This topic comes from my book Become an IAM Engineer. If you haven’t got your copy yet, you can find it here:

GET YOUR COPY. BECOME AN IAM ENGINEER.

Here’s a short excerpt from the book:

Here’s something many aspiring IAM Engineers overlook.

You don’t need access to an expensive enterprise IAM platform to start building useful technical skills.

In fact, there are five areas you can begin exploring today:

1. Identity lifecycle management. Map what should happen when someone joins, changes roles, or leaves a company. Think about which accounts should be created, modified, or disabled.

2. Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID.Learn how users, groups, and permissions are managed. Understand the difference between identities and access rights.

3. PowerShell automation. Start with simple scripts to retrieve user information, identify inactive accounts, or generate access reports.

4. Authentication and SSO. Learn what SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect do, and why they solve different problems.

5. IAM troubleshooting. Practice thinking through common issues: a user who cannot log in, an account that wasn’t provisioned, or permissions that haven’t been removed.

Some of these skills can be developed through documentation and exercises. Others can be practiced using free or trial environments.

But here’s the important part.

You don’t have to wait until someone gives you an IAM Engineer job to start developing IAM Engineer skills.

And if you’re already working in IT Support, system administration, cloud, or cybersecurity, you might be closer to an IAM career than you think.

The challenge isn’t always learning everything from scratch.

Sometimes, it’s understanding which of your existing skills are relevant, which gaps actually matter, and where to focus your efforts next.

And that can save you a lot of time.

If you’re considering a move into IAM—or know someone who is—Become an IAM Engineer might be worth a look.

You can find it here:

GET YOUR COPY. BECOME AN IAM ENGINEER.

.

See you

But let me tell you something.

Imagine a normal day at work.

You arrive in the morning.

Someone has forgotten their password.

Another user needs access to an application.

Someone else has been locked out of their account.

A new employee needs access to Microsoft 365.

And, of course, there’s always someone who can’t log in for reasons nobody seems to understand.

Tickets.

More tickets.

And even more tickets.

You solve them, close them, and move on to the next one.

Nothing particularly exciting.

But here’s something interesting.

A significant part of what you’ve been doing all morning is related to Identity & Access Management.

IAM.

The same field where companies hire specialized engineers, architects, and managers.

And you might not even realize how close your current work is to it.

Now, does that mean you’re ready to become an IAM Engineer?

Not necessarily.

Resetting passwords and managing user access is one thing.

Understanding how identity systems work, how applications authenticate users, or how access should be governed is something else.

But you’re not necessarily starting from zero.

You may already have some of the skills companies look for in IAM professionals.

The problem is that you probably don’t know which ones.

Or how far you are from qualifying for an IAM Engineer role.

For example.

If you work in IT Support, you may already be familiar with:

→ Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID:Managing users, groups, and accounts.

→ Access Management: Granting, modifying, and removing access to applications.

→ Authentication: Troubleshooting login problems, MFA, and password-related issues.

→ Identity Lifecycle: Supporting joiners, movers, and leavers.

These are all relevant to IAM.

But becoming an IAM Engineer requires going further.

Understanding SSO and federation.

Working with identity protocols such as SAML and OIDC.

Automating identity processes.

And understanding how all these components fit together.

.

That’s where the real difference begins.

And that’s exactly why I wrote Become an IAM Engineer — Volume 1.

You don’t need to decide today whether to change careers.

But you might want to discover how close you already are.

BECOME AN IAM ENGINNER. Now Ready

See you!

Your role: IAM Manager / IAM Lead

Your deliverable: An AI Agent Identity Governance Framework, a control baseline, and an implementation roadmap.

The challenge: How do you govern digital identities that can make decisions and execute actions autonomously?

1. The CISO’s request

Imagine your CISO walks into your office on Monday morning.

“We have several teams deploying AI agents. IT is using them for support operations, Finance is automating processes, and Security is experimenting with autonomous incident response.

I want to know which agents exist, who owns them, what they can access, and how we control their actions.

Can you establish a governance model?”

You have been given an assignment that will become increasingly common for IAM leaders.

Traditional IAM programs manage employees, contractors, privileged accounts, and service identities.

AI agents introduce a new category of digital identity.

They can interpret information, select tools, invoke APIs, delegate tasks, and execute actions based on changing circumstances.

A service account typically performs predefined operations.

An AI agent can determine the sequence of operations required to achieve an objective.

Your assignment is to extend identity governance to autonomous digital identities.

Here is how I would approach it.

2. First decision: establish the governance scope

Before designing policies or selecting technologies, define which agents will fall under the governance model.

Start with three dimensions.

Dimension 1 — Autonomy

• Delegated agents: perform actions on behalf of a human user.

• Autonomous agents: execute tasks independently within defined objectives.

Dimension 2 — Origin

• Internal agents: developed or operated within the organization.

• External agents: interact with corporate resources through third-party platforms or services.

Dimension 3 — Operational risk

• Low: read-only access to public information.

• Medium: access to internal corporate information.

• High: ability to modify business data or execute operational transactions.

• Critical: privileged actions affecting sensitive or critical systems.

These dimensions help determine which controls apply to each agent.

For example, an internal agent retrieving public documentation may require a basic identity and logging controls.

An autonomous agent modifying user permissions in Microsoft Entra ID requires stronger authorization, privileged access controls, continuous monitoring, and escalation mechanisms.

Your first deliverable: AI Agent Classification Standard

Create a classification standard with the following fields:

• Agent ID: AI-IT-001

• Name: IT Support Agent

• Business Owner: Head of IT Operations

• Technical Owner: IAM Engineering Lead

• Autonomy: Delegated

• Origin: Internal

• Criticality: High

• Environment: Production

• Connected Systems: Entra ID, ITSM

• Allowed Operations: Read identities, create tickets

This becomes the starting point for the governance model.

