Christine Halvorsen, Public Sector CTO at Okta

Original broadcast date September 29, 2024

Presented by Okta & Carahsoft

The Evolving Role of Identity in Cybersecurity and Zero Trust

Christine Halvorsen, Public Sector Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Okta, emphasizes the growing recognition of identity as critical infrastructure in cybersecurity. She discusses how identity management has shifted from being a secondary concern to a core element of zero trust frameworks, acting as a key defense mechanism against cyber threats. Halvorsen highlights the integration capabilities of Okta, which spans across the five pillars of zero trust, enabling organizations to correlate threat signals and respond more effectively to potential risks. By integrating identity management with other security measures, Okta helps agencies mature their cybersecurity programs, ensuring better protection and risk management. She also discusses how identity specialization is emerging within cybersecurity programs, pushing agencies to adopt more advanced tools like privileged access management and continuous monitoring for a comprehensive approach.

Key Takeaways:

1. Identity is increasingly seen as a mission-critical component of cybersecurity, acting as the front line of defense and requiring robust protection and management to secure entire infrastructures.

2. Okta’s platform integrates across all five zero trust pillars, allowing agencies to aggregate and analyze threat signals from multiple sources, enhancing their ability to detect and mitigate high-risk scenarios.

3. As cybersecurity programs mature, agencies are moving beyond basic MFA and SSO, adopting advanced solutions like fine-grained authorization and privileged access management to provide continuous monitoring and life cycle management of identities.