Identity at the Center #337 - Adaptive Authentication and Fraud Prevention with Ping’s Patrick Harding
Mar 17, 2025
Patrick Harding, Chief Product Architect at Ping Identity, shares insights into adaptive authentication and the future of fraud prevention. He discusses the evolution from traditional cybersecurity to identity management, highlighting challenges in SaaS applications. The conversation delves into the benefits of OpenID Connect over SAML for seamless authentication. Harding also explores the role of AI agents in enhancing security while addressing potential job implications. Plus, he offers valuable networking tips for tech conferences!
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Harding's Start in Identity
- Patrick Harding's involvement in identity began with cybersecurity in the late 90s.
- He worked at Fidelity Investments, where he joined the Liberty Alliance, which contributed to SAML 2's development.
SaaS vs. WAM for Adaptive Auth
- SaaS applications prioritize ease of use over flexibility, limiting adaptive authentication capabilities for enterprises.
- Legacy web access management (WAM) offered more control over authentication policies.
Adaptive Auth as Authorization
- Adaptive authentication is essentially an authorization problem requiring policy enforcement at specific application points.
- API gateways or proxies can help enforce policies for single-page apps and APIs.