3. Second decision: define who owns each agent

Every AI agent needs an accountable human owner.

This is especially important when agents operate autonomously or collaborate with other agents.

I would establish three responsibilities.

Business Owner

Accountable for the agent’s purpose, business justification, risk acceptance, and continued necessity.

Technical Owner

Responsible for the agent’s configuration, integrations, credentials, technical lifecycle, and operational maintenance.

IAM / Security

Responsible for identity standards, access policies, security controls, certifications, and governance oversight.

For higher-risk agents, the governance process should include formal risk assessment and approval before production deployment.

The governance rule

Every production agent must have:

1. A registered digital identity.

2. An assigned human owner and backup.

3. A documented business purpose.

4. An approved risk classification.

5. An authorized set of permissions and tools.

6. A defined lifecycle and decommissioning process.

Your second deliverable: AI Agent Ownership and Lifecycle Policy

Subscribe now

Read more

That’s the topic I’ve chosen for tomorrow’s MyCISOAskedMe article. Remember, if you’re interested, you can subscribe here:

Subscribe now

.

It’s a real problem. It could happen to you, or to your boss. It’s one of the hottest topics right now.

So you can either answer this question when it comes,

Or anticipate it and be prepared before it does.

The main points will be:

• You need to conduct an AI Agent discovery.

• You need to comply with current regulations and best practices.

• You need to define a control-based maturity framework.

.

Subscribe now

So… is it worth it for you?

• If you don’t have time, don’t worry. We structure the content in layers, and the summary takes just 2 minutes to read.

• If you’re unsure whether it’s relevant to you, remember that we’re talking about AI. One way or another, if you work in IT or Cybersecurity, it will eventually affect you.

• It’s not written at random. The article will present a methodology for establishing a set of controls to discover AI Agents, assign authority, and monitor them.

• We’ve reviewed dozens of industry articles, frameworks, free resources, and research papers. We’ve reviewed the best and selected the most interesting insights.

• This is just one of the many topics we’ll cover. The next one could be your suggestion.

Subscribe now

See you tomorrow

Daniel A.

Did you know that some industry forecasts suggest companies could soon have more than 90 AI identities for every human employee?

I didn’t.

But that’s what some reports are suggesting, and a recent demo made me realize just how big this problem could become.

Where do they come from?

Why are they there?

Where are they going?

I have the feeling we barely know what’s happening with most of them.

Someone I know was so impressed by the whole discovery concept that I don’t think he’ll ever forget it.

We’re living through a fascinating technological revolution.

I mean, what will all this AI stuff look like in five years?

Maybe by then we’ll have 900 agents for every human.

Who knows.

Anyway, my field, Identity Management, will have a lot of work to do discovering, governing and protecting all these identities.

We’re not going to run out of work anytime soon.

And if you’re working in IT, Cloud or Cybersecurity and wondering whether IAM could be your next career move, You must take a look here:

BECOME AN IAM ENGINEER

See you,

.

Daniel A.

Here are some of the questions we already have:

1. “Prepare our IAM program for AI agents.”

Your CISO wants a plan. But you don’t even know how many AI agents are operating across the organization, what they can access, or who owns them.

Where do you start?

.

2. “Build me a three-year IAM roadmap.”

You have legacy systems, limited resources, competing priorities, and ten different stakeholders who all believe their problem comes first.

What do you prioritize?

.

3. “Move the company to passwordless.”

It sounds simple until you discover how many applications, authentication methods, and operational dependencies stand in the way.

How do you make the transition realistic?

.

4. “Take ownership of our identity platform.”

The technology is already there. Different teams operate different parts of it. Responsibilities are unclear.

How do you establish ownership without becoming responsible for everything?

.

5. “Implement IAM and PAM without buying new tools.”

The security expectations are increasing. Your budget isn’t.

What can you realistically deliver, and which risks must be explicitly accepted?

.

These aren’t questions you can answer with a product datasheet.

They require decisions, trade-offs, priorities, and sometimes difficult conversations with your CISO.

That’s what My CISO Asked Me To… is about.

We’ll work through situations like these, explain the available options, and build practical approaches you can adapt to your organization.

First edition on Sunday.

You can join here:

Subscribe now

See you

A more collaborative section, focused on solving real professional challenges.

It’s called My CISO Asked Me To…

And the idea is simple.

Throughout the week, anyone working in Cybersecurity, particularly Digital Identity, can reply to my emails with:

• Requests from your CISO, manager, or client that you’re unsure how to approach.

• Market information you’ve been asked to evaluate or provide an opinion on.

• Projects or deliverables where you’d appreciate a second professional opinion.

• Technical, strategic, or management challenges you’re currently facing.

• Any other professional situation related to Digital Identity.

Everything will be anonymized.

JOIN MY CISO ASK ME TO

Before publication, I’ll remove names and identifying details. Please avoid including confidential information about your company, clients, or colleagues when submitting questions.

What happens to your questions?

Every question will be collected in a growing database of real Digital Identity challenges.

Each Sunday, I’ll select one or more questions, depending on their complexity, and publish an email sharing my analysis, recommendations, and professional opinion on how to approach them.

Questions will be addressed progressively, depending on the volume received, their relevance, and their potential value to the community.

That means a question submitted this week might be answered in a future edition.

And there’s another important part.

Other professionals will be able to contribute their own experiences and perspectives.

I’ll collect those contributions to enrich the answers and bring different approaches to the same problem.

What’s in it for you?

Think about the situations we face in Digital Identity.

Your CISO asks you to define an IAM strategy.

