Jax Painter

Director, Product Marketing

Empower your team with a unified digital Identity strategy that includes intelligent, integrated auth capabilities that minimize risk while improving experience.

Developers are the backbone of innovation. What they focus on can accelerate or hinder the delivery of new products. Authentication and authorization have always been a top development priority, but increases in data volumes, data usage, mobility, and other factors are creating significant complexity.

Navigating increasing auth challenges with manual, cumbersome approaches —while also trying to keep up with the latest security standards and regulations — can be overwhelming. This situation can result in frustrated developers, delayed launch dates, and an increased risk of security gaps that can cause outages, costly non-compliance fees, and damaged business reputations. AI and [GenAI](https://www.okta.com/blog/2024/10/unlocking-the-power-of-generative-ai-with-identity/) adoption only amplify developers' auth challenges because models require massive amounts of information for accuracy and all data usage must align with evolving security and compliance regulations.

How organizations manage auth also determines their effectiveness in protecting data against evolving threats, complying with regulations, and improving brand reputation. Building auth services from scratch or relying on features in legacy systems can easily lead to compliance and governance missteps caused by Identity fragmentation across applications and systems. After all, siloed Identity management is difficult to track, making it harder to safeguard customer data.

Chief technology officers, directors, and development leaders can empower their teams with a unified digital Identity strategy that includes intelligent, integrated auth capabilities that minimize complexity and risk while improving experience. By building and maintaining authentication with less effort and simplifying governance and compliance, developers can spend the bulk of their time doing what they excel at, bringing new products and services to market faster.

## Moving from Complexity to Clarity — and Ideas to Impact

Authentication and authorization are critical vehicles for creating innovative solutions and differentiating experiences for customers and employees. That’s because users expect scalable, frictionless access to apps, digital tools, and cloud services.

To make this possible while enabling teams to manage all their tasks, developers need easy-to-use auth systems that minimize the need for custom code and specialized security skills. That way, developers have what they need to build flexible solutions that can easily integrate with other technologies, support new authentication methods, and facilitate new use cases including AI and GenAI — all in a way that minimizes risk and delivers positive user experiences.

## How LaunchNotes Uses Authentication to Drive Growth

[LaunchNotes](https://www.okta.com/customers/launchnotes/) equips product and development teams with the tools they need to effectively communicate, understand, and manage the what, when, and why of product roadmaps. To drive growth, especially in the enterprise customer space, LaunchNotes replaced their authentication software with a unified solution from Auth0. It provides the enterprise-grade authentication and authorization capabilities prospective customers were looking for, like [single sign-on](https://www.okta.com/products/single-sign-on-workforce-identity/) (SSO).

Auth0 is also easy to use. With it, developers were able to set up a proof of concept in one hour and deploy their new auth solution, including SSO capabilities, within less than three weeks. Within one week of going live, LaunchNotes’ first enterprise customer signed up and more than 10 customers re-engaged.

Developers are also realizing ongoing efficiencies with their unified auth solution. Today, they spend 95% less time managing password policies for B2B customers. They implemented social logins in just minutes. And now, they onboard new customers up to 20% faster, which improves the experience of customers and employees.

## How Cribl Transforms Auth to Bring New Products to Market Faster

[Cribl](https://www.okta.com/customers/cribl/) helps organizations collect, process, route, and analyze logs, traces, and other telemetry data from their in-house and third-party systems and apps. Because this data is critical in establishing and managing seamless, protected communication between systems, Cribl provides customers with strict access controls. For years, Cribl used [role-based access controls](https://www.okta.com/identity-101/what-is-role-based-access-control-rbac/) (RBAC) to authorize users.

However, when they introduced virtual Workspaces for their customers, Cribl quickly recognized that their RBAC approach could not scale with increasing complexity and growth. Developers were spending too much time manually building and maintaining auth systems. To set up authentication for just one Workspace, they had to manually define up to 400 roles in a JSON Web Token.

After evaluating their best options, Cribl’s teams unanimously chose to adopt a unified auth solution from Auth0. It enables granular RBAC and centralized auth models that are flexible, scalable, and easy to manage. Today, developers input their new products into their authorization model and Auth0 automatically handles the mapping between data owners as directed. As a result, what used to take developers months of manual effort now takes just weeks. And because developers can set up authorization for new products 80% faster, they have more time to spend on innovation.

## How Alma Media Builds and Maintains Identity Security with Less Effort

Media and service company [Alma Media](https://www.okta.com/customers/alma-media/) was struggling with siloed auth solutions. The organization operates more than 100 websites and brands used by millions of customers, and every site had its own login method. This meant customers couldn’t navigate between corporate brand sites without having to log in again. Cumbersome user experiences cut Alma Media's conversions in half. Additionally, developers had to create, manage, and scale each site’s standalone authentication solutions, leaving them little time to work on impactful projects.

To achieve their goals, Alma Media adopted a unified auth solution from Auth0 that has dramatically simplified development. As a result, Alma Media improved their user experience, security, and innovation potential. Customers now have SSO, so they no longer have to manage multiple IDs and passwords across sites. They can also opt to log in to sites using their social media accounts.

Additionally, in-house developers and IT teams now use the same flexible solution for managing auth across sites. This straightforward approach reduces risk,  boosts efficiency, and delivers measurable savings. Alma Media has decreased their total cost of ownership by 30% and license expenses by 10%.

## Ignite Innovation at Your Organization

Maximizing the time your developers have to create differentiating solutions that improve security, experience, and innovation is easier with a unified strategy. Auth0 equips organizations with intelligent, integrated authentication and authorization tools that reduce complexity so developers can turn ideas into impactful solutions faster.

No-code, low-code, and pro-code tools accelerate the development of automated flows that teams can quickly adapt to meet current and future use cases. Built-in capabilities also simplify governance and compliance, including certification and regulatory support, data sovereignty, and centralized controls.

Free your devs and simplify auth management! Learn More about [Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)](https://www.okta.com/customer-identity/)

## Resources

- [Check out our Developer Center](https://developer.auth0.com/)
- [Unlock SaaS app growth: Download the Why Customer Identity White Paper](https://www.okta.com/resources/whitepaper-why-ciam/)
- [Learn about Fine-Grained Authorization (FGA)](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/fine-grained-authorization-technical-primer)
- [Discover how Okta secures your Generative AI implementation](https://www.okta.com/blog/2024/10/unlocking-the-power-of-generative-ai-with-identity/) 
- [Explore the Build versus buy question for CIAM](https://www.okta.com/resources/whitepaper-build-vs-buy/)


Innovation Ignited: How Development Leaders Make Authentication an Innovation Engine

Salman Ladha

As a Product Marketing Manager, I’m responsible for communicating the value of identity for SaaS application builders and our public sector vertical. I’m particularly passionate about the role identity plays in accelerating business growth, promoting product adoption, and establishing trust. Outside of work, you can catch me reading, working out, or watching the latest Marvel movie.

Senior Product Marketing Manager

Auth0 Public Sector Identity Index shows government leaders in the United States are clear on their priorities but could use some help improving citizen security.

Over the past two years, all levels of government in the United States (US) have made massive strides in their ability to deliver digital citizen services. Whether filing for unemployment benefits or renewing a driver's license, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital government initiatives by [years](https://home.kpmg/us/en/home/insights/2020/09/digital-acceleration.html), enabling citizens to access critical services online rather than in-line. 

As these services continue to be deployed digitally, a key area of focus amongst all US government officials is managing the constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape. [Executive orders](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/12/executive-order-on-improving-the-nations-cybersecurity/) from President Joe Biden and the [1.2 trillion dollars](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/06/fact-sheet-the-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal/) bipartisan infrastructure bill are both examples of steps taken to improve the nation's cybersecurity posture. 

