Aembit, a pioneering non-human IAM company, made a significant announcement today regarding the appointment of Mario Duarte as their new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). With an extensive background as the former head of security at Snowflake, Duarte brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to addressing critical gaps in non-human identity security.

Duarte’s journey in cybersecurity began with a deep interest in penetration testing, inspired by the classic 1980s film WarGames. Starting off in red teaming, he later transitioned into various technical and leadership roles focusing on defensive cybersecurity. Throughout his career, Duarte has concentrated on safeguarding mission-critical systems, tackling complex security challenges, and leading high-functioning teams.

Having worked across diverse industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, and technology, Duarte spent nearly a decade at Snowflake where he played a pivotal role in shaping and overseeing the company’s security program, eventually rising to the position of Vice President of Security, also known as CISO. It was during his tenure at Snowflake that he first encountered Aembit and its innovative approach to securing non-human identities, which has garnered accolades in the industry.

In reflecting on his career trajectory, Duarte shared, “I fell in love with security because of the thrill of finding weaknesses and fixing them. I’ve always had the mindset of an attacker, but over the years, I’ve shifted my focus to defending organizations and addressing real threats at scale. The exploitation of non-human identities like workloads and service accounts presented a significant security challenge that I was eager to tackle.”

Prior to his tenure at Snowflake, Duarte held senior security positions at various organizations, including GoGrid, Moodys KMV, and Ross Stores. His ability to adapt and excel across different sectors provided him with a nuanced understanding of security from multiple perspectives, including compliance with standards like FedRAMP, HIPAA/HITECH, and PCI.

Duarte was drawn to Aembit not just for its groundbreaking technology but also for the company’s culture and mission. He expressed, “Aembit is addressing a longstanding issue – securing non-human identities that are integral to IT infrastructure. By replacing outdated methods with a more dynamic and secure approach, Aembit is pioneering a solution that myself and others in the industry have been seeking.”

Aembit’s Workload IAM Platform, recognized as a runner-up in the 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox competition, is designed to facilitate secure access between non-human workloads and sensitive resources. By providing just-in-time, secretless access based on the workload’s identity and posture, the platform aligns with the evolving needs of organizations relying on distributed applications, SaaS services, and AI workloads.

David Goldschlag, Co-Founder and CEO of Aembit, emphasized the value that Duarte brings to the team, stating, “Mario’s extensive experience and dedication will be instrumental in guiding Aembit as we address complex identity security challenges. His leadership will be pivotal as we continue to innovate and provide solutions in this rapidly evolving landscape.”

In his new role, Duarte will focus on advancing Aembit’s initiatives to meet the evolving needs of the security community amidst the shift towards cloud-native, distributed, and automated environments. With a strong network of fellow CISOs and security professionals, coupled with a commitment to delivering effective, scalable solutions, Duarte will play a key role in Aembit’s ongoing growth.

Reflecting on his perspective, Duarte reiterated, “Security is my tribe. The stakes are too high here, and I wouldn’t endorse anything I didn’t wholeheartedly believe in.”

Aembit stands at the forefront of workload identity and access management solutions, aimed at securing non-human identities across various environments. Their platform enables real-time enforcement of access policies, ensuring the security and reliability of critical infrastructure. For more information, visit their website or follow them on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Apurva Dave, Aembit’s CMO, at info@aembit.io.

Source link