Your manager wants you to justify an investment in PAM.

Your organization needs to decide how to structure its Identity Operations team.

A client asks you to evaluate competing IGA solutions.

These are real situations that require experience, judgment, and sometimes a second opinion.

Through My CISO Asked Me To…, you’ll be able to:

• Save time: learn practical approaches to challenges that might otherwise require hours of research.

• Make better decisions: understand different alternatives, trade-offs, and recommendations.

• Get a second perspective: compare your approach with professional experience and contributions from others.

• Prepare for future challenges: learn from situations you haven’t encountered yet.

• Build your professional judgment:understand how other Digital Identity professionals approach complex decisions.

JOIN MY CISO ASK ME TO

What if you don’t have a question?

That’s perfectly fine.

You can still learn from the challenges other professionals are facing.

In fact, that’s one of the most valuable aspects of this initiative.

A problem faced by another IAM Manager today could become your responsibility six months from now.

And you might already know how to approach it.

What if you submit a question?

Submitting questions is completely free and open to everyone.

And here’s something important:

If your question is selected, you’ll receive the complete answer for free, even if you’re not a paid subscriber.

This way, everyone has a reason to contribute, and the whole community benefits from the knowledge generated.

What will you receive every Sunday?

Each edition will include:

1. The Challenge

A real professional situation, its context, and why it matters.

2. My Analysis and Recommendations

How I would approach the situation, which alternatives I would consider, and what I would recommend.

3. Community Perspectives

Additional experiences, suggestions, and perspectives contributed by other professionals, as they become available.

Each edition will be structured so you can understand the main conclusions in just a few minutes, with deeper analysis available whenever you need it.

Over time, we’ll also build a growing library of real Digital Identity challenges and their solutions.

How much does it cost?

Submitting questions is free.

Access to the complete Sunday editions and the library of resolved cases will be available through the paid newsletter subscription.

JOIN MY CISO ASK ME TO

It has an introductory price for our first members.

All current paid members are included.

As the library grows and more cases are resolved, the subscription price may increase for new members.

Early subscribers will keep their original price for as long as their subscription remains active.

Let’s get started.

If your CISO, manager, or client has asked you to solve something related to Digital Identity, I’d love to hear about it.

Or perhaps you’re working on something right now and would appreciate another perspective.

Simply reply to this email with your question or challenge.

I’ll start collecting submissions today.

And this Sunday, we’ll begin exploring real Digital Identity challenges together.

See you on Sunday!

When I asked them about it, they told me they weren’t responsible for IAM at all.

But they were.

Anyone outside their bubble could see it.

They managed the Identity Governance platform and had established all the IAM processes.

Some time later, the company created an IAM Governance department.

A department that never really had any authority over IAM.

If you work in Cloud, you may be much closer to the IAM field than you think.

Cloud professionals often develop valuable IAM skills through their work with Entra ID, authentication, access management, and identity governance.

The key is understanding which of those skills you already have, which ones you need to develop, and how they can help you move into an IAM Engineer role.

If you’re considering a career in IAM, my new book, Become an IAM Engineer — Volume 1, can help you explore that path.

It covers career paths from IT, Cloud, and Cybersecurity, and includes a professional readiness assessment to help you understand where you stand.

Now available for pre-order on Amazon.

PRE-ORDER HERE:

AMAZON LINK

See you.

I expected something related to Identity Governance, provisioning, or access management.

But the answer surprised me.

System administration.

Linux environments. Servers. Connectivity. Infrastructure troubleshooting.

In fact, they went one step further.

“Could you replace one of your IAM specialists with someone from a systems administration background?”

I was surprised.

The project involved an IGA platform, and this person would need to work with it.

But they were willing to accept someone with limited IAM experience.

Why?

Because understanding servers, APIs, connectivity, encryption, backups, and infrastructure operations was extremely valuable to the project.

And that experience was harder to replace than they expected.

This experience illustrates something important.

System administrators may already have some of the technical foundations needed for IAM Engineering.

IAM sits at the intersection of IT infrastructure, operations, and security, making these skills particularly valuable.

The key is understanding which of your existing skills transfer to IAM, which new competencies you need, and how to build a realistic career path from there.

If you’re considering this career path, my new book, Become an IAM Engineer — Volume 1, can help you take that first step.

It covers career paths from IT, Cloud, and Cybersecurity, and includes a professional readiness assessment.

Now available for pre-order on Amazon.

PRE-ORDER HERE AND JOIN AUTHOR’S NOTES LIST: LINK

See you.

Every Monday, you create accounts for new employees.

Every Tuesday, someone asks you to reset a password.

On Wednesday, you fix access permissions.

Thursday? Another employee needs access to twelve applications.

And Friday, HR informs you that someone who left three months ago still has an active account.

Just another normal week in IT.

One day, a recruiter contacts you.

“Have you ever considered becoming an IAM Engineer?”

You reply:

“Sorry, I don’t have experience in Identity Management.”

The recruiter looks at your CV.

Active Directory. Entra ID. User provisioning. Access management. Troubleshooting.

There’s a long silence.

“So… what exactly have you been doing for the last six years?”

…

Many IT professionals already have skills that are relevant to IAM Engineering. The challenge is understanding which skills transfer, what gaps remain, and how to build a realistic path into the profession.

.

If you’re considering this career path, Become an IAM Engineer, can help you take that first step.

It covers career paths from IT, Cloud, and Cybersecurity, and includes a professional readiness assessment.

Now available for

PRE-ORDER HERE: AMAZON LINK

See you.

On your first day, IT shows you the architecture.

Active Directory. Entra ID. IGA. PAM. Federation services.

Everything looks reasonably well organized.

Until you notice something strange.