Data from our own [Public Sector Identity Index](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/us-public-sector-identity-index-report-2022), a primary research report with insights into the identity maturity of public sector organizations around the world, further supports how Federal, State, and Local government leaders prioritize security when delivering government-to-citizen (G2C) applications. In our survey, the top three priorities cited by respondents when launching online services for citizens were: 

1. Abiding by data security regulations
2. Securing citizen services 
3. Ensuring citizen trust in digital services 

Despite the intense focus on protecting citizen data, the results show there's still room for improvement. Only 19% of government leaders were highly confident in the security of their current authentication solutions, and 86% of governments rely on custom username and password credentials as a citizen's primary means of authenticating into applications, despite their [well-documented security risks](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-credential-stuffing/). 

Fortunately, Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solutions can help governments improve their applications' security without compromising the citizen experience.

## Billions of Dollars Lost to Fraud 

Over the past decade, data breaches in the US have [doubled](https://www.statista.com/statistics/273550/data-breaches-recorded-in-the-united-states-by-number-of-breaches-and-records-exposed/), and governments have been a primary target for bad actors amidst the pandemic. This shouldn't come as a surprise due to the highly sensitive data they store, legacy technology infrastructure, and the pace at which citizen services were launched; governments were and continue to be a perfect target for [hackers](https://www.govtech.com/sponsored/why-government-institutions-are-the-perfect-target-for-hackers).

Notably, levels of fraud have significantly increased amidst the pandemic as bad actors take advantage of the dire circumstances in which citizens required relief and governments scrambled to set up systems to deliver it. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a [3,000%](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/identity-theft-unemployment-benefits-fraud/) increase in fraudulent applications for government benefits in 2020. Data from the department of labor estimates that 36 billion of the 360 billion from the Cares Act was [lost to fraud](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/05/scammers-have-taken-36-billion-in-fraudulent-unemployment-payments-.html). 

Some sources are even citing 2020 as the year the world experienced a health care crisis and a [cyber pandemic](https://www.govtech.com/blogs/lohrmann-on-cybersecurity/2020-the-year-the-covid-19-crisis-brought-a-cyber-pandemic.html) due to the radical shift in online life. 

## A Void of Security Talent 

Despite rampant cyberattacks, citizen adoption of digital applications in both the public and private sectors continues to accelerate. [Data from McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-covid-19-has-pushed-companies-over-the-technology-tipping-point-and-transformed-business-forever) shows that in the United States, the adoption of digital consumer interactions was pulled forward by three years. 

As citizens—who have the dual identity of also being consumers—continue to shift to an online world, authentication becomes increasingly important as it's the front door to any service. 

Unfortunately, the onus is on service providers to ensure their authentication methods are secure. [Most people](https://www.darkreading.com/informationweek-home/password-reuse-abounds-new-survey-shows/d/d-id/1331689) know password reuse is unsafe but choose to use the same password on multiple sites because they have roughly [100 passwords](https://tech.co/news/average-person-100-passwords) to remember. 

This poses a natural challenge for government agencies because finding, acquiring, and retaining cybersecurity talent to build and maintain security infrastructure is increasingly challenging. State CIOs have been quite [vocal about this](https://www.govtech.com/workforce/texas-cio-tackles-digital-services-workforce-challenges?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20GT%20-%20GovTech%20Today&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=195931325&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-88YI7vDYWmct12A7bOeNFeYSw69onWa0MuOvfUAOKzukIH--YsPBMwI5ufQLqehSrlxgHaeqaH_khrQFZy3YoMvN-yJA&utm_content=195931325&utm_source=hs_email). Concerningly, it's not just a problem limited to the public sector. The International Information System Security Certification Consortium ([ISC]2) recently conducted a study that found [60% of security leaders globally worry the cybersecurity staffing shortage is placing their organizations at risk](https://www.isc2.org/-/media/F829F79ADBDC4F6391432B7D122DA32E.ashx).

## Protecting Citizens with Identity-as-a-Service 

Commercial off-the-shelf identity solutions like Auth0 are one option governments can rely on to improve the security of their citizen-facing applications with limited internal resources. 

Auth0's platform is built using open standards such as OpenID Connect, OAuth2, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), and Fast Identity Online Alliance (FIDO) so that when new threats emerge, they can be quickly identified, understood, and neutralized by a community of experts. 

Attack protection capabilities are also available out of the box to help governments ensure end-user security through features like Adaptive MFA, Brute Force Protection, and Breached Password Protection. 

Additionally, with capabilities like WebAuthn Passwordless authentication, governments can introduce login experiences that improve the citizen experience while enhancing the security of their services. 

To learn more about the state of identity and access management in the public sector, download our latest [whitepaper](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/us-public-sector-ciam). In the report, we highlight key trends observed across both Federal and State/Local governments pertaining to digital citizen services, highlight areas of opportunity, and shed light on how identity can improve the nation's cybersecurity posture. For a quicker read, you can also check out an infographic we published, calling out key findings [here](https://auth0.com/resources/ebooks/us-public-sector-ciam-infographic).

Improving the Nation's Security, Starting with Identity

eugenio-pace-new-avatar

Pace co-founded Auth0 in early 2013 with CTO and “brother-in-arms” Matias Woloski while living 7,000 miles apart from each other. Since then, Pace has played an instrumental role in growing Auth0 into a leading identity management company that is loved by developers and trusted by global enterprises. He loves traveling and has visited more than 35 countries for business and pleasure. He currently lives in Redmond, Washington with his wife, two sons, and their labrador retriever. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, rowing, riding bikes, spending time with his family, restoring his 1970 Karmann Ghia, writing his blog, and reading history and philosophy.

CEO and Co-Founder

Eugenio Pace

Identity leaders combine developer and enterprise expertise, offering customers more flexibility

Okta, Inc, today (May 3, 2021) announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Auth0. Together, Okta and Auth0 address a broad set of digital identity use cases, providing secure access and enabling everyone to safely use any technology. 

Auth0 will operate as an independent business unit within Okta, led by Auth0 Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Eugenio Pace, reporting directly to Todd McKinnon, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Okta. Both Okta’s and Auth0’s platforms will be supported, invested in, and integrated over time — accelerating innovation and making the Okta Identity Cloud even more compelling for the full spectrum of customers and users. 

“Identity is one of the most strategic investments an organization will make today. A single, unified identity platform has the power to transform an organization by providing seamless and secure access for both customers and employees,” said McKinnon. “Okta and Auth0 have always shared a vision for the identity market. We’re also both cloud-first, customer-first companies. By joining forces, we’ll give our customers more choice and flexibility, driving tremendous value and enabling them to accelerate innovation. Together, we will shape the future of identity on the internet, empowering developers to build with identity at the foundation.”

"As Okta and Auth0 join forces today, bringing together two exceptional companies, I'm more confident than ever that we will deliver on our shared vision to secure access for everyone," said Pace. "Auth0's focus has always been on enabling product builders to innovate, and now as one company with a shared vision and combined resources, that innovation will only increase."

Okta’s and Auth0’s comprehensive, complementary, and flexible identity platforms solve every identity use case, regardless of the audience or user. Okta pioneered cloud-based identity, offering enterprise-grade reliability and world-class security while prioritizing customer success for organizations of all sizes. Auth0 was built by developers for developers. Application builders around the world are loyal to Auth0 for its extensibility, ease of use, scope of documentation, and developer-friendly experience. With combined expertise across developer communities and the enterprise, Okta and Auth0 will provide enhanced depth and breadth of identity solutions and will be even better suited to integrate quickly into the modern tech stack of today’s developers. 

“At Kiva, we’re on a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities around the world thrive. Identity plays an essential role in making that happen," said Ken Leung, EVP of Engineering, Kiva. "Today, we leverage Auth0 to provide secure authentication to Kiva's partners and lenders, and Okta for workforce identity, giving our team access to the critical technologies they need to best serve the millions of global entrepreneurs in our network. We trust both Okta and Auth0 to connect our people and technology, and are excited to see how they evolve and innovate together."

