Recorded live as part of the Identity Management Day 2026 streaming program, Jeff and Jim mark their fifth IMD episode. Introduced by Jeff Reich from the Identity Defined Security Alliance, they reflect on how the IAM industry has evolved since their first IMD episode in 2021 and grade overall progress a C. Topics include what has genuinely improved (passkeys, MFA adoption, broader awareness), what hasn't (compliance fatigue, security theater, persistent credential theft), the exploding challenge of non-human identity governance, whether AI will eventually need to certify other AI, and how AI-powered phishing and deep fakes are raising the bar for identity verification. The episode wraps with chat-submitted IAM bumper stickers.

Identity Management Day 2026: https://www.idsalliance.org/event/identity-management-day-2026/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com

CHAPTERS

0:00 - Jeff Reich intro from the IMD stream

2:00 - Identity Management Day 2026 kicks off

3:30 - Five years of IMD: a look back at episode 88

7:00 - Does IMD move the needle?

9:30 - Who is Identity Management Day actually for?

12:00 - What has improved in IAM over five years

16:00 - What hasn't improved: compliance fatigue and security theater

18:30 - Grading the IAM industry

21:00 - NHI governance: visibility and accountability

26:00 - Can AI certify AI? Agentic identity governance

29:00 - AI-powered phishing and the evolving threat landscape

32:00 - Deep fakes and the identity verification challenge

36:00 - Lighter note: IAM bumper stickers

KEYWORDS

identity management day, identity management day 2026, NHI, non-human identity, agentic AI, phishing, deep fakes, IGA, passkeys, MFA, IAM, identity governance, access management, cybersecurity, credential theft, security awareness, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald