Hello, User

Description: Welcome to lucky episode number 13! Your new host Aubrey Turner, Executive Advisor at Ping, is thrilled to welcome Katryna Dow, CEO & Founder of the award-winning data platform Meeco. Katryna discusses Meeco's mission to enable everyone on the planet access to equity and value in exchange for the data and information they share. She talks about why she saw a need for Meeco's services, what we need to know as we approach a more “physigital”world, and how her vision all started with a Tom Cruise film.   Key Takeaways: [1:34] Katryna talks about her journey of founding Meeco, and how she was inspired by Tom Cruise's movie Minority Report. In early 2012 she sat down and wrote a Manifesto, and asked the question: what would happen if everyday people had the power to make really good decisions on data, the way that social networks, government, and enterprise do? How can we create meaningful value and make better decisions with our data? [8:12] Katryna shares some of her concerns around modern privacy and where she sees things evolving, both good and bad. [9:35] Technology is neutral. It's what we do with it that gives it bias and can make it either creepy or cool. [11:33] What does Katryna mean when she says it starts with trust by design? [17:22] The next wave may be just starting to bring people and things into the direct value chain, through wearables or IoT devices for example. [18:31] How can we create better digital onboarding for employees, knowing that even post-COVID-19 our world will not go back to how it was in December 2020? One thing that Katryna is sure of is that we must lean into innovation rather than doing nothing and waiting to see. [36:13] We must make sure we are paying attention to the misalignment between law and technology, especially when it comes to ethics and the safety of children growing up in a digital-forward world.   Quotes: “I think the challenge for any kind of technology and regulation is a lag factor, not a lead factor.”—Katryna “The line between creepy and cool is one of the things we are always trying to address from a technology point of view.”—Katryna “There isn't really the option to not find better ways of digitally engaging.”—Katryna Mentioned in This Episode: PingIdentity AubreyTurner KatrynaDow Meeco “HowCOVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever”        

Description: It's a bittersweet episode, as Richard announces that this will be his last show before he moves on from Ping Identity. After sharing a few highlights from former guests and episode topics, he then passes the baton and welcomes Aubrey Turner, Executive Advisor at Ping Identity. Aubrey shares some of his career highlights and embraces the new role, inspired to connect with the audience and continue with deep conversations that help connect, educate, and motivate. Key Takeaways: [6:40] Richard thanks the listeners, former guests, and production team for working with him on the podcast. He then brings on the new host, Aubrey Turner. Aubrey shares his background and what spending time at Deloitte did to prepare him for his role at Ping Identity. [10:45] Identity was all about resource sharing, and now identity is all about trying not to share resources with the bad guys. [12:27] What are the trends in identity that Richard and Aubrey see that we should be paying attention to? Why does the fraud angle fascinate Aubrey? [21:20] What is the Great Resignation, and how do we thrive in a society where “rage quitting” and not showing up for your first day of work is becoming more and more common? [28:27] Ultimately, technology is a means of production. We're building capabilities to deliver outcomes for human beings. [32:26] Richard shares his parting words, and emphasizes the importance of looking at new solutions from a different angle. Quotes: “What we do matters.” — Aubrey “Identity was all about resource sharing, and now identity is all about trying not to share resources with the bad guys.” — Richard “[An] IT job is a security job, right? It is kind of like, every security job is an identity job.” — Aubrey “Find your true north. Have a plan, and manage through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.” — Aubrey Mentioned in This Episode: Ping Identity Aubrey Turner