Three different synchronization processes connecting the same systems.

You ask why.

“The first is the standard synchronization.”

“And the second?”

“Introduced during a migration.”

“And the third?”

Silence.

“We tried disabling it two years ago.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

You look relieved.

“For four hours.”

Then 3,000 employees lost access to a critical application.

The team restored the synchronization. Everything worked again.

Nobody touched it since.

On Friday, the CIO asks about your modernization plan.

“Can we simplify the architecture?”

“Absolutely.”

“How soon?”

“Right after we discover why removing one synchronization process breaks 3,000 identities.”

Welcome to IAM Architecture.

This is one of the biggest challenges in IAM Architecture: understanding how systems depend on each other before making changes.

A practical approach is to map identity flows, system dependencies, and potential impacts before designing your target architecture.

If you want to learn how to assess, design, and evolve IAM architectures, explore our IAM Architecture Lab.

It’s included in The Lead Identity Ahead membership, alongside practical Labs covering IAM Strategy, Identity Lifecycle Management, Identity Governance (IGA), and Microsoft Entra ID.

JOIN HERE:

LINK TO JOIN AND ACCESS LEARNINGS. $41MONTH

See you.

James worked for a large multinational company for seven years.

Six months ago, he decided to leave.

He returned his laptop, handed over his badge, said goodbye to his colleagues, and enjoyed a surprisingly emotional farewell party.

HR processed his departure.

IT disabled his Active Directory account.

Everything went smoothly.

Or so everyone thought.

Six months later, something extraordinary happened.

James was named Employee of the Month.

Apparently, he had achieved outstanding results in the company’s internal performance management platform.

His manager was confused.

HR was even more confused.

And James?

James was probably enjoying his new job somewhere else.

An investigation followed.

It turned out that James’s account was still active in several applications.

One of them was the performance management platform, which had continued attributing automated team performance metrics to his profile.

Another was a SaaS application where he still had privileges.

And a third was a legacy system that nobody seemed to own anymore.

The CISO demanded an explanation.

IT explained that James had been properly disabled in Active Directory.

HR confirmed that his departure had been correctly registered.

The application owners confirmed that their systems were working exactly as designed.

Everyone had done their job perfectly.

Except James.

He had somehow become the company’s best employee without working there.

The good news?

The company finally decided to review its identity lifecycle processes.

The bad news?

James had already received his Employee of the Month certificate by email.

.

The problem was that everyone did their job independently.

And this is one of the biggest challenges in Identity Lifecycle Management.

HR knows when someone leaves.

Active Directory knows when an account is disabled.

Each application knows which users have access.

But who makes sure all these systems are working together?

This is where things get interesting.

A reliable identity lifecycle depends on three fundamental capabilities:

1. A trusted source of identity information

2. Connected provisioning and deprovisioning processes

3. Continuous reconciliation

You need mechanisms to detect orphaned accounts, inconsistent identity information, and access that remains active after an employee leaves.

And here’s the interesting part.

You can have all three capabilities on paper and still experience the same problem.

Because the real challenge is designing how they work together, defining ownership, managing exceptions, and validating that the entire process works from beginning to end.

That’s the difference between managing user accounts and engineering an Identity Lifecycle Management process.

If you’re interested in learning how to design and implement Identity Lifecycle Management processes, explore our Identity Lifecycle Management Application Lab.

It’s included in The Lead Identity Ahead membership, alongside other practical IAM Labs covering:

• IAM Strategy

• IAM Architecture

• Identity Governance (IGA) Tools

• Microsoft Entra ID

Your membership gives you access to these learning resources and other materials to develop your IAM skills. New learnings every 15 days

Join Ahead and access all our IAM learning resources.

JOIN HERE — 41$/month. CANCEL ANYTIME

See you.

A consulting firm has spent three months developing an IAM strategy for a large organization.

Finally, presentation day arrives.

The meeting room is full. The CISO, CIO, IT Director, Head of Infrastructure, and several other people whose exact responsibilities remain a mystery.

The consultants are ready.

Slide 1: Executive Summary.

Slide 8: IAM Maturity Assessment.

Slide 19: Industry Benchmark.

Slide 34: Current-State Architecture.

Slide 48: Target Operating Model.

Slide 63: Strategic Transformation Framework.

Slide 79: Three-Year Roadmap.

Beautiful diagrams. Impressive heatmaps. Enough arrows to redesign the London Underground.

After 90 minutes, the lead consultant finishes.

Silence.

Then the CISO raises his hand.

“Very impressive. Just one question.”

Everyone smiles.

“What should we actually do first?”

The consultant looks at the project manager.

The project manager looks at the IAM architect.

The IAM architect looks at the 87 slides.

Someone suggests scheduling another workshop.

And just like that, the IAM strategy becomes an 88-slide presentation.

The funny thing is, this happens more often than we would like to admit. And it reveals one of the most important skills in IAM strategy: prioritization.

Designing a theoretical IAM roadmap is very attractive. You can create a beautiful three-year plan and leave it there.

However, there are two problems:

1. That roadmap might be impossible to execute.

2. Turning it into reality can be just as difficult as defining it, or even harder.

A simple tactic is to break the roadmap down into phases, projects, and concrete deliverables.

You can even define a 6-month Minimum Viable Roadmap (MVP), focusing on what can realistically be achieved in the short term.

A three-year vision is useful. But it becomes much more valuable when you translate it into achievable objectives for the next six months.

If you’re interested in learning how to develop an IAM strategy, from assessing the current state to defining priorities and building an actionable roadmap, explore our IAM Strategy Learning.

