We speak to Darren James, Senior Product Manager at Specops, about the growing importance of trust throughout the identity lifecycle, the need to secure human and non-human identities, and why AI will continue to dominate the cybersecurity agenda in 2027.
Darren also discusses the opportunities AI presents for strengthening security, the challenges of keeping pace with an ever-evolving threat landscape, and why a simple piece of advice from his father has stayed with him throughout his career…
Tell us about your company, products and services.
Specops is the Identity Security division of Outpost24. We’ve been plugging the identity gaps in our customers environments since 2001. Whether it be solving age old problems like providing stronger password policies, blocking 6+ billion breached passwords, deploying robust secure access MFA solutions, going passwordless or more modern threats such as social engineering, AI impersonation or device posture attacks – we have a solution for you.
What have been the biggest challenges the Cyber Security industry has faced over the past 12 months?
I know it’s a overused term, but I’m going to say it anyway – AI! Many types of attack that were only a few years back considered science fiction or required nation state levels of sponsorship can now be achieved by literally anyone. The attacks themselves aren’t new phishing, social engineering, impersonation etc. have all been around for years, but AI has completely changed the economics and the scale at which these threats can now be delivered. Thanks to advances in AI, Deepfakes, voice cloning, large scale spear phishing are simpler and more scalable than they have ever been in the past.
And what have been the biggest opportunities?
Same as above, AI isn’t just used by the bad guys. It can help organisations find weaknesses in their environments and critical processes before the bad guys do.
What is the biggest priority for the Cyber Security industry this year?
I’m starting to sound like a stuck record – AI. But in this sense it’s about securing Non Human (AI) as well as human identities across all systems that their users interact with. Companies should be able to make sure that ALL indentities have an owner, that their credentials are secure, that you are aware what they have access to and what they can do with that access.
What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market next year?
Establishing Trust throughout the identity lifecycle, not just assuming it “because it’s hard”. Whether you are interviewing new candidate, onboarding a new starter, answering calls on the service desk, using a company chatbot, assigning a role to a mover, or recovering an identity, having a robust process – a lot of these processes assume trust or rely on information that can be manipulated, guessed, or stolen – is a must. The key is to verify the person before access is employed, onboarded, granted, or restored.
What technology is going to have the biggest impact on the market this coming year?
Stuck record time again AI – but inparticular Agentic AI. The reason is straightforward: an AI agent can access sensitive information and execute business transactions at machine level speed. Organisations need technology that establishes which agent is acting, who authorised it, and whether each action is permitted.
Next year we’ll all be talking about…?
AI again 😀
Which person in, or associated with, the Cyber Security industry would you most like to meet?
I’d love to have a one to one meeting with Dane Stuckey, the CISO of OpenAI – I would certainly have a question or two for him.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the Cyber Security sector?
It’s not really a surprise, but it’s certainly why I’m still involved after 30 years in the industry – it’s so incredibly fast moving. This is why it’s important to work with agile companies who can react quickly to new threats, and is one of the main reasons I’m still with Specops after 15 years.
You go to the bar at the Cyber Security Forum – what’s your tipple of choice?
Whisky, neat – unlike your cyber security stack it doesn’t need another layer 😀
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
For me personally, it’s listening and talking to new people every day. Learning what keeps them awake at night, and hopefully having (or creating) a solution for them that’ll help them sleep better in the future.
And what’s the most challenging?
Not being able to fix everything immediately. We hear about lots of issues, and I would love to be able to fix them all, but a big part of my role prioritisation.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
From my dad – always own your mistakes, don’t blame others. Nobodys perfect.
Succession or Stranger Things?
As a scifi nerd and a kid growing up in the 80’s it’s Stranger Things for me. The music, style and subject ticks all the right boxes. But anyone who knows me (or has even met me on Teams call) knows that my real passion is Star Wars!