Description: This week we welcome Kevin Sellers, our Chief Marketing Officer here at Ping Identity. When he's not traveling the world, Kevin is leading the charge of our marketing efforts to be sure Ping is connecting with its users and championing truth, trust, and identity. Kevin talks about his transition from Intel into the identity space and what he's learned, why partnering with Terry Crews was great for the brand, and his tips for brands looking to stand out and convey their uniqueness.   Key Takeaways: [3:00] Kevin talks about what he learned at Intel Inside about creating an emotional response and teaching consumers to think not only about what it is they are buying, but what goes inside, how it's made, and how this makes a difference. [5:14] The identity world now can look like what Kevin calls the “sea of sameness.”Everyone talks about being the trusted solution. How does Ping Identity stand out and convey its specialties and uniqueness? [5:45] In this digital-first world, we must understand who it is that we are engaging with, and that means truly knowing your identity and how it matters. [8:25] Identity is the foundation of all commerce. Kevin shares how brands can position themselves in a way that shows their unique value. [9:11] What is the differentiator for Ping? Kevin first talks about knowing the soul of the company, which is a combination of mission, culture, leadership, and values, and also strategy. [11:19] Ping Identity helps its users become champions, which is more of an emotional place where the team can position capability through more of an outcome orientation than a feature or rational product-based orientation. [12:50] How did Terry Crews come to be involved with Ping Identity, how did it help the brand, and what makes Terry so cool to work with as the Chief Identity Champion? How can brands decide if working with a spokesperson is right for them? [21:42] Our identity is like a fingerprint; it is unique to us and cannot be copied. Our credentials can, but our identity is unlike anyone else's, and that is why it is the foundation of any digital transformation. [23:08]The evolution that was eye-opening to Kevin was how important and central identity and access management really is.   Quotes: “There's what you want to be for the market, and then what you are. Part of the journey is to really do a discovery of the soul of the company.”—Kevin “Most people will listen to and engage with a message from a trusted person talking about a brand, far more than they do a brand talking about a brand.”—Kevin “Be true to your soul, be true to who you are, tell the story well, and you'll find that that marketing is actually a pretty cool thing. And it actually can make a difference in the trajectory of your company's success.”—Kevin Mentioned in This Episode: PingIdentity KevinSellers TerryCrews

Description: As we move through Season Two of Hello User and pull apart top cybersecurity themes and myths around cybersecurity, we welcome Candace Worley, Chief Product Officer for Ping Identity. Candace shares some key takeaways from her time at Ping, along with McAfee and a short stint at Amazon. She talks about what it takes to run a mission-critical solution for companies, the changes she has seen in the industry, and how we can prepare against the innate trusting nature of humans.   Key Takeaways: [1:55] Throughout her long tenure in cyber, what changes hasCandace seen in hackers, vendors, and the response companies have to attacks? What were the benefits of working for a company that had a very large footprint in the enterprise space? [3:40] Candace and Richard give their take on the intention behind founders building security solution companies. Is it for the revenue? The security? Or maybe a mix of both. [7:19] Candace talks about the switch companies go through from being security first to software, and the typical implications and expectations that go along with that switch. [13:50] Candace feels there are two things at the core of security: data and identity. [14:30] While working as the Chief Strategist at McAfee, it became clear to Candace that if you have a really strong identity practice in place that is integrated into that security stack, your ability to mitigate the risk of material cyber-attacks is pretty good. [17:41] Where have we fallen down as an industry? [22:50] The fundamental issue in cyber security is that humans are innately trusting. [23:28] Why is Candace fascinated by the idea of moving towards risk-based identity?   Quotes: •“Most security solutions founders see a problem that has a potential revenue opportunity associated with it.” —Richard •“If you get your identity wrong, you'd better pray you got the rest of your cyber stack pretty bulletproof, because you just left the front door unlocked.” —Candace •“Vulnerabilities are sexy, yet identity is day-to-day work, and it takes a tremendous amount of effort.” —Richard •“The fundamental issue in cyber security is that humans are innately trusting.” —Candace   Mentioned in This Episode: •Candace Worley •Ping Identity