“Credence goes to those who can help us identify one another in a digital world,” said Jay Bretzmann, Program Director for Cybersecurity Products, IDC. “Okta and Auth0 provide the cloud-ready, developer-friendly tools to help in the fight. They're building the platforms and technology we’ll need to take the next steps. Simple, elegant, and customer-centric." 

## Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This blog contains forward-looking statements relating to expectations, plans, and prospects including statements relating to the anticipated benefits that will be derived from this transaction, the expected acceleration of Okta’s growth as a result of this transaction, the impact to the Okta Identity Cloud, expected synergies resulting from the transaction and expansion of Okta’s customer base. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of Okta’s management as of the date of this release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the risk of adverse and unpredictable macro-economic conditions, the failure to achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations between Okta and Auth0, the ability of Okta and Auth0 to successfully integrate their respective businesses, the failure to timely develop and achieve market acceptance of the combined business, the loss of any Auth0 customers, the ability to coordinate strategy and resources between Okta and Auth0, and the ability of Okta and Auth0 to retain and motivate key employees of Auth0. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are detailed from time to time in the reports Okta files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Okta’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Okta as of the date hereof, and Okta disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Okta Completes Acquisition of Auth0

shiven_ramji

Shiv is an experienced product executive and builder obsessed with creating beautiful products. He is the President of Customer Identity at Okta, managing a $1B ARR business and overseeing the company’s product, data, security, and technology strategy and execution. Before Auth0 and Okta, Shiv was the SVP of Product at DigitalOcean, leading DigitalOcean’s products, pricing, and partnerships. Additionally, Shiv has held product leadership positions at global brands, including Amazon, NBCUniversal, LiveIntent, and The Nielsen Company. Shiv was the recipient of the 2023 Top Global CPO Award by the Products That Count community. 

Beyond his current corporate focus, Shiv is deeply committed to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in Africa. He is an active angel investor and startup advisor and also serves on the boards of [Products That Count](https://productsthatcount.com/) and [Aiven.io](http://Aiven.io).

President, Auth0

Shiven Ramji

Auth0 was placed into the Leader Quadrant for 2021, parent company Okta also named a Leader

We are proud to announce that Auth0, a product unit within Okta, has been recognized as a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Worldwide. Gartner defines the Access Management market as: "_The access management (AM) market is defined by customers’ needs to establish, enforce, and manage run-time access controls for internal and external types of identities, as well as machine identities, interacting with cloud, modern standards-based web and legacy web applications_" Auth0 focuses on SaaS-delivered developer-centric and Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) use cases.

For more information, please download the full 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management [report](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/gartner-magic-quadrant-access-management).

![Access Management](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/2R3F2vxbxOSS9HtrO3Odcf/f8351826feee0286580150623d6d53b4/Figure1_2.jpg)

The Magic Quadrant recognized Auth0 as a Leader based on our Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.  

Auth0 believes that CIAM should do more to balance the three forces of security, privacy and convenience — not just keeping the bad actors out, but also driving customer loyalty and conversion and revenue to create a great experience for our customers, partners, and their end-users.

We believe vendors' experience in the space is a key consideration for Gartner in their Magic Quadrant Evaluations. As stated by one of our customers in their [review](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/access-management/vendor/auth0/product/auth0-platform/review/view/1363099) of Auth0, included in the [2021 Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer Access Management Report](https://auth0.com/resources/ebooks/gartner-peer-insights-ciam), Auth0 comes with great features out-of-the-box. We went live easily with Auth0 as our Identity Provider. The platform/vendor does not just support us in a technical angle, but also understanding our user journey and sharing their experience (with other clients) and what approaches to take to minimize risk and even enhance user experience during the migration. — VP, Core Product Development, Retail industry


## Auth0 / Okta Both Recognized as Leaders

Because [Okta closed the acquisition of Auth0 in May 2021](https://auth0.com/blog/okta-acquisition-announcement/), we believe we are both represented as vendors in the 2021 Magic Quadrant for Access Management. Our capabilities and visions were evaluated separately, but to great success — both Okta and Auth0 were recognized as Leaders.  
  
As we move forward we will combine Okta’s proven ability to execute and leadership in Workforce and CIAM with Auth0’s role as the innovator of a modern CIAM and developer experience. Together, Okta and Auth0 are the future of identity, working to solve every identity use case for customers.

## Next Steps with Okta

Bringing together two strong market leaders is a challenge — but we both see the positive impact this will bring for our customers and for the identity market. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us and will rely on customer feedback. We’re grateful for your trust as we continue to innovate with Okta.

_*Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Henrique Teixeira, Michael Kelley, Abhyuday Data, November 1, 2021._

_This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Okta._

_Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose._

_Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved_

_Gartner Peer Insights reviews constitute the subjective opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences and do not represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates._

Auth0 recognized as a Leader in the 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Worldwide

auziros:jeana-tahnk

Jeana has been in the tech industry for 15+ years, both as a communications professional and writer. As Director of Global Communications at Auth0, she works with her internal team and external agencies to amplify the company's visibility worldwide and establish its leadership in the identity industry. When she is not working, she can most likely be found on a field watching one of her three kids playing sports, or cleaning up after her one-year-old retriever who chews everything.

Senior Director, Global Communications

Jeana Tahnk

Okta positioned highest in Ability to Execute

**SAN FRANCISCO – Nov. 3, 2021 –** [Okta, Inc.](https://www.okta.com/) (NASDAQ:OKTA) the leading independent identity provider, today announced that it has been recognized as a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management, for both Okta and Auth0 (which Okta acquired in [May 2021](https://www.okta.com/press-room/press-releases/okta-completes-acquisition-of-auth0/)). This marks the fifth consecutive year in which Okta has been named Leader, and the first for Auth0. A complimentary version of the full report can be found [here](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/gartner-magic-quadrant-access-management).

Gartner's view of the market is focused on transformational technologies or approaches delivering on the future needs of end users. The access management (AM) market is defined by customers’ needs to establish, enforce, and manage run-time access controls for internal and external types of identities, interacting with cloud, modern standards-based web, and legacy web applications. The report evaluated 12 vendors on 15 criteria and placed both Okta and Auth0 in the Leaders Quadrant.

Okta and Auth0 together provide the breadth of modern Workforce and Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solutions needed to seamlessly manage the digital complexities of security, agility, and user experience. The Okta Identity Cloud and the Auth0 Identity Platform deliver the identity solutions that are built for customer choice, connecting best-of-breed technology for seamless integration into any ecosystem; addressing compliance and regulatory requirements; and empowering users with secure and frictionless experiences. Any development style (no-code, low-code, to pro-code) and deployment choice (multi-tenant cloud or a dedicated tenant) is satisfied with the extensibility and breadth that Okta and Auth0 offer.

“This dual recognition from Gartner is an honor, and one that I believe is a testament to the individual leadership of our complementary platforms and the incredible value that we offer together,” said Todd McKinnon, CEO and co-founder, Okta. “Companies that proactively build an identity-first architecture and prioritize identity as the foundation to all digital experiences will have the competitive edge. The breadth of technology across both Okta’s and Auth0’s platforms provide industry-leading execution and innovation for driving secure and seamless digital experiences.”

“Becoming part of Okta was a transformational milestone for both companies, as well as the identity industry as a whole,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and co-founder, Auth0. “We are just scratching the surface of the breadth of use cases we can solve together. We are grateful for the recognition of Auth0 as a Leader from Gartner. We will continue to innovate our modern identity platform to satisfy the many complex identity needs of our customers.”