It is included in The Lead Identity Ahead, alongside other practical Labs covering:

• Identity Lifecycle Management

• IAM Architecture

• Identity Governance (IGA) Tools

• Microsoft Entra ID

JOIN HERE:

LINK TO JOIN AND ACCESS LEARNINGS

See you.

Let me give you a few examples.

.

1. IT Support / System Administration

If you manage user accounts, Active Directory, permissions, or access requests, you’re already working with some of the foundations of Identity and Access Management.

Your next step could be understanding identity lifecycle automation, provisioning, and identity governance.

.

2. Cloud / Microsoft 365

If you work with Azure, Entra ID, Microsoft 365, or cloud infrastructure, you already have exposure to technologies used in IAM environments.

Your next step could involve identity integrations, Conditional Access, federation, and automated identity management.

.

3. Cybersecurity / SOC

If you investigate compromised credentials, privilege escalation, or unauthorized access, you’re already dealing with identity-related security risks.

Your next step could be learning how IAM engineers design and implement controls that reduce those risks.

.

4. PAM / IAM Operations

If you already work with privileged accounts, access reviews, or IAM operations, you have experience in a specialized area of identity management.

Your next step could be expanding into identity governance, lifecycle management, automation, and IAM architecture.

.

You are closer than you think.

And it’s fantastic.

Take a look:

LINK TO AHEAD

See you

Today, I want to share a small piece of our Identity Market Intelligence research.

It’s about cybersecurity threats.

And the findings are interesting:

Attackers are increasingly focusing on trusted access paths.

We analyzed 36 publications covering identity-related threats. Here’s what we found:

• 10 publications: Identity-based attacks.

• 10 publications: Privileged access attacks.

• 6 publications: Credential compromise.

• 5 publications: Supply-chain risks.

• 5 publications: Non-human identity risks.

These figures represent the distribution of topics across the publications we reviewed. And they reveal an interesting pattern;

Identity is becoming a central part of the attack path.

The research includes cases involving:

• ConnectWise-related compromise affecting Microsoft 365 environments.

• BeyondTrust and privileged root-level access.

• OAuth credential theft.

• Lateral movement through SaaS environments, including an ASOS-related case.

• Phishing infrastructure capable of distributing billions of messages.

Different techniques.

Different environments.

One common theme.

Attackers are targeting identities, credentials, privileges, and trusted connections.

Now, think about what this means for your career.

If you work in IAM, Cybersecurity, or IT, understanding these attack paths can help you develop valuable professional skills.

For example:

• Understanding who has access to critical systems.

• Identifying excessive privileges.

• Securing authentication and authorization mechanisms.

• Managing trust relationships between applications.

• Protecting service accounts and machine identities.

• Detecting suspicious identity activity.

And there’s another interesting area.

Non-human identities;

Service accounts.

Applications.

Automation.

AI agents.

.

These identities are becoming an increasingly important part of enterprise security.

The conclusion? Reply with your thoughts!

.

I’ll continue sharing findings from our Identity Market Intelligence research.

As you know, if you’re interested in becoming a real IAM Engineer, here:

Daniel A.

Do you want to become an IAM ENGINEER?

Whether you’re working toward your first IAM Engineer position or aiming for a senior role, get the assessments, practical guidance, and career resources you need to move forward…

Read more

19 days ago · Daniel A.

See you!

08:00 A.M.

A car had stopped on the shoulder of a busy road.

Inside, a father switched on the hazard lights. His wife looked back at their children.

“Can you get through?”

“I’m trying.”

He opened his insurance company’s app and tapped Request roadside assistance.

A login screen appeared.

He entered his details.

Invalid username.

He tried again.

The same message.

A truck passed close enough to shake the car.

“We can’t stay here,” his wife said.

“I know.”

He found the assistance number and pressed call.

“Thank you for calling. Please hold. We’ll be with you shortly.”

In the back seat, the baby began to cry.

08:19 A.M.

“Roadside assistance. How can I help?”

“Our car has broken down. We’re on the motorway. I have two children with me, one’s a baby. Your app won’t let me log in.”

“Of course. Can I have your policy number?”

He read it from an email on his phone.

Then silence.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry. We’re experiencing a computer problem. I can’t access our systems.”

“Can you send someone?”

“I can’t arrange assistance through the system at the moment. Please stay on the line while I check what we can do.”

The hold music returned.

His wife looked at him.

“What did they say?”

“To wait.”

Behind them, the baby was still crying.

Across the city, another man was driving towards the office.

An incoming call appeared on his dashboard.

He answered through the hands-free system.

“Tell me.”

“The IAM system has failed. It’s removed access permissions in Active Directory. The assistance team can’t get into their applications.”

“How many people?”

“We’re still checking. Other teams are reporting the same thing.”

“Stop the affected jobs. Get the logs and the last changes ready. I’ll be there soon.”

“There’s something else.”

“What?”

“Customers can’t log in either. CIAM is affected.”

The driver paused.

“Do we know how the two are connected?”

“Not yet.”

wow…

IAM engineers help investigate failures like this, restore access safely and prevent them from happening again.

This is what working in IAM can mean.

Take a look:

THE REAL IAM ENGINEER

Another day, I’ll tell you how the story ended.

See you

More than 8 million views so far this year, and I’m still ranked #11 in Cybersecurity on LinkedIn in Spain, according to Favikon.

I don’t think I’ll drop out of the top 20 anytime soon.

And we should add approximately another 500,000 newsletter impressions, which have a much stronger impact.

I’m approaching two years of doing this, my friends.

And my life looks nothing like it used to.

Even though I’m still working as an employee.

If you’re wondering what life is like for someone who reaches millions of people every year — modestly speaking, because I’m still far from the biggest accounts — I’ll tell you that there are both upsides and downsides.

You create an impact you’re not even aware of.