Description: Welcome to Season Two of Hello, User. In this solo episode, you'll hear about identity issues and updates in five key areas of today's digital world — data privacy, personal identity, digital experiences, fraud, and ransomware — and the impact that each has on the fully digital experience world that we are rapidly moving toward. Key Takeaways: [1:50] Top identity themes and issues that are facing every digital user today. [3:41] Data privacy expectations, assumptions, and the limitations presented by the privacy paradox. [6:56] Insights from big companies reveal that data privacy is a major issue. [11:05] Who has the responsibility to be smart about customer data? [12:34] Personal identity at the basic level — are you who you say you are online? [15:18] The benefits and concerns of creating a digital wallet. [20:07] How many truly exceptional digital customer experiences have you had in the last 18 months? [22:18] The passwordless future is the ultimate manifestation of strong authentication. [26:28] Catastrophic levels of fraud are driving fast change in cyber security. [30:50] Ransomware — what it is and what isn't. Quotes: “Privacy and security are assets that are worth a customer's attention and loyalty and revenue. And this is only going to accelerate over the next couple of years.” — Richard “Frankly we've not seen good performance in the data privacy space.” — Richard “Privacy and security is going to become, at the individual human level, a key boardroom conversation.” — Richard “If it was easy to confirm that the physical you and the digital you are the same, I wouldn't even have this podcast.” — Richard “Digital and physical worlds aren't separate anymore, and they're going to be less and less so as time progresses.” — Richard “Passwordless is the ultimate manifestation of strong authentication.” — Richard “When I say there are catastrophic levels of fraud being executed in this country, I'm being conservative.” — Richard Mentioned in This Episode: European Digital Identity Guidelines

Description: When you show up for work, what persona is on display? Can you truly be yourself in your role? For women in historically male-dominated fields and those with non-traditional backgrounds, it's unfortunately common to have to hide parts of their identity at work. Richard and Helen discuss this systemic problem, how it's contributing to the resource gap in fields like cybersecurity, and how we can build different paths for success for people with diverse identities and backgrounds.   Key Takeaways: [4:30] Helen shares the career path that led her to cybersecurity and her struggles to fit into the field. [6:55] Are you able to bring your authentic self to your workplace? [11:02] The experience that taught Richard just how hard fitting into an industry can be for underrepresented groups. [13:10] The drivers behind unacceptable behaviors among otherwise really smart people. [15:15] Proof that change is finally happening. [20:01] There is no benefit to alienating any group in any industry, even the “old white guys.” [25:22] Signals that are driving people away from the security industry, and how we can start effecting meaningful change.[31:27] The systemic problems behind the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics that lead to shortages in the industry.[32:52] Helen's advice for leading as a strong female in any career.   Quotes: “My experience with coming into the field as a minority is still commonly shared with a lot of people.”—Helen “When you show up to your job, are you able to bring your authentic self to the role? —Helen “We seem to have gotten to a point where, as an industry, we can finally have discussions about this.”—Helen “You've got to start where people are, not where you think they should be.”—Helen “Do what you can to be as authentic as possible, and change your environment to enable it.”—Helen Mentioned in This Episode: The Ohio State Office of Compliance and Integrity

Identity is of the utmost importance when it comes to building trust in online interactions. At Identiverse, the conference devoted to identity, Richard took the opportunity to speak to his fellow practitioner, Mike Kiser from SailPoint, on the future of the identity industry and some of the biggest challenges around establishing the trust people need to interact with confidence. Listen as they discuss the demands of privacy, the influence of mobile devices and their concerns about the future of identity.

