Join hosts Harry Baldwin and Daisy Steel as they delve into the world of identity security with Ashish Shah, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Andromeda Security, who reveals how the cybersecurity landscape is evolving to address the growing challenges of human and non-human identity management.

Throughout the episode, Ashish shares his journey from software development to product management and entrepreneurship, highlighting his principle of three years for career development and his passion for solving complex problems. He discusses how identity has become the new perimeter in cloud environments and explains why 95% of all identities being overprivileged represents a critical security concern for modern enterprises.

Listen along as Ashish offers valuable insights on the talent landscape in cybersecurity, the importance of foundational security education, and why solving human and non-human identity challenges together is essential for effective security. He also shares his perspective on AI’s role in security automation, the unique challenges posed by emerging AI agents, and why a data-centric approach to identity security represents the future of the industry.

Chapters

00:00:25 – Introduction and welcome
00:01:30 – Ashish’s journey into cybersecurity
00:04:01 – Career influences and mentorship
00:05:54 – Proudest achievements
00:07:50 – Life as a startup founder
00:11:20 – Skills for cybersecurity entrepreneurs
00:15:10 – The people-oriented security industry
00:18:45 – Addressing the talent shortage
00:21:40 – Founding Andromeda Security
00:26:20 – Identity security challenges
00:31:20 – Human vs. non-human identities
00:37:10 – The rise of non-human identities
00:39:45 – Quick fire round
00:42:00 – Advice for industry newcomers

About our guest

Ashish Shah is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Andromeda Security, bringing over 20 years of experience in product management, customer engagement, and business operations. Prior to founding Andromeda, he led product management at Avi Networks (acquired by VMware). Ashish holds a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford and an MBA from UC Berkeley School of Business, and is driven by a passion for solving complex identity security challenges in cloud environments.

The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a specialist global recruitment firm. To find out more visit www.neuco-group.com.