#446 - Rethinking Identity for AI Agents with Rick Scot

Rick Scot, Global CIO and CISO at Elevate Textiles, joins Jim and Jeff to talk about how he went from leading a data team to holding both the CIO and CISO seats at a global manufacturing company. Rick shares the moment that pulled him into security, how his tight-knit Charlotte cyber community shapes his thinking, and how he balances speed and control when the two roles pull in different directions. The conversation moves into identity for the age of AI agents: whether an agent is a human or non-human identity (Rick argues it's neither), who should own accountability when something goes wrong, and how session termination has to extend beyond turning off an account. Rick also digs into shadow AI, the real cost of tokens versus flat-rate licenses, and how he evaluates new identity technology against his organization's size and risk appetite. The episode closes with what excites and concerns him most about AI over the next three to five years, his advice for identity practitioners, and a lighter look at hobbies people wouldn't expect.

Connect with Rick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickscot/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/

Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/

Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com

00:00 - Intro and community shoutouts

07:06 - Introducing Rick Scot, Global CIO and CISO at Elevate Textiles

07:46 - How Rick got into cybersecurity

09:22 - Charlotte's tight-knit cyber community

11:18 - The moment that made security the focus

13:06 - Balancing the CIO and CISO roles

16:17 - What "Identity at the Center" means to Rick

19:26 - Where to start when building an IAM program

23:29 - Balancing risk and innovation with AI

27:46 - Who should own accountability for an AI agent

29:38 - A hierarchy for agent identities

33:31 - Terminating access and sessions, not just accounts

36:25 - Dealing with shadow AI

41:37 - Standing up a governance process for new AI projects

43:19 - Evaluating new identity technology and token costs

48:51 - Training and governance around AI usage

52:22 - Established vendors versus disruptive startups

56:56 - Looking three to five years ahead

1:00:20 - Advice for identity practitioners

1:01:41 - Lightning round: hobbies and surprises

1:08:40 - Closing and where to find Rick

IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald, Rick Scot, Elevate Textiles, CIO, CISO, identity and access management, IAM program, identity governance, AI agents, non-human identity, agentic identity, shadow AI, session management, offboarding, token costs, Charlotte cybersecurity community, identity leadership