You're listening to the identity of the center podcast, this is
the show that talks about identity and access management
and making sure you know who has access to what let's get
started. Welcome to the identity of the
sender podcast. I'm Jeff and that's Jim a gem.
Hey Jeff. How are you not so bad yourself?
Good good. I really realized today.
I'm one of those people one of those people.
Yeah. One of those people who is in a
conference session and the presentation is available for
download and I take pictures of the screen pictures of the
slides that it could be downloading.
We talked about this on Friday to yeah I know we talked about
it but I'm I'm one of those people.
So what I'm going to do nice going, we should probably
explain what we're doing. We are at the Gartner.
I am Summit 2022 in Las Vegas, which is hot outside, she's
right. Fortunately is not quite as hot
inside although you know me, I'm always warm.
So I've had my fan on and full display in several instances
this morning. Yeah, I saw you sweating and it
was like, 72 degrees inside zone.
I'm an indoor cat. I like cool weather.
Yeah. Well, we are Fortunate that in
this sweet. It is very cold.
It is it is our recording studio for the next couple days and we
are very lucky to have it. Yeah.
Thanks to our friends at RSM, they hooked us up with a suite.
We have a nice quiet place to be able to record.
So yeah, it's pretty cool. We have this sweet, so, thanks
Artisan. It's a sweet, sweet, sweet
sweet, yeah. And thank you.
That is right. This isn't terrible.
Fantastic. And I don't think we'd be able
to record Podcast the way we have intended.
And yeah, today we're just going to do day one Reflections.
Yeah, talk about. Kind of what we saw heard
experienced all that good stuff. The intention is for us to get
this out recorded. So we're recording it.
Monday evening, and my goal is to get it edited, and either
pushed out tonight, or tomorrow morning, so it's available
Tuesday, the 23rd. So, we'll see if that happens or
not. Yeah, but that's where we'll
give her. My high-level feeling is just
this, One of the best I am conferences.
I've ever been to a part of that is that I was just so excited to
be back. Seen people in person and I saw
so many people from my different generations of time in identity
and access management one of them, going all the way back to
when I was at Allied Bank and like the guy who was in the
trenches with me, Shri Nika Sola.
So I got to see him again. It's probably been 12 years
since we saw each other. They're so, you know, that's a
personal item, but I mean overall just I'm sure
everybody's kind of experiencing this as seeing people, they
haven't seen in a while. Yeah, it's pretty cool
experience. I think it's interesting, you
bring up Blast from the Past because I'm gonna introduce Our
Guest who is somewhat I haven't seen or really heard from and
probably like a decade or so, her name is Rosa black.
She's the manager of I am at sidley, Austin.
Welcome to the show. Rosa.
Hello, thank you for having me today.
Thank you for being here and R sharing a microphone so you know
we are working out the Kinks in this first episode so you'll
have to bear with us if we are kind of figuring things out but
we have a tradition around here that the first time someone
appears on our episode on our show that we find out about
their identity background and how do they got into identity?
So is identity, something that you chose or did it choose you?
I'm going to say, it shows me so funny story.
I got my start in identity about 17 18 years ago and it was
thanks to Mr. John Steadman, here we started our career back
at Walgreens together, that was like 21, 22 years ago and he got
a job in the identity group and he said, hey you want a job?
And I said, sure, so I kind of just landed in information
security and working on the idea had been team for several years
more like an escape from the help desk.
I think, is the way that I would probably characterize it, but
yes, we do go way back. We had a really great team there
for several years. But yeah, I think, you know,
just kind of level set from the background is like very much
Operational creating IDs, ID badges, Lotus Notes, accounts
Mainframe rack F. What are the what else do we
work on? We did Unix and then we were
also seeing that audited everything to if you remember.
So if you don't use your password in 90 days, we went in
disabled it, but we had horrible reporting.
So we'd always disabled people and they'd call the next day
like hey I can't get into my Mainframe account and everything
was manual back then we had no automation.
We'd ever need tools. It was took a long time to do
one. Ticket fact, I think.
Want to do the Unix tickets because they were, I'm sorry,
not Unix as400 that was the problem application.
So that one ticket would take someone like 25 minutes so
nobody ever wanted to grab those.
Yeah. Shout out to Doug coup, who was
our our main as400 person, and because he was the only person
who is willing to like, learn how it worked and set up the
identities on that. But Kudos a dog.
What do you think about the first day here at, you know, I'm
have, you been to a partner conference before?