Description: Today we welcome to the podcast Jeremy Grant of the Better Identity Coalition. Jeremy's roots in identity go back all the way to his college days at University of Michigan —one of the earliest adopters in the higher education space of the Smart Card. He has been involved since the early days of government internet regulation working with Bill Clinton, Virginia senator Chuck Robb, the Obama administration, the Department of Defense, NIST, and doing various legislative work as a staffer. In addition to being the Coordinator for the Better Identity Coalition, Jeremy now works for DC-based law firm Venable as well as a consultant to clients in several sectors. His focus is primarily in financial services, healthcare, IT, and recently in unemployment fraud due to billions of dollars lost during the pandemic. Jeremy dives into the specifics of why digital identity and cybersecurity are national issues that the private sectors simply cannot tackle on their own. Richard and Jeremy share their sentiments on creating a centralized and holistic approach to protecting and regulating identity in the United States.   Key Takeaways: [2:26] Jeremy's background and how he came to be working in the identity space. [7:57] What is Jeremy's day-to-day work like? [11:29] Where is DC's attention in terms of identity? [13:45] Jeremy's thoughts on the landscape of digital identity.[18:30] What is the tipping point for when action takes place in legislation? [22:15] How much can any private organization do to push the needle for digital identity and cybersecurity? [29:56] What does Jeremy see for state-based privacy initiatives?   Quotes: ●“People tell me all the time I have a dream job.” —Richard ●“I do have a great job. I really love it.” —Jeremy ●“How does stuff get done in DC? I mean you've got a mix of things in the executive branch and the legislative branch in and around identity where there's just a ton of attention these days.” —Jeremy ●“We've now seen bipartisan legislation introduced through the Digital Identity Act that's getting a lot more attention partially this past year with what we've been going through with the pandemic and digital becoming that much more important.” —Jeremy ●“A lot of regulators are just interested in getting perspective on how we look at identity.” —Jeremy ●“People are being recognized for these transformative changes and a lot of this stuff is being driven off of identity.” —Richard ●“How do we solve this nationally at a digital level in a way that might actually work? You can't just solve it in UI, and you can't just solve it in banking, and you can't just solve it in-house. You need a more holistic approach where people can do this everywhere.” —Jeremy ●“It is a challenge at times to get people to sort of take things up a level and look at this more of a national priority as opposed to a sector priority.” —Jeremy ●“At the end of the day when it comes to the identity proofing side of things, the government is the only authoritative assurer of identity. And everybody in the industry who sells an identity verification product is trying to guess what only the government knows.” —Jeremy ●“You cannot solve this without government help.” —Jeremy ●“It almost seems like we have elevated the digital capabilities of everything in this world except for identity. It's like we left identity behind.” —Richard ●“One of the things that I've found challenging in my digital identity evangelizing and proselytizing is this absence of a national data privacy standard here in the United States.” —Richard ●“If you keep protecting the stuff but not protecting the people, all I gotta do is be you and I get your stuff.” —Richard ●“Industry has come around to the idea that we need a national privacy law probably five years too late.” —Jeremy ●“Doing nothing is also a policy choice.” —Jeremy   Mentioned in This Episode: The Better Identity Coalition Indentiverse NIST Venable LLP          

Description: Our guest today is actor, former NFL player, artist, activist, advocate, designer, and Ping Identity's “Chief Identity Champion”, Terry Crews. We talk about how his identity is a complexity of all these things (and more), how to stay authentic to yourself, getting into character, having fun, and more. Most importantly, Terry is NOT taking my job! Key Takeaways: [2:30] Why did Terry take on the role of Chief Identity Champion with Ping? [9:24] How does Terry stay authentic to himself when he's being pulled in many directions? [16:42] Identities are complex; they don't need to be binary or partisan. [23:01] How identity is wrapped up in what artists are “allowed” to do. [24:59] How does Terry get into the mindset of playing a different character? [27:08] Our faults, mistakes, and thus self-reflection are what make us human. Quotes: ●“The best thing I learned is that everything has a story.” –Terry ●“I have chosen that the stories that I really want to represent also have to represent me.” –Terry ●“You really have to be comfortable going against the grain.” –Terry ●“Give people the same opportunities and empowerment to have some say and control over their digital personas as we do in the analog.” –Richard ●“This is what the great thing about identity is;you choose who you're going to be.” –Terry ●“We are much more complex than any person that can put us in these little boxes.” –Terry ●“If we're not always talking about empowerment, then we're talking about disenfranchisement. Or we are settling for some form of mediocrity that creates situations where not everybody can participate.” –Richard ●“When you're talking about identity, the only thing you're talking about is being human.” –Terry Mentioned in This Episode:Terry Crews, Ping Identity, Andre Durand

