize... is that customers just aren't going to be able to absorb change at that rate, and especially at that cost. Shifting to the cloud is not cheap.” Time stamps 01:45 Meet Cliff Fisher: Identity security expert 04:24 Microsoft's Vision for Active Directory 07:58 Challenges and Future of Active Directory 23:12 The Complexity of AD Code and Security Vulnerabilities 24:39 Understanding Fuzzing and Its Importance 27:28 Domain Join Hardening and Its Challenges 36:28 Windows LAPS and Future Security Measures 41:39 Why is RC4 Going Away? 45:14 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sponsor The HIP Podcast is brought to you by Semperis, the leader in identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise. Trusted by the world’s leading businesses, Semperis protects critical Active Directory and Entra ID environments from cyberattacks, ensuring rapid recovery and business continuity when every second counts. Visit semperis.com to learn more. Links Connect with Cliff on LinkedIn Connect with Sean on LinkedIn Don't miss future episodes Learn more about Semperis Submit your proposal to speak at HIP Conf 26: HIP Conf 26 Call for Papers Submission

    47 min
See All (96)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The HIP Podcast is the premier podcast for cybersecurity pros charged with defending hybrid identity environments. Hosted by 15-time Microsoft MVP and Active Directory security expert, Sean Deuby. Presented by Semperis: the pioneers of identity-driven cyber resilience for the hybrid enterprise.

Information

You Might Also Like