I have not actually. So I'm a newbie in this is
actually great experience. So, first off the keynote
speaker, This morning. Mary I cannot remember her last
name. She did an excellent job warming
everybody up. She gave a great speech
welcoming everyone back. And by the way, if you've never
been to a corner conference day, one, it is really well.
Organized. They left, no detail unturned.
It is very nice here. So I am looking forward to
tomorrow actually, but my advice for anyone coming for the first
time would be just go to all of them even if it's not a topic
you're into, it's all about I am which is for me it's kind of
nice to know that there are people who like I am.
Me, I didn't realize there was a whole world of people that love
talking about it all day long, like I do.
So there are a lot of interesting people are you can
talk to and just interesting speakers to hear their
perspective on these topics. Yeah.
That that keynote speaker is Mary Miss aglio, and I thought
it was a really great keynote as well.
Like, we talked about last week Jeff like the, the Keynotes
don't necessarily have to be finely honed on the people
process and technology that we deal with.
And I I'm right. It's the idea of like getting
you to think about bigger topics, and I think her topic
was around the idea. That so many of us people in
this, I am space for people outside.
I am so, yes, of course, as well are just experiencing burnout,
especially over the last couple of years.
Not only, you know, from the pandemic but like all these
other issues that have been happening around us that have
people kind of being like, you know, life in general.
But then how that gets pulled into the workplace and I think
one of the biggest topics that she brought up is that you know
kind of I'm going to date myself here but you know 47 years old
Joining the workforce may be like 25 years ago, you know,
kind of the attitudes and look, the what we experience coming
into the workforce. That time, was that, you know,
social issues are not something. You'd kind of like bring up and
talk about in the workplace. Well, today's generation.
You know, people are just coming into the workforce, now, they're
being raised with a different perspective on that and are kind
of encouraged to be We're bold and bring those issues up.
And so you have this mix of generations and mix of
perspectives on, you know, their willingness to engage in those
discussions. And it goes to the point where
there are some people who don't want that brought into the
workplace and then there are other people who are like, I
don't even want to work here for not going to, you know, take on
those issues. So that was I think a lot of
what was brought up in that Quinones, early powerful to, you
know, to think about that and then reflect on it.
Because if you're leading teams that are multi-generational, you
know, you're going to face some of those issues for sure.
Yeah. I think it was interesting her
her talk was called how to digitally accelerate when you're
so freaking tired. I'm sure the freaking wasn't
that it. But, you know it was it was
interesting was it really you know, I touch this in the last
show was it seems to me like the Keynotes are very much focused
on people and The Human Side of really not identity.
I think just business In general, I think it was, you
know, she gave a great a great talk, you know, I think some of
the Nuggets that I took out were speaking real words, right?
We get lost in this like oh we are going to digitally
transform, blah, blah blah and all that stuff doesn't make any
sense in the real world. And you know really trying to I
don't say dumb down but simplify the language, make it easy to
communicate. If you can't articulate what it
is that you do, or what is the value that you're bringing more,
the problem, you're trying to solve, you're gonna have a bad
time and it's just not going to work.
Gout yeah, digitally transform your think digital
transformation was a word that I heard a number of times today.
And someone said you know that belongs somewhere on the hype
cycle digital transformation, but to me that is a very
specific meaning because I see a lot of organizations you know to
me I always think of digital transformation on the customer
side. I know that a lot of folks are
using that term relative to managing I am for the workforce.
But to me, it's a term that makes much more sense on the
customer side where you're looking at something, not just
around, I am. But you're saying, alright,
we've gone to Market with this approach of multiple points of
Engagement or, you know, multiple channels of Engagement.
So it could be various websites for different aspects of the
business. That could be a nap.
It could be, you know what? Ever.
But then the idea of digital transformation is pulling all
that together. And from a technology
perspective, you've got the data layer.
You've got the application layer, and don't forget about
the identity layer. Yeah, I would agree, she touched
on a lot of good points today. And she talked about some just
general management points to and how to talk to your people and
not being toxic, toxic positivity.
I think was the term she actually used once.
She said it, you were like, oh yeah, that's I do that all the
time like well, Least, you know, she talked about how, you know,
being more sensitive to your folks, your team's needs and
their emotions and what they're going through and like, you just
mentioned. We didn't we didn't do that 34
years ago that wasn't you know unfortunately your dog died.
It was like, I'm sorry get back to work type of a mentality.
Now it's like you're more than welcome to take the afternoon
off if you need it. Let me know if I can do anything
for you. So I think our think our world
has definitely changed could be just over these past two years,
but I think we all need to become a little more sensitive
to everybody that We work with a little bit more, everybody's got
something going on. I think that's a good lesson to
take away. It sounds to me like that was
the clear highlight for the first day between the three of
us. Was there anything else that,
you know, sparked, Joy or interest to steal something from
from from Mary's talk earlier today?
