Mistaken Identity

In June 2018, the world found its focus split between two events that might alter the fate of nations: the World Cup in Moscow and Identiverse in Boston. David Lee and Mike Kiser, noting the relative lack of media coverage for one of the preeminent identity gatherings of the year, journeyed to the fair city of Boston to rectify this wrong. In this episode of Mistaken Identity, they have an in-depth discussion with Optiv’s Richard Bird about how identity in the digital world must mirror the physical world, whether the CMO should own identity, how social identity can be the source of truth, and how the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” can enable audiences to receive new ideas.

Headlines include cryptomining as the new hotness, an epic marketing-based breach, and how California is attempting to ensure that you have the right to be forgotten. Finally, Mike argues for worldwide adoption of “Collective Restoration.”

Needless to say, it was an epic week up in Massachusetts. (Note: no locals were (permanently) harmed in the production of this episode.)

“Technology is, of course, a double-edged sword. Fire can cook our food but also burn us.” David Lee and Mike Kiser examine the idea that every company is a technology company, replete with the opportunity and the danger that presents. Every business—from bakeries to gas stations—can benefit from secure technology adoption (but please don’t internet-enable that next round of ciabatta.)  The latest cyber insurance policy, planes being attacked from the ground with malware, why your DNA may now be on the dark web, and the home assistant that turns out to be a terrible gossip. Bonus: find out what makes Mike so hot and relive David’s experience as a late adopter.

Ah, the beginning of summer in Austin, Texas: the heat returns, the bats take flight nightly as the sun sets, and Navigate unfolds in all its splendor. Austin becomes consumed with discussions about Identity—in the coffee shops, in the barbershops, and in the various saloons that dot our fair city. Recorded live from the Navigate ballroom at the JW Marriott, relive the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Headlines this week include: a potential bypass for 2FA from former Navigate Speaker Kevin Mitnick, a flaw in PGP email, and the U.S. Government eliminates the position of Cybersecurity Coordinator. This week’s bonus activity: wager with friends over what the headline censored by “habitual-fun-stealer” Jess Sutera actually was!

Ah, springtime. The birds are chirping, the flowers are in bloom, and the annual RSA conference roars into San Francisco. Join David Lee and Mike Kiser as they review a week full of identity, security, and networking. It’s the next best thing to spending 30 hours walking around the Moscone Center searching for swag. Also explored: supersized security salaries, the Democratic National Committee files a hacking-related lawsuit against almost everyone, and the new hotness: digital identities. Now with 37% more “pew-pew” maps!

Is there a fundamental right to privacy—and if so, what does it look like practically? David Lee and Mike Kiser explore privacy and the right of end users over their own personal data in the wake of recent news about the reselling of personal data to third parties on the series of tubes that we know as the interwebs. How can security practitioners effectively yell “I am Spartacus!” on behalf of their users. Also discussed: Android users’ call and text data mined by Facebook, 1.5 billion files with sensitive data out there for the taking, and how the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report highlights ransomware as the leading type of malware.

It’s easy to theorize about security, but the people putting identity programs into practice know firsthand what works and what should be discarded like yesterday’s newspaper Twitter feed. David Lee and Mike Kiser welcome Jom John, Managing Director of simplexiam, the first in a series of discussions with identity implementers about what they’ve seen and heard in the “real world.” Also discussed: Crumple-zone decryption, Facebook data reuse, new SEC insider trading regulations involving breach awareness, and the parallels between marriage and identity governance (“What identity has joined together, let no one separate.”)

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) dominates the discussion in this episode of Mistaken Identity. David Lee and Mike Kiser explore the risks and rewards of the looming robot takeover—and how identity is the key to success in both naval warfare and securing automated bots. Also discussed: valid certificates obtained through stolen credentials, a “friend of the show”—the Mirai botnet—finds a new attack vector, and we wonder whether or not marketing knows what we ate for breakfast (they do now.) Finally, we close with an argument for seeing as many movies in the theater as possible.

Ok, so you have the largest data lake in the hemisphere, but now what do you do with it? David Lee and Mike Kiser welcome Gianni Aiello to explore how big data can be triaged even while the first few rounds of analytics begin to surface answers to pressing questions. In other news, Facebook wants to scan your driver’s license, voice authentication can now be used to accelerate customer service, and secret military locations are revealed through personal fitness. (Another reason to not leave the couch this week!)

Artificial Intelligence can be the perfect tool, but it is created and wielded by imperfect people. What guardrails can be put into place to prevent it from merely mirroring our own biases and prejudices? David Lee and Mike Kiser explore the dark side of algorithms gone awry. Also examined: browser plugin hijacking, software that attempts to predict crime (and fails), and why David can’t find a painting that looks like him through Google’s Art Doppelganger app.

2018 is here—with an opening salvo that underscores the need for security in every layer, all the way down to silicon. We delve into the world of Spectre and Meltdown, attempt to explain it with a non-technical analogy, and then explore what it means for both chip vendors and the security industry as a whole. Another billion user breach and the current status of IoT preparedness are also in the mix, along with a potential “whistlestop” train trip to the Identiverse conference with an identity-centric case of . . . tens? hundreds? thousands? (We’re gonna need a bigger train.)