#identity-security

#identity-security

I've always had what I would consider a hacker mindset, a curiosity to take things apart, understand them, and use that knowledge to solve problems. That mindset took me on a circuitous route into the cybersecurity industry; after being kicked out of high school for hacking computer systems, I worked a range of jobs, managing office supply companies by day and cracking Wi-Fi networks by night until I started a Digital Forensics degree which led me to the world of security research.

With the acquisition, valued at $740 million, CrowdStrike aims to expand its identity security offering, particularly in cloud environments and AI-driven workloads. The transaction will be financed with a combination of cash and shares. The parties aim to complete the acquisition by the end of April, subject to regulatory approval. According to SiliconANGLE, the acquisition is part of a broader shift within cybersecurity, in which identities are playing an increasingly central role.

Looking ahead to 2026, I don't expect a single "big bang" cyber event so much as a steady escalation in quiet, hard-to-spot campaigns. Instead of smashing through the front door, more attackers will simply walk in using valid credentials, abusing identity systems, single sign-on and trusted AI agents to blend into normal activity. These operations will be longer-running, more tightly linked to geopolitical and ideological tensions, and increasingly aimed at disrupting real-world services, not just stealing data.

Okta's quarter showed operational maturity. Revenue climbed 12% year over year, but operating cash flow surged 37% to $218 million. Free cash flow reached $211 million. The company turned a $16 million loss into $23 million in operating income. CEO Todd McKinnon highlighted "continued strength with large customers" and adoption of Okta Identity Governance and Auth0 for AI Agents. Large enterprise deals carry higher margins and stickier retention.

ServiceNow confirms earlier reports in the media that it wanted to acquire Veza. Veza is an American specialist in identity security. ServiceNow has announced the proposed deal without disclosing any financial details. American media report that, according to sources, the value could exceed $1 billion. With this acquisition, ServiceNow is focusing explicitly on identity security, an area that cybersecurity experts say is playing an increasingly central role in data breaches.

Every enterprise today runs on more than users. Behind the scenes, thousands of non-human identities, from service accounts to API tokens to AI agents, access systems, move data, and execute tasks around the clock. They're not new. But they're multiplying fast. And most weren't built with security in mind. Traditional identity tools assume intent, context, and ownership. Non-human identities have none of those.

In an announcement, Okta's chief technology officer Abhi Sawant said the addition of Axiom will help solve more use cases through additional security controls and connectors to critical infrastructure resources such as databases and Kubernetes. "Axiom's technology will be integrated into Okta Privileged Access, expanding access controls to more sensitive resources that Okta customers can use to further strengthen their identity security fabric, so they can manage the types of privileged access across resources and use cases in their environment," he explained.

Permiso's platform uniquely addresses identity threats by combining risk management with comprehensive monitoring of both human and non-human identities across environments.