Okta recently featured Auth0 and the future plans as a combined company at its annual Showcase event, which was held virtually on October 13. The rich content from the event, including commentary from both CEOs, customer interviews, and product demos can be seen [here](https://www.okta.com/resources/showcase21-content/).

Additional detail on the overall Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluation can be found respectively on the [Auth0 blog](https://auth0.com/blog/okta-and-auth0-recognized-as-a-leader-in-the-2021-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-access-management) and the [Okta blog](https://www.okta.com/blog/2021/11/tracking-upward-and-innovating-for-our-customers-together/).

_*Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Henrique Teixeira, Michael Kelley, Abhyuday Data, November 1, 2021._

Gartner Disclaimer: 
_Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose._

_Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved_

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

## About Okta

Okta is the leading independent identity provider. The Okta Identity Cloud enables organizations to securely connect the right people to the right technologies at the right time. With more than 7,000 pre-built integrations to applications and infrastructure providers, Okta provides simple and secure access to people and organizations everywhere, giving them the confidence to reach their full potential. More than 13,050 organizations, including JetBlue, Nordstrom, Siemens, Slack, Takeda, Teach for America, and Twilio, trust Okta to help protect the identities of their workforces and customers.

### Media Contacts

Communications Team 
Okta 
[press@okta.com](mailto:press@okta.com) 

Global Communications 
Auth0 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

### Investor Contact:

Investor Relations 
[investor@okta.com](mailto:investor@okta.com)

Okta and Auth0 Both Named as Leaders in 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Access Management

MatthewHughes

I'm a Liverpool-based technology writer with a passion for usability and security. When I'm not churning out copy, you'll find me walking my two dogs: Luna and Apollo

Business Content Writer

Matthew Hughes

Security leaders will increase visibility and diversity of thought to meet consumer (and business) expectations

From the Colonial Pipeline attack, which resulted in fuel shortages across much of the East Coast, to the devastating breach on Microsoft Exchange, it’s safe to say 2021 was a tumultuous year for cybersecurity. But what will the next year look like?

I reached out to Auth0’s leading security and privacy experts to hear their predictions for 2022, and to learn how organizations will grapple with a changing threat landscape and the ongoing pandemic.

![Predictions](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/e8LLSbz9kUTIssTNzD33k/1c58e52ea17e0bf67b104322e8ade137/cybersecurity-prediction-sep1)

## 1. The Visibility Challenge

It’s been almost eighteen months since the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to rethink everyday life. The workplace was no exception. States ordered tens of millions to work from home, as they sought to limit the virus’ spread. To accommodate this flood of remote working, IT departments raced against the clock to build the necessary technology infrastructure.

Now, the dust has settled. The pressure has eased slightly. It’s time to take a breath. But don’t get too comfortable.

The next challenge for IT leaders — and CISOs in particular — is in securing the newly acquired devices and services underpinning remote working. Monitoring and threat detection will likely prove to be the biggest headache.

> “Visibility is fundamental to security,” explained Cassio Sampaio, Senior Vice President of Product at Auth0. “You can’t stop attacks you don’t see. It’s always better to see attacks in progress, rather than after they’ve occurred.”

Many workplaces deployed new hardware and software in record time to ensure the continuity of the business, leaving little time to integrate them into existing security workflows. Sampaio says the big priority for 2022 will be to bring this infrastructure into view.

> “With teams working remotely for the foreseeable future, now’s the time for IT teams to start focusing on security, with monitoring and threat detection both high priorities,” Sampaio added. “Hybrid working, as well as the growth of BYOD and cloud computing, has shifted the definition of a security perimeter. It now includes identity systems, as well as firewalls and IPS tools. It’s critical organizations extend their visibility to include these.”

## 2. Secure by Default Becomes the Norm

Security breaches can occur because of simple user errors. In some cases, vendors inadvertently facilitate that by issuing products with insecure default configurations, putting the onus on the customer to harden them.

> “Far too often, security is treated as the user’s responsibility. This approach has arguably contributed to several high-profile incidents,” said Shiven Ramji, Chief Product Officer at Auth0.

In August, researchers at Upguard learned some apps running on a popular infrastructure provider were leaking sensitive customer and business data totaling 39m records. This included Covid-19 contact tracing details, payroll records, and biographical customer data.

UpGuard attributed the issue to a default configuration that allowed unauthorized third parties to remotely query the underlying data source. But instead of considering it a bug, the provider described the issue as a well-documented feature.

In the face of massive data breaches and other unwelcome security lapses, we expect vendors will take a more proactive approach in creating guardrails for their customers. A Secure by Design approach will become the default. This philosophy sees products shipped with the most cautious settings by default, accompanied by other vital protective features, including Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Privileged Access Management (PAM)

## 3. Malicious Actors Will Exploit Supply Chain Woes

Global supply chains are in disarray. The cost of shipping products between continents spiked during the pandemic, with ships and containers both in short supply. Meanwhile, soaring demand for semiconductors has resulted in widespread shortages of graphics cards, games consoles, and cars, with the “chip drought” expected to last until 2023.

Amid this turmoil, we can expect to see malicious actors take advantage of the situation, exploiting the widespread sense of desperation among businesses and consumers. There is evidence this has already started to occur, with the FBI reporting an increase in Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks at the start of the year.

> “If you’re a school awaiting a shipment of Chromebooks for remote learning, or a retailer expecting stock from overseas, you might not question an unexpected invoice, especially if it comes from someone you know. The urgency may override your skepticism,” said Annybell Villaroel, Security Awareness and Culture Manager at Auth0.

## 4. Diversity of Thought and Skill Becomes Regarded as an Asset

The security landscape continuously evolves. In the past decade alone, we’ve witnessed the emergence of malware-as-a-service (MaaS), threat actors expanding by franchising their brand and technology to others, and attacks upon national infrastructure. Deepfake technology and bulk SMS messaging have been used to devastating effect. 

IT teams now face increasingly sophisticated opponents, with attacks delivered in greater volume over a variety of mediums. Combatting this will require organizations to draw from a wider range of skills when filling cybersecurity roles.

> “Bad actors have already diversified their thinking. Businesses must do the same,” said Jameeka Aaron, CISO at Auth0. 
> “I’ve always argued for a holistic approach to information security,” she added. “Technical skills are important, but so are the soft skills.”

To find candidates with these skills, organizations will have to broaden their hiring criteria and recruit from places they didn’t previously.

> “To respond to this new threat landscape, businesses will have to shift their focus away from GPAs and certifications. You need people who can build bridges within the organization and evangelize good security practices. And going forward, I can imagine hiring managers will recognize communication and language skills as assets, too,” said Aaron.

## 5. Consumer patience wanes over privacy breaches

Five years ago, Have I Been Pwned — a service that allows members of the public to check whether their personal credentials have been leaked — held records on 1.4 billion accounts. Today, that figure is almost 11.5 billion.

Coinciding with that almost tenfold rise is a greater awareness of security breaches among the general public, and signs their patience has begun to wane. According to Auth0’s latest CIAM survey, 92% of consumers expect businesses to keep their personal information safe.

> “A decade ago, security breaches were smaller and less likely to be headline news,” said Sampaio. “Now, they’re front-page news, and they’ve ensnared some of the largest brands in the world. People are tired and scared, and they want businesses to raise their game.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the survey showed that a larger percentage of businesses, 97%, believe they are obligated to protect their customers’ personal information.

> “This figure likely has its roots in many places. Security breaches are bad PR and are hugely costly for the company involved,” said Sampaio.
> “Recent legislation, most notably GDPR, LGPD, and APPI, introduces significant monetary penalties for organizations that experience a security breach. That raises the pressure further.”

## 6. Consumers Begin Expecting Data Portability & Interoperability

From healthcare and financial services to social networks, consumers increasingly recognize the value of data interoperability and portability. It allows you to seamlessly share medical records between practitioners, to see your banking and credit card information from a single central hub, and port your playlist between streaming services.