Jim once you start? Yeah, no.
I mean, there were several sessions I sat through, they're
all really high quality. There was one that I ended up in
by accident because I went to the wrong room.
But it was one of those things that was, you know, meant to be
because it was a really great session.
It was called connect business value, and identity management.
It was given by Rebecca archambault and really just kind
of talked about, you know, as I am practitioners, how we have to
put the value of I am in terms that are around business results
and what are the business? As results that the things that
we're doing the the activities that we do to ask for money, you
know, whether their metrics, you know, that come out, you know,
how did those things bubble up into the business results?
Either, we're selling more, we're cutting costs for reducing
the risk to the organization and we have to be better at
explaining that to the business to be taken.
Seriously, to have a seat at the table because I think one of the
things I took away from her presentation, Nation was that.
She said, I am always had a seat at the Kids Table, Right?
But now it's getting a seat at the adult table but for us to
get a seat at the adult table and to stay there, we have to be
able to explain the value of what we do in business in
business results or start a food fight, either way.
Yeah, Rosa any other highlights from today that he thought were
interesting Yai yai share was said, you went to that the one
you just mentioned with Rebecca. I was supposed to go there when
I was stuck with the vendor so I had to miss that one, but I was
very much looking forward to that one.
Well, I came here with an agenda to focus a lot on all the Pam
solution vendors and all the Pam talk.
So that's what I focus on mostly today.
And I cannot remember the name of the first one that I went to,
because they all kind of blend together now, but it was so
refreshing to actually, like, see it on paper, you know,
because like I mentioned before you don't necessary know that
everyone in your when you're in your Explain Pam to somebody or
anything, with a dentist management unless they're in
your space, they don't understand what you're saying,
no matter how you dumb it down or how high level you explain
it. So today, I was thinking the
three Pam ones, I went to all of them were so, well, articulated
and detailed than it was just so refreshing and it was nice
little grass that everyone can understand.
You're like, I feel like I'm with my people here, we're all
in the same boat trying to figure out, you know, what's the
best solution for our company, our customers or whatnot.
So, I the three I went to, I can't, I Can't complain about
them at all. They were all super informative.
Yeah, I didn't get the chance to spend too much time because I
was actually working for a lot of it, but it was kind of cool.
Just kind of walk through the halls and you know, Thief sees
familiar faces that, you know, we see a conference has a lot,
it was kind of cool to have a couple listeners come up and say
hello, which is always neat, that's always a highlight.
So, if you're still here at the conference and you're hearing
this, you know, feel free to come on up and fist bump
interrupt, whatever. We're probably not talking about
anything and super intelligent. Anyway, Don't be a stranger.
I was definitely one of the highlights for me was when I had
an opportunity to tell somebody about the podcast.
They said, that's not podcast. I mean it happened to or
theories being polite. Maybe, maybe, you know, one
thing going back to that session was just talking about from
Rebecca, was she at this one? Really great slide.
So if you get an opportunity to go and download the slides, it
was identity, access management incidents and the I was just,
you know, kind of at a high level, what causes more
Identity, or identity access related issues.
So you know people who are accessing data that they
shouldn't or maybe it's a ransomware event, things like
that and it was, you know, you get more of these incidents that
the high-risk end of the CL and fewer of those incidents at the
low end, low risk and to the scale.
So things like, If you watch your investment and I am, if
your investment I am is low, you're going to have more access
related issues. Same thing with, you know,
access openness. Like if you are tightening down
your axes you for starting with the least privileged model
you're going to have fewer incidents.
So the takeaway from that is like how do you communicate that
to the business that That. Hey, if you invest more in, I am
that, you're going to have fewer access related issues, you're
going and then tie that back to a business value.
So then you're going to have lower risk in a losing customer
data or you're going to have reduced costs things like that.
So really great takeaways from that, some of it is some of
these things are like you know, you get the data and you need to
consume it and and chew on it for a while.
And as far, I love you it's going to the conference's
sitting in the sessions and and listening.
So what else are you looking forward to the rest of this week
when it comes to the conference? So for me tomorrow I really want
to focus on the vendor Hall in the morning and then we're going
to record a few more podcasts over the next.
You know, 48 hours tomorrow we've got sessions were going to
record with Louisa me. ETA is over clear sky and Jamie
grows over CV and shout out to teaching me.