And every now and then, you realize just how much.

But that impact can be positive or negative.

And both can directly affect your personal and professional life.

The more you publish and the larger your audience becomes, the more of that impact you’ll experience.

It’s difficult to understand unless you’ve lived through it.

Today’s Unwritten lesson is very personal.

I’m sharing my story.

How someone goes from having a predictable career at a Big Four firm to all of this.

If you’ve ever considered building a presence on social media, or you’d like to communicate and share your knowledge but don’t know how to start, I think you’ll find it useful.

How to become a recognized niche expert through social media and a newsletter.

And I’m warning you now: there are good things and bad things.

But there are some key lessons to learn.

Here’s the link to join. You’ll need to select Premium access.

This is Lesson #6:

HOW TO BECOME A RECOGNIZED EXPERT ON LINKEDIN

See you!

Whether you’re working toward your first IAM Engineer position or aiming for a senior role, get the assessments, practical guidance, and career resources you need to move forward.

You don’t need another collection of generic courses. You need the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Inside the IAM Engineer Role Fit:

• 19-question career readiness assessment.

• 30-question technical skills assessment.

• The 10 skills employers expect at four career levels.

• 20 key responsibilities and practical learning resources.

• Qualifications, certifications and CV guidance.

• Real job offers analyzed with actionable recommendations.

No unrealistic promises. No unnecessary learning. Just a structured approach to understanding where you stand and how to move forward.

Click below, select the $41/month Premium plan, and get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Get Premium Access $41.

Includes the IAM Engineer Role Fit and other Premium resources in The Lead Identity Ahead.

What Is an IAM Engineer?

It is one of the most recognizable, secure, and well-paid professions in the market. Companies continuously demand these professionals, offering job stability as well as hybrid and remote working arrangements.

There are hundreds of job openings published on employment platforms, and it is a difficult role to fill due to a shortage of qualified candidates.

Here, you can prepare to enter the profession or progress within it toward senior positions.

Join The Lead Identity Ahead as a Premium member to achieve this.

How Does It Work?

Once you subscribe, you will receive access to the Skool platform.

There, you will find a dedicated module for each of the different roles in Identity Management, including IAM Engineer.

Inside the module, you will find the following sections:

1. How to Enter

You’ll explore which professional positions can serve as starting points for becoming an IAM Engineer.

This is not an entry-level role, and if your current professional background does not match any of the potential entry paths, we recommend that you DO NOT CONTINUE and invest your time in something else.

We won’t tell you what you want to hear.

We’ll save you a lot of time because you might believe you’re ready and that companies are the problem, when the reality could be quite the opposite.

2. Are You Ready?

Many professionals apply for jobs without knowing whether their experience matches what employers expect.

Others underestimate their capabilities and remain in positions they’ve already outgrown.

You’ll complete a simple assessment to understand how prepared you are:

• 19 questions covering six competency areas.

• Each answer has a corresponding score.

• Your total score will be converted into a percentage.

• Your result will indicate your estimated IAM Engineer career level.

• You will receive guidance on what to develop next.

If your score is low, we recommend that you DO NOT CONTINUE and instead focus your energy on preparing yourself.

This will help you focus your efforts. You’ll know which path to follow based on what the role actually requires.

Click below, select the $41/month Premium plan, and get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Get Premium Access $41.

3. Top 10 Skills Needed

Based on our analysis of hundreds of job offers and our own professional knowledge, you’ll discover the skills you need to master.

For each skill, I’ll explain what you should be able to do at four professional levels:

• Junior IAM Engineer

• Mid-Level IAM Engineer

• Senior IAM Engineer

• Lead IAM Engineer

This will help you understand which skills you already have and which ones you don’t.

You’ll know what you’re missing and what you need to develop.

4. Technical Skills Assessment

Once you understand the 10 key skills, it’s time to evaluate yourself.

You’ll assess your current level of competence in each of those skills.

We’re going to evaluate three dimensions for each of the 10 skills:

• Certifications and Training: Have you completed relevant formal training or earned a recognized certification?

• Technical Knowledge: How deeply do you understand the technology?

• Demonstrable Experience: What can you prove you have actually done?

You will answer 30 questions.

At the end, you will calculate your technical readiness score and compare it with the expectations of your career level.

You’ll finish knowing whether:

• Your experience is aligned with your competencies.

• Your competencies are below the expected level, so you’ll know where you need additional training.

• Your competencies are above the expected level, allowing you to highlight your knowledge as a differentiating factor in internal or external job applications.

This will help you determine whether your next step should be to strengthen your knowledge, gain more experience, or explore the job market for better opportunities.

5. Key Responsibilities

You’ll gain a more detailed understanding of the top 20 skills and responsibilities required for the role.

We’ll cover topics including:

• Identity Lifecycle Management

• User Provisioning and Deprovisioning

• IAM Platform Administration

• Application Onboarding

• …

And other important areas of the profession.

For some of these topics, you’ll find dedicated technical and practical lessons within the platform itself.

For others, we’ll guide you on how and where to develop the necessary knowledge.

You’ll be able to prepare for what the position actually requires.

If you’ve reached this stage, you’ll already know what you need to learn and what you don’t.

6. Required Qualifications

Your qualifications, experience, professional evidence, and ability to communicate your achievements also influence your opportunities.

You’ll review the qualifications employers expect and where you can obtain them.

We’ll cover:

• Educational requirements.

• The top 10 most commonly requested certifications.

• Professional experience requirements.

• Evidence and achievements that can help you stand out during recruitment processes.

• Your CV and LinkedIn profile.

• Final assessment.

By this point, you’ll be ready to explore job opportunities or understand what you need to change in your CV or LinkedIn profile before applying.