> “One of the most popular apps in the App Store is Mint, which lets users track spending across their accounts. In the US, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is making it easier for doctors to see the information held on their patients by other medical professionals. From a consumer’s perspective, interoperability is something that makes their lives easier, and data portability allows them to make real choices about who they do business with,” said Lucy McGrath, VP of Privacy at Auth0.

![Interoperability](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/11v4gylcGVWijlKWnhibFw/f7e091c1883197d00af99737574c649d/cybersecurity-prediction-sep2)

Data portability is already a consumer right in Europe thanks in part to GDPR and a number of global sectoral laws - particularly in finance and banking. McGrath expects demand for both portability and interoperability to increase in 2021 and beyond. The OECD has outlined the detailed benefits and challenges in its report _Data portability, interoperability and digital platform competition, OECD Competition Committee Discussion Paper,_ [here](https://www.oecd.org/daf/competition/data-portability-interoperability-and-digital-platform-competition-2021.pdf).

> “It’s likely that we’ll see consumers’ expectation for choice - data portability and interoperability - enshrined in more global laws. It’s an exciting space that is spurring innovation - it’s essential the technology supporting the choice continues to protect the privacy of consumers and security of their data in these complex ecosystems” McGrath said.

Top 6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2022

Former SVP of Engineering and CTO at Glassdoor and Ask.com bolsters management team

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – Oct. 7, 2021 –** The [Auth0 Identity Platform](https://auth0.com/), a product unit within Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA), today announced that [Bhawna Singh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhawnasingh/) has joined the company as Senior Vice President (SVP) of Engineering. With more than two decades of engineering and technology leadership, Singh will be instrumental in continuing to build and lead Auth0’s talented team of engineers in transforming technology and increasing value to its growing customer base.

Prior to joining Auth0, Singh held senior engineering and technology roles, including SVP of Engineering and CTO at Glassdoor, where she was responsible for technological innovation overseeing the company’s websites and mobile platforms, in addition to its software engineering data platform and machine learning teams. Before Glassdoor, Singh held engineering leadership roles at Ask.com, Sybase, and AT&T. As SVP of Engineering, Singh will lead the high growth of Auth0’s solutions, strengthen trust and reliability for their global customer base, and continue to invest in engineering excellence. 

“The technological complexity of identity, innovation of the company’s solutions, and transparent and inclusive workplace culture immediately drew me to Auth0,” said Singh. “I’m excited to join a global team filled with experts that continuously innovate and all share one common vision — secure access for all.”

“Identity is one of the most strategic investments an organization will make today, and as a company deeply passionate about our customers and dedicated to continuous improvement, Bhawna will play a critical role in helping us shape the future of identity and enabling our customers to accelerate innovation,” said Shiv Ramji, Chief Product Officer at Auth0. “With deeply experienced leadership in engineering and technology, Bhawna is an invaluable addition to Auth0, and we are honored she is joining us.”

To learn more about Singh and Auth0’s engineering team, visit [Auth0’s blog](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-welcomes-bhawna-singh-to-the-team).

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts:
Global Communications 
Auth0 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

Matter Communications for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com) 

### Investor Contact:
Investor Relations 
[investor@okta.com](mailto:investor@okta.com)

Bhawna Singh Joins Auth0 Leadership Team as Senior Vice President of Engineering

jameeka_aron

Jameeka has over 20 years of Information Technology and Cyber Security experience. She is a versatile leader, successfully leading teams as both a CISO and CIO across various industries including; Aerospace & Defense, Apparel, Retail, and Manufacturing at both Fortune 100 and privately held companies and many spaces in between. 
She is highly skilled in Business Engagement (International and U.S. based) Audit, Compliance, Vulnerability, Risk and Identity Management, Digital Transformation, Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, and leading Cross-Functional and Matrixed teams.

CISO

Jameeka Aaron

Go fast but not alone — our leaders are here to help secure your workforce and app privacy.

Accelerating digital road maps by seven to 10 years likely left you with some things to review from a security perspective. Please check out the [first post in this series](https://auth0.com/blog/accelerated-your-road-map-go-fix-workforce-and-app-security) for what you might need to review to securely support your remote or hybrid workforce, as well as a checklist for consumer-facing apps.

Security isn’t the only thing that can get overlooked when we go fast. As well as implementing technical protections — we also need to understand what and how the data and how impacts the humans that use technology. This is where privacy comes in. Privacy is having a critical global impact on software development because consumers, businesses, and governments are demanding that technology operates in a way that complies with legislation like GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulation), CPRA (California Public Records Act), APPI (Act on the Protection of Personal Information), and LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais). This is an opportunity to rethink exactly what and how much data is collected, how it’s used, and who gets to see it. It’s a turning point where individuals are no longer blithely accepting that massive amounts of data about them are being created, shared, and used.

At Auth0, I regularly collaborate with our vice president of privacy, Lucy McGrath, and she is a part of my organization. For this series, I asked Lucy for her perspective on data privacy mistakes companies can make when they move fast.

An integrated approach is essential for security and privacy. There’s a saying if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. This is changing — you can’t protect privacy alone. If you go alone, you won’t go anywhere. “Ultimately, data privacy is about trust,” says Lucy. “And it’s a collaborative effort. You can’t think about security or data governance, or privacy in isolation. You need to work across departments within your organization and also listen to your staff and your consumers/users. From a practical standpoint, you need to work with others even beyond your immediate business — data privacy regulations are changing rapidly —technical solutions are essential in order to scale privacy compliant technology. If you don’t collaborate, you’ll be left behind.”

Lucy’s insights on remote/hybrid workforces and consumer-facing apps can improve your workplace culture and improve your relationships with your customers — and keep you focused on your business rather than dealing with regulators and potentially incurring large fines.

## Put Your Focus on the Human

“Probably the most important thing to remember when thinking through data privacy is that you’re delivering a service that impacts humans,” says Lucy. “We can get dazzled by what technology can do, but the technology is really there to help the humans accomplish something. Centering on the human who needs to use or benefit from the technology helps you to focus. — and align with existing and emerging data privacy regulations.”

As always, this information is shared from the perspective of business impact and planning. For how data privacy regulations apply to your specific business situation, please reach out to your legal counsel.


> Auth0 recommends you always consult legal counsel for specific advice about compliance with legal requirements.

**The workforce mix: remote, hybrid, in office**

If your company relies on a globally dispersed workforce (or acquired one during the pandemic), you’re likely dealing with a mix of employees who welcome some office quietly, some still struggling with lockdown requirements, and others who may not expect to see vaccines become available until fall. “As you look at creating or reviewing policies, it’s especially important to remember that there’s a human on the other side of the Zoom screen”, says Lucy. “This is a good time for your HR team to check back in with staff. Circumstances and perspectives have changed for many people as a result of the pandemic. One size definitely will not fit all.”

Understanding that worker privacy rights vary globally, here are some areas to review:

### 1. How you measure productivity

For organizations used to seeing people in chairs, the shift to Zoom screens caused some anxiety. Interestingly, [75% of 12,000 workers surveyed by BCG](https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/valuable-productivity-gains-covid-19) in the United States, Germany, and India felt they were able to maintain or increase productivity on individual tasks during the pandemic. 

Some of that may have been accomplished by blurring the lines between home and work, says Lucy. 

Surveillance technologies like keyloggers, video monitoring, and attention tracking via biometrics have been rising in adoption even before the pandemic. We’re hearing this often says, Lucy: “I like my boss — a lot — but I would find it a bit creepy if she was tracking every word I write, tracking when I popped off to the loo and listening to my family conversations. And it would make it harder to do my job because I would feel unnecessarily surveilled. It’s really important to assess the correct way to protect data and maintain trust with your employees as humans. Especially with workers working from home in potentially cramped situations, you could be gathering data you don’t need and shouldn’t have.