Description: Today's guest is Mick Ebeling, Founder and CEO of self-financed tech incubator NotImpossibleLabs. Mick's mission and projects are proof that impossible is only a temporary state. We discuss technology's role in identity, being a problem-solver, and having the conviction to create a better world.   Key Takeaways: [2:03] Mick shares the mission and the focus of Not Impossible Labs and how his incubator breaks the rules. [5:28] Why storytelling is so powerful. [7:41] How a prototype morphed into something so much bigger.[13:21] A personal family tragedy drives Richard to make a difference in the world and find ways to protect humankind. [16:21] We all have within us the ability to make change. You don't have to know how to do it all, you just have to have passionate conviction to resolve. [20:25] Mick's observations on identity and the huge disparity between who we actually are vs. who we digitally are. [25:17] We are beginning to see people resist losing their digital identity and privacy. [28:50] How to find Mick, Not Impossible Labs, and his other projects.   Quotes: “Our incubator is about what we call technology for the sake of humanity.”—Mick “Our metric is, ‘Does it do good for the world? How does it address absurdities?'”—Mick “We look at the technology we create through this lens called ‘help one help many.'”—Mick “Anybody can build a PowerPoint presentation. Not everybody can tell a good story.”—Richard “Surround yourself with people who make you feel stupid.”—Mick “Commit, then figure it out.”—Mick “Some information, many times, can be way more dangerous than all of the information.”—Richard Mentioned in This Episode: Not Impossible Labs Not Impossible:The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn't Be Done, by Mick Ebeling Hunger: Not Impossible

Description: This week's guest is the Identity Jedi, David Lee. David is an Enterprise Architect and thought leader with nearly 20 years of experience in Identity and Access Management, Business Development, and Solution Architecture. David and Richard discuss the biases identity management decision-makers have when it comes to diversity, the consequences that can come with fast-paced software delivery, the future of digital anonymity, and the importance of having difficult conversations around diversity inclusion. Key Takeaways: [1:38] David discusses his background in tech and incidental journey in Identity and Access Management. [4:32] Sending all business digital due to the pandemic has caused a new crop of problems. Including the many concerns relative to diversity inclusion as it relates to digital identity. [8:03] The biggest problem when it comes to digital identity is access. Decision-makers often don't consider the technological challenges others face because they have always had access. [13:15] There is an intersection of ethics and civic responsibility when it comes to identity. There is no discipline for software engineers when it comes to identity and privacy due to the pace at which they are expected to build, but this will likely change due to liabilities and regulation. [19:06] A potential side effect of the future of identity management could be a lack of anonymity. This exposes that gray area around allowing free speech while maintaining the right to privacy, and who should have access to authentication and verification. [23:28] The technology exists to be able to create accountability models as it pertains to identity and to reduce misinformation. The challenge is having uncomfortable conversations to address the issues surrounding diversity. [26:24] Right now, online anonymity is binary rather than the user having the ability to selectively decide. [29:23] Tech companies made decisions about identity without thinking about user choice.  Older generations are more apt to have concerns about this lack of privacy and anonymity. [32:48] The demand for faster comes with a set of consequences. The same issues we encounter around diversity in analog will present themselves digitally if we do not address them. Quotes: “For some reason, we get introduced to the identity componentry and it becomes like a bag of chips. We can't eat just one.” “For the vast majority of companies, nobody had a business continuity plan that said, ‘I'm going to send 100% of my people home.'” “There's a room full of middle-aged white men who are controlling the narrative for billions of people.” “Is it going to be built with access for everybody in mind?” “We talk about data privacy regulations, but we don't talk about protecting the user.” “Some anonymity provides protection.” “Challenge everything." Mentioned in This Episode: David Lee on Twitter Identity Jedi Ping Identity

