Agentic AI and Identity Sprawl: The Convergence Redefining Cyber Risk

Welcome to Data Security Decoded. In this episode, Caleb Tolin welcomes back Joe Hladik, Head of Rubrik Zero Labs, for a focused look at how identity-driven threats are redefining modern security. Drawing insights from Rubrik Zero Labs’ latest report, Identity Crisis: Understanding and Building Resilience Against Identity-Driven Threats, Joe explains why identity has become the new perimeter in an era where hybrid and multi-cloud environments dominate. He explores how non-human identities, from API keys and service accounts to emerging AI agents, now outnumber humans 82 to 1, creating vast, complex ecosystems that strain traditional defenses. They center on resilience, not just prevention, emphasizing the need to understand dependencies and restore minimal viable operations during recovery. Joe also unpacks why attackers are increasingly targeting backup systems as their primary leverage point and how these attacks expose hidden weaknesses in data protection strategies.

What You'll Learn:
Why identity has replaced the network as the modern security perimeter
How non-human identities outnumber humans 82 to 1, and what that means for control and monitoring
Practical steps to build recovery plans around dependency mapping and minimal viable operations
Why ransom payments remain high and how better resilience planning can reverse that trend
How threat actors exploit backup systems to gain total business leverage
What agentic AI really means for cyber defense and how to prepare for its impact
The episode offers a clear framework for leaders to transform identity resilience from a reactive measure into a proactive pillar of enterprise security.

Chapters:
[00:00] Intro
[00:42] Sci-Fi Talk and the Three-Body Problem
[02:24] Overview of Rubrik Zero Labs’ Identity Crisis Report
[05:13] The Non-Human Identity Explosion
[07:03] Defining Minimal Viable Operations for Recovery
[10:53] Why Businesses Still Pay Ransoms
[15:46] Backups as the New Target
[16:32] Understanding Agentic AI in Security Contexts
[22:10] Forecasting AI-Driven Attacks
[25:32] Preparing Defenders for the Next Wave
[26:35] Where to Learn More About Rubrik Zero Labs

Episode Resources
Caleb Tolin on LinkedIn:   / calebtolin  
Joe Hladik on LinkedIn:   / joseph-h-9248913  
Rubrik Zero Labs report, Identity Crisis: Understanding & Building Resilience Against Identity-Driven Threats: https://zerolabs.rubrik.com/reports/t...

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