CyberWire Daily Fraud and Identity [CISO Perspectives]
Nov 18, 2025
Richard Bird, an identity expert and startup advisor, dives into the evolving world of digital identity in a candid discussion. He emphasizes that names alone fail as online identifiers and argues for a more nuanced understanding of identity as a human proxy. Bird traces the historical roots of access controls and urges cybersecurity leaders to shift identity management from mere access to a comprehensive security framework. He warns that AI will expose weaknesses in identity systems, suggesting proactive steps for leaders to enhance visibility and governance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Digital Identity As A Human Proxy
- Identity is the pathway that moves a human actor into the digital world and acts as a proxy for human action.
- Every interaction in the digital realm is mediated by that identity proxy and must be treated as such.
Origins Of Passwords At MIT
- Early account/password systems began in 1961 at MIT to replace physical keys for compute access.
- That first hack to resell compute time explains why our access-first identity model is inherently flawed.
Identity Treated As Access, Not Security
- For decades identity was treated as access administration rather than a security control domain with proper security language.
- This limited perspective hindered development of identity as a mature security discipline.