The Ecology of Identities - From People to Things to Agent Smith

In this exclusive webinar, William Malik, Advisor, Security Strategy & Architecture, Lionfish Tech Advisors, explores the landscape of non-human and agentic identity management. From IoT devices to AI agents, machine-based identities are becoming fundamental to modern digital ecosystems. As these systems grow in scale and autonomy, organisations must rethink how identities are managed, secured, and governed. Malik examines why traditional approaches are no longer sufficient, highlighting the growing importance of securing IoT devices, AI agents, and industrial systems. He also breaks down the market dynamics, key challenges, and future trends shaping this complex and fast-moving space. With non-human identities already far outnumbering human users—and each AI instance capable of spawning multiple agents—the need for robust identity management has never been more urgent. Why This Matters Identity management is no longer just about people. As organisations scale their use of automation and AI, non-human identity management is critical for maintaining security, compliance, and operational control. Without it, businesses risk losing visibility and governance over increasingly autonomous systems. Key Takeaways Non-human identities are everywhere Devices, applications, APIs, and AI agents now operate as independent entities within networks. They outnumber humans at scale There are 20–50x more non-human identities than human users in most environments. Traditional approaches don’t work Role-based access control cannot handle the dynamic, complex nature of AI agents and connected systems. AI introduces new risks Agentic AI systems can behave unpredictably without strong identity governance and controls. The market is evolving rapidly Established identity vendors, ICS specialists, and AI-native startups are all entering the space. A market shakeout is coming Expect consolidation over the next 12–18 months as the sector matures. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Non-Human Identities 02:55 – The Evolution of IoT and AI in Identity Management 05:47 – Challenges in Non-Human Identity Management 09:08 – Market Dynamics and Vendor Landscape 12:00 – The Complexity of Identity Management 14:52 – The Future of Non-Human Identity Management