7. Real Job Offers Analyzed

Understanding what actual employers are looking for is even more valuable.

Real job opportunities will be added regularly, together with insights into how to position yourself as a potential candidate.

I’ll provide advice and guidance on what the job really involves, what employers are looking for, and how to approach each opportunity.

And these will be active job openings.

Don’t you think you’ll have an advantage if you’ve already prepared using everything above and, on top of that, you’re receiving insights into what the position actually involves and which strengths you should emphasize?

8. Become Hard to Replace

We’ll regularly teach you how to become a master of the role by applying optimization techniques, using AI, and exploring industry trends.

You’ll become so good at your job that AI, corporate restructuring, or other colleagues won’t be able to replace you.

You’ll be the best.

Click below, select the $41/month Premium plan, and get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit./

Get Premium Access $41.

This Is More Than a One-Time Course

What You Can Access Today

The existing IAM Engineer Role Fit materials, including career assessments, technical skills evaluations, responsibilities, qualifications, and professional preparation resources.

You can explore these materials at your own pace.

What Your Membership Continues to Provide

As your membership continues, you’ll be able to access new materials added to Ahead, including:

• Additional real job offer analyses.

• New and updated professional development resources.

• Further technical learning materials.

• Other Identity Management Role Fits.

• Selected market research and special reports.

• Additional resources available to Premium members.

The objective is to support your professional development beyond a single assessment or course.

The subscription is billed monthly because we’ll continuously add new content to this role and other roles.

As the platform grows and more content becomes available, the subscription price will increase.

Existing subscribers will keep their current subscription rate.

Joining early is an investment.

The price will definitely increase significantly.

Click below, select the $41/month Premium plan, and get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Get Premium Access $41.

What Else Is Included?

There will be a dedicated module for each Identity Management role, allowing you to access resources and stay up to date with developments in each profession.

There will also be individual lessons covering each of the main skills.

You’ll have access to a resource called the Reading Room, where you’ll find curated articles about the industry.

You’ll also have access to seasonal events and special reports, such as Identity Pulse Autumn 2026.

How to Join

Getting started is straightforward.

Step 1. Click here

Get Premium Access $41.

.

Step 2. Select plan: Monthly or Annual (no difference in benefits)

Step 3. Complete your registration.

Create your account, enter the required payment details, and confirm your subscription.

Step 3. Access Ahead.

Follow the instructions provided to access our Skool platform, where you’ll find the IAM Engineer Role Fit and the other resources included in your membership.

You can access with web browser and with the app.

Step 4. Start with your career assessment.

We recommend beginning with How to Enter and Are You Ready? before moving into the technical evaluations and preparation materials.

That way, you can approach the resources with a clearer understanding of your current situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this suitable for someone with no IAM experience?

It depends on your professional background.

IAM Engineer isn’t always a traditional entry-level position. Experience in IT operations, systems administration, cybersecurity, or related areas may provide a useful foundation.

The How to Enter section helps you understand potential paths and whether you need additional preparation.

Is this only for people who want their first IAM Engineer job?

No.

The materials are designed for professionals at different stages, including those seeking their first IAM Engineer position and those preparing for Mid-Level, Senior, or Lead responsibilities.

Will I receive a certification?

The assessments are professional self-evaluation tools, not accredited certification exams.

Their purpose is to help you understand your capabilities and identify development priorities.

Will you help me find a job?

You’ll receive resources to help you prepare for opportunities, understand employer expectations, and strengthen your applications.

We also analyze real job offers.

However, the membership does not guarantee employment, interviews, or recruitment placement.

Is this a live training program?

The Role Fit is primarily a self-paced resource.

You can review the available materials and complete the assessments according to your own schedule.

Why is this a monthly or annual membership?

Because Ahead is designed as an ongoing professional development platform rather than a single course.

Your subscription includes the IAM Engineer Role Fit and other Premium resources, with additional materials planned over time.

Can I cancel my subscription?

You can manage your recurring subscription through Skool, subject to the terms shown during checkout. Cancellation stops future renewals; access and any refund eligibility follow the applicable subscription terms.

Can I access other roles?

Yes. Your Premium membership includes access to the other Role Fits and resources available to your membership tier.

Is there a free option?

Ahead also provides selected free resources, such as certain events and special publications.

However, the complete IAM Engineer Role Fit requires Premium membership.

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time through Skool.

There is no long-term commitment with the monthly plan. If you cancel, your subscription will not renew, and you’ll retain access until the end of your current billing period.

What is Skool?

Skool is the online learning platform where we host The Lead Identity Ahead.

It’s where you’ll find the IAM Engineer Role Fit, assessments, technical lessons, career resources, and other materials included in your membership.

You can access Skool through your web browser or its mobile app.

What happens after I subscribe?

After completing your payment , you’ll receive instructions to access The Lead Identity Ahead on Skool.

Once inside, you can navigate to the IAM Engineer Role Fit and start exploring the available resources.

Can I access Ahead from my phone?

Yes. Skool is available through a web browser and a mobile app, so you can access the materials from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

How long does it take to complete the IAM Engineer Role Fit?

There’s no fixed duration.

You can complete the assessments and explore the resources at your own pace.

Some members may focus on evaluating their readiness, while others may spend more time developing specific technical skills.

Do I need to follow a specific learning order?

Not necessarily, although we recommend starting with How to Enter and Are You Ready?

These sections will help you understand your starting point before moving into technical assessments, responsibilities, and career preparation.

Are all the materials available immediately?

Yes. You’ll have access to the materials currently included in your Premium membership as soon as your platform access is activated.

Additional resources and updates will be published over time.

Will new content cost extra?

New materials included in your Premium membership will be available without an additional charge.

