Well, Hello There, Hydden

Ladies and Gentlemen let’s welcome Hydden to the group chat. Coming out of with a 4.4 million dollar Seed Round. Not too shabby. So what do they do? Let’s Dive In!!

Caveat: I’m taking all of this from the company website, I haven’t seen a demo of the product….yet. (cough, cough, if anybody wants to send this to somebody at Hydden…lol)

Tagline: The Identity Visibility company.

Nice. I like that because it’s the one thing we stress in the market. You can’t protect, manage, insert verb here, what you can’t see.

I like the clean design, but most importantly, I like two things here.

1. The total number of accounts mapped to the identity. This is an essential data point when trying to understand the risk behind an identity and the accounts they have access to.

2. The Map view of the identity to the different accounts.

Granted, I don’t know if this is an actual view of the product, but if it is. Great!. I would add to this view a next step showing the applications those accounts go to. Yes, I realize it’s listed, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Thier Pitch

Smart play here. Don’t try to compete with all in platforms because it will take you too long to build one, instead co-exist with them as the platform vs best-of-breed battle rages.

Last Tidbit

They have Paul Trulove as one of their advisors. Ex-CPO at Sailpoint ( back in the good ole days). Paul is a fantastic product leader and has a great grasp of the market. Not sure how much he is involved, but they put him on the website sooo I guess they listen to him..lol

Final Thoughts

I like the direction. I think it’s a good start. I understand they're at the seed stage, but I would like to see more context on what the information the platform reports means. For example: The screen shot shown above. Love the number of accounts mapped, would like to see more context around what applications are tied to that identity, AND what’s the RISK of having that user tied to that number of accounts. We are at the tipping point of being able to show the value of identity in a true business context. But just my $.87 cents.

Welcome to the show Hydden. Best of luck

How to think about IGA

Love this article by David Morimanno of Xalient. The type of conversations we need to having around how identity plays a role into the broader aspect of business, and how we can have a business conversation while still having a security conversation.

TLDR: - Cost reduction is a top priority for many organisations, leading to the adoption of various technologies to automate tasks and improve efficiencies for cost savings.  However, minimizing risk should also be a key objective for every business.

Well said sir.

Why Identity Should Be at the Top of Every CEO’s Agenda

When was the last time a CEO sat down and thought, “You know what we need? A better Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategy.” Probably never. But here’s the reality: Identity is no longer just an IT problem—it’s a business priority that CEOs need to care about if they want to thrive in this digital era. Here’s why.

Identity = Business Agility

In a world where digital transformation is no longer an option but a necessity, identity management has become a critical enabler of business agility. Companies are moving to the cloud, employees are working remotely, and partners need secure access to sensitive data. This all creates complexity. And complexity is the enemy of speed.

With a strong IAM strategy, businesses can reduce friction. Employees can access the right resources without having to go through hoops. Partners can collaborate securely without lengthy onboarding processes. It’s all about streamlining access and improving the speed of business. That’s why CEOs should care. IAM is the engine behind business agility and efficiency.

Cut the Risk, Not Corners

Here’s the thing: CEOs spend time thinking about reducing risks, whether it’s financial, reputational, or operational. Yet, many overlook one of the most significant threats to their business: identity-based cyberattacks. These are no longer just phishing scams; sophisticated attackers are using compromised identities to infiltrate companies, steal data, and wreak havoc on systems.

Identity is the new perimeter. A breach doesn’t happen at the firewall anymore—it happens at the login screen. The cost of these breaches is staggering, and no business is immune. The only way to effectively combat these threats is with a well-rounded identity strategy that includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), privileged access management (PAM), and continuous monitoring.

The bottom line? Identity is your first line of defense, and CEOs need to ensure the right investments are made to keep their organization safe. Don’t wait for a breach to happen before taking identity seriously.

The Compliance Minefield

Every CEO knows that compliance is a headache, but it’s one you can’t afford to ignore. GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA—the list of regulations keeps growing, and with each new rule, the penalties for non-compliance become steeper. What’s at the heart of many of these regulations? You guessed it—identity.

Most compliance frameworks require businesses to demonstrate strict control over who has access to what data and when. A weak identity management program can easily lead to violations, resulting in fines and a damaged reputation. CEOs need to recognize that without a strong identity framework, compliance is nothing more than a ticking time bomb.

Building Trust in a Zero-Trust World

We hear a lot about Zero Trust security these days—never trust, always verify. It’s a fantastic approach, but to make it work, you need a robust identity strategy. Trust isn’t just about keeping the bad guys out; it’s about ensuring the right people have access to the right resources at the right time.

For CEOs, this means more than just protecting the business from external threats. It’s about building trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders. When you can demonstrate that your organization takes identity seriously, you’re not just securing data—you’re building confidence in your brand.

Final Thoughts

CEOs, it’s time to stop thinking of IAM as just another IT project. Identity is foundational to your business’s success, resilience, and ability to compete. Get it right, and you’ll unlock efficiency, reduce risk, and stay compliant. Get it wrong, and you’re leaving the door open to financial loss, reputational damage, and operational slowdowns.

The choice is clear—invest in identity or pay the price.