In this week’s episode of the Practical 365 Podcast, I’m joined by Shinesa Cambric, a cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience in IT. We dive deep into the world of AI, identity management, and the evolving landscape of IT skills. As always, we’ve got a mix of practical advice, industry insights, and a touch of humor to keep things interesting.
AI: The New Cloud?
Remember when cloud computing was the new kid on the block? Well, AI is following a similar path. Shinesa drew an interesting parallel between the adoption of cloud technology and the current AI revolution. Just as some (including myself) were skeptical about cloud computing initially, there’s a similar hesitation around AI. On the show, Shinesa pointed out, “I would say probably a good majority of the world is using cloud services or migrated to the cloud, so it’s going to be the same with AI.”
The Challenge of Shadow Identities
We also touched on the growing challenge of shadow identities – those access points that IT teams might not have visibility into. Think about accounts on systems that are owned by the organization, but aren’t integrated into your identity management system. On the show, I gave an example from a customer – where I had a privileged account on their Facebook Workplace environment for a migration (to Viva Engage!) and as the platform was managed by the customer’s communications team, IT didn’t have visibility of the account.
The key takeaway is the need for comprehensive identity management strategies that can track access across various platforms and environments.
Getting Hands-On with AI
It is the Practical 365 podcast after all, so – like with our previous TEC speakers, we discussed several ways to get practical, especially for those who are early in their careers or still studying and looking to get some practical hands-on experience.
Whilst I bemoaned that these days it’s harder to get a first job in IT and get hands-on with some physical kit, Shinesa rightly pointed out that with a few clicks, that anyone can get their hands on enterprise-grade IT in the cloud, including:
- Free Azure credits
- Microsoft 365 developer tenant (which gives you E5 licenses)
- Student programs at universities
The Evolution of Identity
Shinesa, who’s one of the keynote speakers at TEC 2024 in Dallas this October, gave us a sneak peek into her upcoming talk on identity. Titled “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (yes, like the movie), her presentation will explore how the concept of identity has evolved over time.
From simple name badges to complex digital identities, and now to AI-driven contexts, the journey of identity management is fascinating. As Shinesa put it, “When I first started my career, identity was more of like a name and a badge, and that’s identity basically constituted. Over time, as organizations have moved to the cloud, we’ve become more digitized, and identity has started to mean different things.”
As we wrapped up our chat with Shinesa, it was clear that the world of IT is evolving rapidly. From AI to identity management, the skills needed in our field are constantly changing. But one thing remains constant: the need for practical, hands-on experience.
So, whether you’re looking to dive into AI, brush up on your identity management skills, or explore any other area of IT, remember to get practical. Use those free resources, set up test environments, and most importantly, keep learning.
Next Time on the Show
In two weeks’ time, we’ll be joined by another special guest and will be getting back into some of the biggest stories in the world of Microsoft 365.