Some specialized products or services may be offered separately, with their pricing clearly identified.

Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?

You can manage your subscription through Skool. Available billing changes and their effective dates depend on the subscription options supported by the platform.

What happens if I cancel my subscription?

Your subscription will not renew after cancellation.

You’ll retain Premium access until the end of your paid billing period. After that, access to Premium-only materials will end.

Will I receive personalized feedback on my assessments?

The assessments include structured scoring and guidance to help you interpret your results.

They are designed for self-evaluation and do not include individual coaching or personalized reviews unless explicitly stated.

Are the materials updated?

The Ahead membership is designed to evolve over time.

We plan to add new job offer analyses, learning resources, market insights, and other professional development materials.

Can I access the other IAM Role Fits?

Yes. Premium membership includes access to the other Role Fits available in your subscription tier.

This can be useful if you’re considering a future transition into IAM Architecture, PAM, IAM Management, or another Identity Management specialization.

Is Ahead suitable for professionals outside the United States?

Yes. The IAM Engineer Role Fit covers professional capabilities and technical concepts that are relevant across different markets.

However, employer expectations, certifications, salaries, and job requirements may vary by country.

In what language are the materials available?

The IAM Engineer Role Fit and the main learning resources are provided in English.

Can I download the materials?

The materials are primarily designed to be accessed through the Ahead learning platform. Any downloadable resources will be clearly identified.

Is this a course, a mentorship, or a professional community?

Ahead is a professional development membership.

The IAM Engineer Role Fit combines self-assessments, structured learning resources, career guidance, and job market analysis.

It isn’t a traditional instructor-led course or a one-to-one mentorship program.

Do I need to participate in community discussions?

No. You can use the materials independently and at your own pace.

Community participation is optional.

Can I get a refund if I change my mind?

Payments and any applicable refunds are governed by the terms presented during checkout and applicable consumer protection laws.

Please review the subscription conditions before completing your purchase.

Your Next Career Move Starts With Understanding Where You Stand

You may already have the skills employers are looking for.

You may be closer to a senior position than you think.

Or you may need to develop specific capabilities before pursuing your next opportunity.

The important thing is to stop guessing.

Understand what employers expect.

Assess your current capabilities.

Identify your gaps.

Prepare with a clear direction.

And approach your next professional opportunity with better information.

Get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit inside The Lead Identity Ahead Premium.

Click below, select the $41/month Premium plan, and get access to the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Get Premium Access $41.

Every month, people join, leave, change departments, or take on new responsibilities.

And every change can affect access to dozens of applications.

Now imagine managing all those changes manually.

Creating accounts. Assigning permissions. Removing access. Fixing errors.

It would be a nightmare.

That’s one of the reasons companies need IAM Engineers.

They build and maintain the technical solutions that automate identity management.

They integrate applications, configure provisioning workflows, and ensure that access changes are executed correctly across different systems.

And here’s something important.

Knowing how Identity Management works isn’t the same as knowing how to implement it.

Companies need professionals who can turn IAM concepts into working solutions.

That’s why, if you want to become an IAM Engineer, learning the theory is only the beginning.

You also need to understand what employers expect you to build, configure, and troubleshoot.

Become an IAM Engineer

You need to understand what employers are actually looking for, which skills they expect you to demonstrate, and how to prepare for the role.

That’s exactly why we’ve created the IAM Engineer Role Fit.

Based on our reports analyzing hundreds of job offers, market insights, and our professional experience, it includes:

• How to Enter the Role: Explore different paths to becoming an IAM Engineer based on your professional background.

• Technical Skills Self-Assessment: Evaluate whether your technical readiness matches your career level.

• Key Responsibilities: Understand the main responsibilities of an IAM Engineer. Some are explained in depth in our learning materials.

• Required Qualifications: Education, certifications, experience, evidence of your skills, and CV/LinkedIn preparation.

• Real Job Offers Analyzed: Understand what employers are actually looking for through real job postings.

• Become Hard to Replace with AI: Understand how to remain valuable as AI transforms the profession.

• Interview Preparation: Prepare for IAM Engineer job interviews.

And this is just one of 10 Role Fit guides available in Ahead. The other nine are also included, with some still under development.

Join The Lead Identity Ahead

see you!

Today, I want to give you a quick introduction to my field: Identity Management.

Many of you already know what it is because that’s why you started following me.

But for those who don’t, here’s a quick overview of the main professional roles in the industry.

And if you’re interested in pursuing a career in any of these roles, or improving your skills in one you already have, click below.

I’ll send you an invitation to join The Lead Identity Ahead, our free membership tier.

.

INVITE ME TO AHEAD

.

1. IAM Manager

Leads an organization’s IAM function, defining strategy, managing teams, and aligning identity security with business objectives.

2. IAM Engineer

Builds and maintains IAM solutions, including identity lifecycle automation, provisioning, and system integrations.

3. IAM Service Delivery Manager

Oversees IAM service operations, managing SLAs, teams, incidents, and service quality.

4. IAM Architect

Designs enterprise identity architectures, defines technical standards, and integrates IAM technologies.

5. Access Management Engineer

Specializes in authentication, SSO, MFA, federation, SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect.

6. PAM Engineer

Secures privileged accounts through credential vaulting, session monitoring, and privileged access controls.

7. IAM Project Manager

Leads IAM projects, managing scope, budgets, timelines, risks, and stakeholders.

8. Identity Governance Analyst

Focuses on access reviews, role management, segregation of duties, and compliance.

9. IAM Operator

Manages daily identity operations, access requests, user accounts, permissions, and incidents.

10. CIAM Engineer

Develops customer identity solutions, including registration, authentication, consent, and digital experiences.

See you!