“Workers generally know that emails are subject to company oversight nearly everywhere, but it’s essential to be transparent about monitoring activities across all applications and devices. Transparency also encourages trust and increases the likelihood that individuals will report issues/mistakes they encounter. Tell them about how long you retain the data, and why and be sure to check local rules about internal and external data sharing — they can vary by region and even by state in the United States. It’s important to only keep what you really need to perform a task,” says Lucy.

### 2. How do you encourage collaboration?

Nearly everyone became Zoom-literate in 2020. Many people were introduced to Slack or other collaboration tools, and some folks also mixed in personal texts. “As great as these technologies are — and I am speaking as someone who enjoys working with a globally distributed workforce — they’re not going to replicate the physical space. From a privacy perspective, some small changes can mean a lot to employees,” says Lucy.

“Some people enjoy having dogs and kids flow in and out of their workplace. Others prefer to keep things separated. Over the last several months, I’ve noticed some colleagues making different choices.”

Things like Zoom backgrounds can protect employee privacy, but only if they know how to use the tools. If you’re using a collaboration tool like Zoom or Slack, document expected uses, alternatives on offer (as applicable) and make sure employees know how to use tools like Zoom backgrounds. 

### 3. Onboarding can protect against data breaches

Normally, we bring our new employees to our Bellevue, Wash. offices for onboarding. This in-person connection brings all kinds of benefits, including protecting data. “Onboarding may seem like an odd place to bring up data privacy, but people are more likely to feel comfortable reporting potential problems or even breaches when they have formed a connection to their colleagues,” says Lucy.

Establishing connections may mean creating social events (likely on Zoom) or connecting employees for non-work meetings. We have an app that randomly pairs employees for casual chat sessions we call “donuts.” It’s a surprisingly effective way to establish connection and get to know about the day-to-day work life of far-flung colleagues.

### 4. Security and Privacy of Customers is Key

“We’ve had workers who used to be home by themselves all day, suddenly have teenaged children pass through meetings on the way to the fridge,” says Lucy. “It’s charming, but it also means that family members might see things they’re not meant to see. You need to recognize that not everyone has the luxury of a room with a door and a lock. Protecting customer security and privacy is key.”

To your security protocols, Lucy would also suggest adding:

* Headphones so you can control what can be overheard (and coaching that awareness with your teams)
* Privacy screens for monitors
* Printed material (and the printer) needs to be kept in a space that remains locked when not in use

## Data Privacy Checklist for Consumer-Facing Apps

COVID has brought populations that are used to trust in physical environments online, says Lucy. This is part of why in the UK we’re seeing [increase in delivery text phishing scams](https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/18/delivery-text-scams-the-nasty-new-wave-sweeping-the-uk) where additional funds are requested for delivery. Many of these ploys play on user trust and the expectation that information is being shared securely. We’ll get deeper into how consumers are demanding a secure and contextual private experience in the final post. As preparation, here is a data privacy checklist. Please follow up with your legal counsel on your specifics.

1. **Review what you’ve got and why you’ve got it and how you’re getting it.** It’s not uncommon for apps to gather more information than is necessary to do the job. You need to know what data you have and why you’re collecting it as well how it’s stored to comply with regulations — and to know how to safeguard your customers’ data. **This includes third-party vendors and your marketing teams.**
2. **Make sure your code only collects data you really need**. The days of data gluttony are coming to an end. Individuals are rightly fed up with the attitude of “just because you can collect as much data as possible, you do. Ask yourself: do you use all the data you collect? Don’t be afraid to reduce the amount of data you collect when you update your app or add new products. Look for opportunities to innovate by using privacy-enhancing technologies to mask or anonymize, or de-identify data. And safely delete the information you don’t use.
3. **Know where your customers are and check out the regulations.** While the EU’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) has become the benchmark for data privacy, not every regulation is GDPR. There are differences. Children also often have extra protections. Once you’ve identified where and who your customers are, work closely with your legal counsel to design the right approach.
4. **Securely delete info and keep a record.** Maybe you’re deleting information due to a verified request or because you have data you actually don’t need; either way, you need to keep a record.
5. **Make sure you have someone responsible for privacy who respects the humans interacting with your app.** This stuff is not simple. You need someone who looks after it.
6. **Look out for service departments or social media complaints.** Complaints can show you how the public perceives their data is being used — and identify areas that need your attention.
7. **Communicate clearly with your users.** Users often need to know how to unsubscribe and other rights as part of data privacy regulations.
8. **Do as you would be done by.** Think through how you’d like your data to be treated. That’s a good guideline. But also think about the specific customer base - what’s their perspective and might they require additional protections (e.g., if they are a vulnerable group).
9. **Consult your legal counsel.** Data privacy is a rapidly evolving field. Lawyers really are your friends! Please check in with your legal counsel regularly, and especially if you’re thinking of expanding into a new region.

## Learn More about Identity’s Role in Your Data Privacy Strategy

As Lucy says, you can have security without privacy, but you can’t have privacy without security if you’d like to learn more about how a robust identity solution can support your data privacy and security strategies, [please reach out to the team at Auth0](https://auth0.com/contact-us).

In the final post in the Acceleration Response Series, we’ll look at how creating a long-term plan for security and privacy can help you meet consumers’ demands.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Workforce and App Privacy Have Changed, So Should You

jenny-obrien

I'm a former business journalist who's fascinated by the intersection of tech and business strategy — in particular how the right solution can transform an idea into reality. I specialize in ROI, data privacy, and identity.

Business Content Manager

Jenny O'Brien

Find out how business leaders are using identity to accelerate their business strategy

In response to COVID-19, 75% of CEOs have accelerated digital transformation, a recent [Zscaler study](https://www.zscaler.com/resources/white-papers/securing-remote-work.pdf) found. 

While the study specifically focused on work from anywhere (WFA) solutions, the need for digital change isn't critical just for employee access. As nearly every customer experience is driven online, your customers' digital experience is the major way they experience your brand.

[Fortune](https://fortune.com/2020/06/26/coronavirus-accenture-ceo-digital-transformation/) noted that the crisis has quickly widened the performance gap between companies investing in digital innovations and those who weren't into a "chasm," saying "digital leaders were performing better through crisis." Companies need new technologies that allow them to activate new business models fully. In this environment, digital transformation initiatives may still be scoped over multiple years, but CIOs need to demonstrate value on a much faster timeframe. 

And the need for rapid digital adaptability is surfacing as an even stronger driver amongst Auth0 customers, especially for those seeking [B2B](https://auth0.com/b2b-enterprise-identity-management) and [Customer and Identity Access Management (CIAM)](https://auth0.com/b2c-customer-identity-management) solutions.

<include src="ebook-ads/DigitalTransformationBook" />

For many business leaders, the question is not just about how to add artificial intelligence and machine learning to new products, but how to keep their companies moving forward, given unpredictable global conditions. Others are wondering if it's too late to catch up &mdash; or even run ahead.

If you're willing to treat Identity Access Management (IAM) as a reusable service as part of your digital transformation strategy, it's not.

## Reusable Services Speed Digital Transformation Success

Many digital transformation projects are executed over the course of several years, while everyone works through "rigid" monolithic I.T. infrastructures and apps created for specific moments in time. Replacing legacy technology with "[componentized](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/state-app-assembly-2020)" digital technologies (think building blocks) that can be more easily reassembled and re-architected allows companies to adapt more rapidly to changing business needs.
 
Reusable services like online payments, communications capabilities, and identity management allow companies to speed their digital transformations and deliver scalable value to customers. Basically, these services give you the power to do what you need to do, when and how you need to do it.