She sent us a. Shout out to me during her
presentation today. Even paying attention, what's
that? And you weren't even paying
attention was to paying attention?
My hearing is not that great. That was the issue.
So no II, totally heard it, and I appreciate it and I loved it.
So yeah, looking forward to recording those sessions
tomorrow. Then we've got a Going Wednesday
as well. So we're going to have a lot of
content coming out. Get my editing fingers.
Ready, Rosa? What about you?
Well, tomorrow, I'm actually going to focus on the vendors
that are here from the not Pam related segments.
So, I actually am looking forward to just hearing more
about what's happening in the industry and Trends.
And I am because it I think it just really depends on what kind
of a company you work for. Some people are more customer or
end user focused with their products or with their Solutions
and some people more back and focus.
So I just think it really depends on which side of the
fence you're on with I am personally for me, I'm more on
the customer side and like, is it easy for the end users?
Can they use this as that user friendly?
Can the team use this? I have people that focus on the
back end because that's not my specialty.
So, shout-out to our engineers at take care of that stuff for
me. So you have tomorrow, I'll be
focusing more on what's happening in the industry.
What's going on? What's everyone talking about?
What are the trends? So it's what I look forward to
hearing. So it's kind of interesting
interesting strategy that you've come up with here.
The first day was on privileged access and now you've got a
second day, focus on sort of other topics.
Jim you and I were talking about sort of like our strategies for
going into this and I do remember what you want because
at the time, but I don't think topic was one of the things that
you and I had considered. I find it interesting.
It mean makes a lot of sense to me, right?
I think if you're, I think, if you're like Rosa in and I am
practitioner, and you're having like, real use cases that you're
trying to solve. That's definitely going to
influence your Approach my Approach.
William was, I wanted to kind of balance across all the different
areas that, you know, I run into those kind of use cases with you
know, multiple clients. So that I've got kind of an even
understanding of the trends and and kind of what would
potentially fall into my wheelhouse.
That makes sense I think yeah obviously based on the roll rate
you're going to be in two different things.
What about recommendations for people who are either here
Already or maybe considering the future for people who are
attending what are some things that people should know.
I'll go first because the first one that I immediately thought
of was get two sessions early, they may or not.
They may not have space in the conference room that you are
hoping to get into. And they may send you somewhere
else which is a less than ideal scenario.
But definitely if you're something that you're just and I
would say get to your destination sooner rather than
later Rose about. Yourself.
I have 21 where gym shoes because there's a lot of walking
here. So a lot of women here in the
fanciest of high heels of ever seen and I'm sure their feet are
killing them today. Mine included, I think the
second thing I would say is just put yourself out there.
I came here alone so I'm traveling alone.
For this conference is just go up to those vendor booths and
syrup a conversation. You never know where it's going
to lead to make you more comfortable with talking people
about their products, even for not interested in their product.
Just go talk to them. And also, if you see Just
standing there were all here for the same reason.
We all have the same knowledge. We go talk to someone because
it's going to open up the door to lots of conversations.
And I met two people here specifically both from Toronto
but four separate cyber companies.
I almost like consulted with them about.
I am teams and processes and stuff like that.
So like actually boosted me and made me feel really good because
I was like giving them advice and helping them with because I
what do you even need? We don't even know how to build
a team and I was like oh this is my specialty.
I would love to tell you about it so I got to show off my
skills. Set a little bit with some
stranger's, so and it made them very happy to.
So just put yourself out there and go talk to everybody.
So we're going to see Rosa presenting and a couple of years
here at Gartner, maybe identify verse or maybe some other
identity conference. Jim any recommendations.
I think that one that there was just said, with putting yourself
out there and, you know, plunk down and sit next to somebody
who, you don't know at lunch, I still do that today and I said,
hey, is this seat taken obviously?
Wasn't And I met Brian burn. See I would shout out to him
because he made me feel very comfortable and told me all
about what he does and you know, the his strategy and his vision,
I said you're somebody we need to get on our podcast so expect
an episode with him at some point in the future.
So that's number one, I think is, you know, that was a great
recommendation. The number two is really I say
consider. Staying at the Caesars, or I
don't know. I've always liked seeing at the
Cosmopolitan, right? Which is technically walking
distance, but when it's 105 degrees outside, it's not really
great option. I don't know the Sheen's.
Just coming off of that. For me, I'd rather be closer
close and not have to deal with going out.