In the second episode of Hello User, Richard is joined by identity security expert Andre Durand.  Andre is the founder and CEO of Ping Identity as well as founder of the Cloud Identity Summit.  They discuss the current state of digital identity security and how the pandemic may accelerate the changes needed to shape the future of digital identity security. Key Takeaways: [1:26] During the pandemic we digitized so many aspects of our economy without focusing on one of the most important parts; identity. [3:07] There is a complexity to who we are online; and it's not solely based on our own projections and declarations. [6:20] How your digital employment identity differs from your consumer identity.  [9:21] Currently third parties have much more control over digital identity than the individuals. [10:45] With so many players rushing to enter the digital identity space, how we can sift through the noise. [13:41] How shifting control of digital identity to the individual will dramatically change our current identity and access management systems. [16:48] One of the biggest objections to changing how identity security is user behavior, but people's behavior during the pandemic has shattered those notions. [18:17] The mobile phone is one of the most powerful digital identity devices. [20:00] Identity for individuals might progress in the future to create a better, more secure experience with companies. [20:44] Outside of the user experience, companies are most concerned with the cost of fraud. [22:24] Why identity verification is paramount. Quotes: “As we've experienced during the pandemic, tremendous amounts of our economy have been able to move into digital pathways. The one thing that we forgot to move was people.” “Water always finds the path of least resistance and humans tend to find the path of least resistance, as well.” “You own your identity, but others own the verified record of your behavior.” “In some abstract way, we are the aggregate of all of our interactions with third-parties.” “If you wanted to know the totality of our behavior, it probably exists somewhere in the digital exhaust of the identity management systems of all the companies we interact with.” “The weakest link within national cybersecurity infrastructure right now is the ability to confirm that someone is who they say they are.” “We've come up with terms for identity that are absent the individual.” “Fraud costs money.” “The house of cards of strong identity cannot be built upon weak identity verification.” Mentioned in This Episode: Andre Durand Ping Identity

This week, Richard is joined by Eva Velasquez. Eva is the President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization established to support victims of identity and cybercrimes. Eva discusses where she sees the biggest problems in identity theft today as well as the long-term and domino effects it has on both the victims and essentially all of us. Key Takeaways: [1:19] There is no such thing as a victimless crime when it comes to identity theft and fraud. [2:29] The Identity Theft Resource Center has been a nonprofit victim services organization for 20 years. They offer free and comprehensive services to victims of identity theft. [4:10] The process for victims to be made whole is inherently failed. They are often left both financially and emotionally damaged. [6:01] This year, 10% of people reported feeling suicidal due to identity crimes. [7:20] Richard has a very strong attachment and reaction to the way corporations handle identities due to the emotional harm caused when his wife passed away. [9:03] The problem with having all of this information harvested about our identities and then having that data poorly managed, is that it never goes away. [10:10] The more data we add to the identity verification and authentication process, the more we increase our risk. [11:11] Identity crimes can have long-term and lifetime effects; even children are at risk. [15:22] Historically, the risks and consequences from companies aggregating data on our identities, fall back onto the individual. Some will even capitalize on fixing their mistakes. [17:19] There's an immediate need for organizations to be more responsible in managing identity. Eva wants the government to step it up, as this area accounts for the biggest losses. [22:09] The massive and long-term consequences of widespread unemployment benefits fraud; especially during the pandemic. [30:23] People should have the right to be able to confirm that they are who they say they are; we have this in person but not when it comes to digital identity. The solution needs to fall more on corporations and government, and not on the individual user. Quotes: “Just because a bank makes you whole because of a fraud committed against your account, doesn't mean that it was victimless.” “There's a person behind every single one of those data points and those fraud rates, and they need to have a voice.” “When you look at how we use identity credentials and how we use them in authentication and verification, it is so pervasive now.” “It's only within the extreme examples that we see all the true fractures and breaks in the process that caused these types of things.” “Right now the single biggest problem that we're looking at, with the fraud losses in the billions, is through government benefits.” “These are real costs, these are real consequences to human lives.” “A human being should have the right to be able to confirm that they are who they say they are.” “The first step in solving any problem is identifying that you have one.” Mentioned in This Episode: Identity Theft Resource Center Ping Identity  

We understand identity as who we are. It's the ID card in our pocket. It's a set of personal characteristics. It's our family name.  But in the digital world, identity has evolved far beyond its old definitions. It's the way we consume products. Our ability to vote. Our financial security. Digital identity can be created quickly, accessed broadly and even stolen...easily. And it doesn't just live online.  Welcome to Hello, User: the podcast that covers modern identity across every facet of our lives, from personal to public to professional. Let's explore the way our digital identities create our world—and not the other way around. Subscribe to Hello, User here today to receive notifications when a new episode is released.