In Episode 10 of Veza’s Identity Radicals Podcast, Veza’s Chief Security & Trust Officer Mike Towers is joined by Roland Cloutier, former CSO of EMC, ADP, and TikTok, to unpack one of the most urgent challenges in modern security: machine identity management.
Why Machine Identity Matters Now More Than Ever
The digital shift to APIs, containers, service accounts, and now AI agents has created an explosion of machine identities—outpacing human identities by ratios as high as 17:1 in some organizations. Despite their prevalence, machine identities have historically been overlooked, leaving security teams exposed and underprepared.
As Roland puts it, “We’ve done so much in the other direction for so long, we have a lot of catch up to do.” AI models only compound the complexity, leveraging APIs and cloud pipelines in ways that traditional identity tools weren’t built to handle.
The Visibility Gap
There is a critical need for transparency throughout the enterprise. Without visibility into what machine identities exist, what they can access, and what they’re doing, security teams are flying blind.
You cannot protect what you can’t see, and if you don’t understand it or know it, there’s no way you can defend it.
Roland Cloutier
Achieving visibility isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a leadership mandate. CISOs must evolve from security enforcers to business enablers who protect digital operations holistically.
Watch the full episode to:
- Explore the business value chain: Learn how to align security with how the organization creates value.
- Gain transparency into entitlements and access paths: Improve security posture to encompass non-human identities.
- Embrace a shift in mindset: Think beyond traditional controls and adopt a “business operations protection” approach.
If you don’t have that visibility… you’re not doing your business any service. It’s on you, and you’ve got to be up to the challenge.
Roland Cloutier
To hear the full conversation, watch the latest episode on Identity Radicals!