So maybe I'm just being a grumpy old, man, by saying that but
you're gonna lose. That knows Marriott nights
though and loose. At us, well, then that's an
option to say. There's a Marriott like one
block off, the strip that does not have a casino that's an
option. I would consider being part of
it. Just to, you know, be completely
transparent was, I could hear the nightclub in my hotel
pumping, like music to like 2:30.
So every hour or so, I'd wake up and hear that music, and then
have to fall back asleep with that music pumping.
And it's not like I'm an old person.
Like, I hate that music. Isaac, I did, I like it.
But now we're trying to sleep. I don't want to be woken up
every hour wear earplugs or I don't know.
I mean I think staying obviously in the hotel for the
conference's. Makes a lot of sense.
Yeah. What else do you have, really?
I think you guys covered. I think get there early just
because they happen to me a couple times today where I had
to go to an overflow spot and at that point, I was kind of like
mmm. Now, I'm going to do something
else and walk around, I think, Rosa had a right on spark up
conversations. I mean I think that's the great
thing about The any Community is, people are pretty cool for
the most part. Like we're, it's not rocket
science and it's not secret sauce, right?
It's not like you're giving, you know, Trade Secrets away for how
you should be running your. I am program or how you're
building a team, or those are two things unless that is your
secret sauce, maybe, but that's something to consider.
We want to keep this little bit brief for, for this first one.
Make sure I have time to get it and put out, but it wouldn't be
an episode of a Datacenter with out, a way to end on a lighter
note and the That I've come up with for today is what's the
best TV show or movie that you've recently seen Jim?
We'll start with you. You want a TV show and a movie
or or movie trying to remember the name of it.
But it was a Netflix series with the Viking theme.
Who tradition? Oh yeah the last Kingdom.
The last Kingdom that was sort of a good with okay.
Lastly device really had first off I think everyone knows I'm
like into the Vikings thing. And I look like liking, I like
the Vikings and like the historical context of you know,
when they based a show in history, but that was a really
good show. Now, you got me into that one.
I liked it was pretty good, I think I haven't seen the last
season, but you know you, I'm looking at you here, across the
table and I bet if we put like, a horn head on you, you would
totally fit in as like a cast member maybe.
Well, you know, I mean, Vikings raided Ireland and like 800
beasts or eight. Edie.
And so, a lot of people who are Irish actually have Viking
jeans, alright, so I don't, I don't know, you know, like they
actually don't know how if Irish people were redheaded or if the
Scandinavians brought red hair to Ireland.
Interesting. Yeah.
All right, I didn't know that until I started doing some
research. Rosa, what about yourself?
What's the best TV show or movie?
That you've recently seen. Well, I do love a really good
Netflix documentary, but I have to say, my favorite adult movie
I've seen, is Top Gun recently in the theater.
I've seen it twice. I can't even hide it.
It was so good. And then, because I have kids
superpets is actually a really great movie.
If anyone has kids really funny. The rock is the voice of the
superhero, dog. It's actually quite a good
movie, okay? So dual recommendation, Top Gun.
I haven't seen it and I don't have kids, so I don't know.
I don't know what superpets is. Well, I guess how would you
describe it other than Another rock is in it.
Super Pets is based off the pets of the superheroes.
So Superman's dog is a super pad and that's what the story is
about. And then all the Marvel
characters are in it too, so it's actually quite
entertaining. Interesting, I heard this I like
Marvel's, maybe I'll check that out.
I'm going to stay with the Marvel theme because I was
actually really, really pleasantly surprised impressed
and just a really well-done show, Miss Marvel on the Marvel
sort of thing. I don't think it got a ton of,
like, viewers or whatever me, but I thought it was fresh.
It was relatively modern. It was just really well done.
Cinematography is great and it focuses on the character Miss
Marvel and I want to kind of like ruin it, but it was not a
character that I had, you know, any familiarity with.
But I would just say it was very, very well done.
So that's my pick. All right, we're going to go
ahead and leave it for this week, not soon enough.
This week, for this time, I'm going to get this edited output
to shout either tonight or tomorrow night.
So either Monday night or Tuesday night 22nd, 23rd of
August will have more episodes that were going to be recording
tomorrow. Jim is a slave driver and has us
recording for like 48 hours in a row.
So we'll see what comes out of that.
Yeah, that's probably job. Yeah.
You're booking the guest and you're doing a good job.
I've got to work about editing it.
So we'll go ahead and leave it for this week.
You can find us on the web. I'd any of the center.com.
We're on Twitter. At idac podcast and what That we
will hopefully talk with you in the next one.
Thanks for listening to the identity at the center podcast.
If you like what you heard, don't forget to subscribe and
visit us on the web and identity at the center.com.