As Pierre Alvear Foxler, Service Manager, IAM, for Northern Europe's leading farming cooperative, [Lantmännen](https://auth0.com/case-studies/lantmannen/), points out, shifting from on-premises to services-based solutions like Auth0 have financial benefits as well as usability benefits. "We went from an on-premise solution that was capable, but complex and costly, to one that saves us money on infrastructure, IAM delivery, and application management," he says.

Strongly designed services can also make it easier to manage the complexity of the fragmented healthcare system, says Chris Carruthers, Principal Technical Program Manager, [Providence](https://auth0.com/case-studies/providence/), a nonprofit healthcare organization based in the U.S. "The healthcare industry is a complex landscape. Many customers have legacy applications and require highly secure vendor systems that meet patient data privacy requirements. Auth0's adherence to top compliance frameworks makes them a valuable identity partner for us."

## Reduce Time to Implementation

The most effective business strategy in the world, expressed through well-planned business models, can easily stall (or die) due during change management. IAM can be a powerful tool for business leaders to speed implementation. Resolving IAM challenges with the help of a vendor focused on not only current, but potential business possibilities means that you can use the IAM discussion as a framework to drive consensus and momentum for their evolving digital transformation strategy.

### Lifen: Contact Tracing in 5 Days

AI-powered [Lifen](https://auth0.com/case-studies/lifen-cs/), a solution that facilitates the secure transfer of medical documents between patients, private practitioners, and hospitals, came to Auth0 early in the pandemic with the goal of replacing their existing identity infrastructure &mdash; and rapidly spinning up a contact tracing solution. We delivered in five days.

You read that right &mdash; five days.

"It was in record time," says Lifen CTO Dali Kilani. "We've put it in the hands of multiple healthcare institutions."

But speed wasn't Lifen's only goal. 

Especially in a global environment with an increasing number of [data breaches](https://auth0.com/blog/the-11-biggest-data-breaches-of-2020-so-far/), fast means nothing if your new solution isn't also more secure. Despite the rapid turnaround, Kilani is more than comfortable. "Auth0 maintains the highest level of security that is possible at this point. Every single doctor and patient that accesses our solution performs their authentication through Auth0. We've put Auth0 at the heart of our service."

### Gymshark: Headless Commerce + Credential Stuffing Protection

For Auth0 customer [Gymshark](https://auth0.com/case-studies/gymshark/), a conditioning brand dedicated to fitness apparel, digital adaptability means making major shifts away from siloed logins that were spoiling their user experience. "We're going down a headless commerce route, doing much of our ops and infrastructure through serverless technologies with cloud partners such as AWS. We're kind of rebuilding the whole back office of the company from the ground up," says Dan Lake, Gymshark Engineering Director.

The complexity of managing a digital transformation alongside a social media following of 10+ million and customers in over 170 countries could have made customer identity and access management (CIAM) changes extremely challenging. 

Instead, Auth0 saved time and effort.

"The ease of implementing Auth0 was brilliant. It saved us months of time, salaries, effort in finding the right engineers, obviously ongoing support, and also probably given us back a few years in our lives as well through stress," says Lake.

Lake also points out that Auth0 has added benefits. "Auth0 protects us against credential stuffing. You don't realize how valuable [credential stuffing](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-credential-stuffing/) features are until it happens. Those are the kind of features that we relish at the moment, things we see that our customers don't."

### Scale Quickly Across Multiple Applications 

Global technology powerhouse [Siemens AG](https://auth0.com/case-studies/siemens/) plays a pivotal role in everything from digital enterprise to energy to financial services and operates in nearly every country in the world. Performing on a global scale can get extremely expensive when apps are measured across multiple divisions. Creating a uniform login experience for customers and partners allows Siemens to sustain a focus that benefits their business. 

"It was of the utmost importance to have a secured, stable and reliable authentication platform, [so that] our clients and partners can focus on their business instead of focusing on how to log into hundreds of Siemens' applications available in the market," says Hugo Francisco, Service Owner of Siemens ID, Siemens.

## Make Sure Your UX Keeps Pace With Your Business Innovation

With 170 superstores across the U.K., Dunelm prides itself on style and affordability &mdash; and is transforming their digital experience to keep pace with their tangible one.

Moving to a modern, flexible cloud platform is a critical part of that business strategy.

"One of the key things we wanted to do was move over to a cloud platform, AWS, where we could scale up and down and build the best in class for our online customers," says Antony Sohal, Head of Data Platforms for Dunelm.

But instead of building that digital experience in-house, Dunelm created the customer experience using a componentized approach. "One of the key decisions was to focus on what we're good at and single out what we're not good at. We built a product service, a pricing service, we bought authentication, we even bought search as a service. We bought the infrastructure we needed," explains Sohal.

Buying identity-as-a-service means that the effort that would be spent on authentication can instead be spent on core functions and, with the right identity partner, used to customize the user experience. This means there's no need to sacrifice digital innovation for time-to-market. A flexible, extensible identity platform means you can get to market faster and ensure future adaptability.

Treating identity as a reusable service can help your new products get to market faster — and strengthen your ability to adapt once you're there. As Lake explains, "The largest shift and growth at Gymshark is we've become a tech company through our aim to unite the conditioning community. We're building the foundation for where we're headed, and it's just going to get bigger and bigger."

Carruthers says [Providence](https://www.providence.org/en) turned to Auth0 for help creating a seamless, consumer-facing digital experience for patients. "We're years ahead of where we would be if we were to build identity ourselves," says Carruthers.

If you'd like to learn more about how Auth0 could help your company continue to adapt and grow, please reach out to an [Auth0 resource](https://auth0.com/contact-us).

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

How Digital Transformation Enables Business Adaptability

U.S. Navy veteran and former security leader from Nike joins Auth0 C-Suite

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – March 1, 2021 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced that [Jameeka Green Aaron](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameeka/) has joined the company as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Aaron brings more than 20 years of industry experience and will be responsible for the holistic security and compliance of Auth0’s platform, products, and corporate environment. 

Aaron is a recognized industry thought leader and has dedicated two decades to managing and improving information security systems at each of her previous positions, including Nike, Hurley, Lockheed Martin, and the U.S. Navy. She is also committed to advancing women and people of color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and she participated in the U.S. State Department’s TechWomen program and the National Urban League of Young Professionals. She currently sits on the board of the California Women Veterans Leadership Council, is an advisor for U.C. Riverside Design Thinking Program, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

“Jameeka is an incredible addition to our executive team, not only for her deep experience and leadership but for her leadership outside of the security industry as well,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO, and co-founder of Auth0. “As a company with a mission of inclusivity and access to technology, we were taken by Jameeka’s stewardship to her causes and looked forward to driving lasting positive change together. Her unmatched security expertise and dedication is an inspiration and invaluable asset to Auth0.”

The web of complexity involved in managing a competitive digital business broadens each day. Auth0 continues to innovate and evolve its identity management platform to make security, privacy, and compliance easier for global enterprises. The company is solving complex and large-scale identity use cases for global companies, and Aaron will help Auth0 and its customers ensure that they meet the highest levels of security and compliance. 

“In addition to the amazing roster of customers that puts their trust in Auth0 and fuels its growth, I was very much struck by the humanity of everyone I met with—a level of empathy that has been a rarity throughout my career,” said Aaron. “Being a CISO is a very unique job and is one that largely centers around accountability. I am approaching this position at Auth0 with a mission to ensure the optimal security of our platform, as well as be a strong collaborator and partner to both customers and employees alike.”

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />
### Media Contacts
Auth0 Global Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Names Jameeka Green Aaron as Chief Information Security Officer

Industry veterans Sue Barsamian, Sameer Dholakia, and Simon Parmett join Board

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – Jan. 12, 2020** – The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced the addition of three industry leaders to its Board of Directors: Sue Barsamian, former Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Software; Sameer Dholakia, former CEO of SendGrid; and Simon Parmett, former CEO of MuleSoft. Barsamian, Dholakia, and Parmett each have deep technology and SaaS industry experience and will play a key role in guiding Auth0 on its next chapter of growth. 

* [**Sue Barsamian**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suebarsamian/) has more than three decades of marketing, sales, product, and business operations experience in both early-stage and Fortune 50 organizations, including HPE and Mercury Interactive. She also serves as a board member for Box, Gainsight, NortonLifeLock, Xactly Corp, and formerly Segment (acquired by Twilio in November 2020).

* [**Sameer Dholakia**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameerdholakia/) most recently served as the CEO of SendGrid was instrumental in SendGrid’s successful IPO in November 2017 and led the company through its $3 billion acquisition by Twilio in February 2019. He has more than two decades of experience in scaling high-growth companies, including VMLogix, Inc. (acquired by Citrix Systems), Citrix Systems, SendGrid, and Twilio. Dholakia also serves as a board member for PagerDuty.

* [**Simon Parmett**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-parmett/) is a seasoned leader with three decades of experience leading global companies, including Agile Software, Oracle, and MuleSoft. Most recently, Parmett was CEO and General Manager of MuleSoft and was previously President of Field Operations, where he designed and led MuleSoft’s growth to over a billion dollars in revenue. He was also instrumental in shaping MuleSoft’s successful IPO in 2017 and subsequent $6.7 billion acquisition by Salesforce in 2018.

“Sue, Simon, and Sameer offer broad expertise, and we are honored to welcome them to our Board,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO, and co-founder of Auth0. “Their experience in scaling high-growth technology companies will be very valuable to Auth0. We are thrilled they will be applying their experience and counsel to our work on growing and scaling the company.”

These new appointments add to the existing levels of tech industry leadership and experience in Auth0’s Board of Directors. Jennifer Ceran, former CFO of Smartsheet, joined the Board in May 2020.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />
### Media Contacts
Auth0 Global Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Adds Three Key SaaS Leaders to its Board of Directors

kerry-ok

Kerry is a marketer that loves to partner with the sales organization. As our SVP for Marketing, she is focused on sharing the Auth0 narrative across the globe. Before Auth0, Kerry spent many years working in B2B Tech at Skytap and F5 Networks. She spends her spare time with her family, dog, working in the yard, and enjoying fantasy football.

Chief Marketing Officer

Kerry Ok

The function of product management has changed greatly over the last decade. Product management is one of the fastest-growing roles and is moving to the center of business strategy (and not just for technology companies). 

As we enter a new year, we wondered:

* How will the product management function continue to adapt in 2021? 
* What will companies face as they look to hire product management talent? 
* What challenges will they face? 
* What will emerging technologies be impactful? 

We were fortunate to have Dave Wilner, Auth0 CRO, discuss (over Zoom, of course) these questions with five product management leaders from various sectors to get their predictions for 2021. Their answers gave us an inside look into the trends that will impact product management in the coming year.

## The Product Management Leaders

### David Flinton, Chief Innovation, Technology and Product Management Officer, [Xylem](https://www.xylem.com/)
In this role, David is responsible for leading the company's global technology and innovation activities as well as managing the entire life cycle of our offerings. His organization plays a critical role in ensuring Xylem develops advanced technologies and disruptive innovations that will create value for customers and commercialize them rapidly and effectively.

### Gene Farrell, CPO, [Smartsheet](https://www.smartsheet.com)
Gene Farrell is the Chief Product Officer at Smartsheet, responsible for driving product vision and technology strategy across the company's product management, product marketing, and experience design functions.

### Shiven Ramji, CPO, [Auth0](http://Auth0.com)
As Chief Product Officer, Shiven "Shiv" Ramji guides Auth0's product vision, innovation, design, and strategy, and brings more than 15 years of experience in B2B and B2C product management, engineering, operations, and business development.

### Thomas (Tido) Carriero, Chief Product Development Officer, [Twilio Segment](https://segment.com/)
Tido Carriero is the Chief Product Development Officer for Twilio Segment. He leads engineering, product, and design teams. Prior to his current role, he led the Product Engineering team at Dropbox and was an early member of the Facebook ads team before that.

### Ziad Ismail, Chief Product Officer, [Convoy](https://convoy.com/)
At Convoy, Ziad is responsible for data science, design, product management and program management. Before Convoy, Ziad was the Chief Product Officer of Marchex, Chief Executive Officer of CitiKey, and served in other leadership roles at Microsoft. 

## The 2021 Product Management Predictions 

**Dave Wilner**: _A recent blog post from [productboard](https://www.productboard.com/blog/golden-age-of-product-management-trends/) revealed that product management is one of the hottest and fastest-growing roles in business right now. In just two years, the number of product management roles in the US has grown by an astounding 32%, outpacing the increase in demand for overall roles by 5x. Do you think this trend will continue into 2021?_

**Tido Carriero**: Great question. So I think about the product role, maybe going back to the beginning of my career a little over a decade ago, and I just feel like the role has advanced, so, so, so much over the last decade or so. I think the appreciation of the craft itself, for instance, the expectations on both qualitative research, quantitative research, informed by numbers, just before you actually decide to start actually building something, the level of rigor to me just feels like it's gone through the roof.

I started my career in the late-stage startup days on Facebook. Honestly, we were "building stuff." We had an idea, slap it together in a hackathon, then spend another month or two getting it out. I was a product engineer at the time, but it just felt like that was the way the product was built a decade ago. Fast-forward to today, and it just wouldn't be acceptable for an engineering team to say, "Hey, we slapped together a hackathon with no qual or quant research, and we're going to ship this thing in two months." It just feels like the expectations have changed, which I think is great.

**David Flinton**: Yeah, and for a couple of reasons. One, we have a kind of renewed emphasis on the product management role. If you think about all of the companies that are offering a set of "products" in some form or fashion -- whether that's services, hardware, etc. -- then the ability to manage that really effectively is just as important for customers, meeting customer demands, and the business's success. And I don't see that changing. I think there's just an increased recognition across what those incentives are.

The second thing I would say is, if you think about the nature of a product management role, it's generally one of those roles that doesn't have a whole lot of folks reporting to them, in most organizations, but it requires them to move mountains when it comes to the product portfolio. That requires a lot of really strong leadership skills, influence, general management type of skills. And so, again, we look at this role as a potential feeder role for future general management roles. So, just in terms of succession planning, it becomes really important as well. I think there's a growing recognition of that.

**Ziad Ismail**: Yeah, I think that in general, there's obviously a lot of companies that are transforming themselves from traditional companies into technology companies. That, along with a couple of other factors, I think is going to drive substantial growth of the product management discipline. What I see happening is that in particular for senior principal-level talent, there will probably be more people that are going after that talent and focusing on it.

The reason is that, if you think about product management, it really is a discipline that is a 10X factor in the productivity of your organization. And it can be a 10X factor in a positive way or a 10X factor in a negative way. A typical product manager will work with maybe 10 people directly within a product engineering data science-type organization. If they do a great job, you immediately see tremendous leverage in how that team is operating and functioning. And if things aren't going well, then the whole thing, the whole enterprise is essentially struggling.

**Dave Wilner**: _How has the fact that product management is such an in-demand role impacted your organization?_

**Shiven Ramji**: Yeah, I think on our side, we've made a big investment in adding product managers to our team. So I remember when I joined, this is just going back over the last year, we had a relatively small product managing organization that has now increased at least 3X since I got here. So there's a sort of focus on investing in driving value for our customers. So that's the good stuff. 

I think the hard part is that there is still a need for this talent—it's very hard to hire product managers. And I think the other thing is, increasingly, the product managing role is getting fairly technical. So I think finding the right people continues to be a challenge for us. And I'd imagine similar companies like ours probably have the same or similar challenges.

**Ziad Ismail**: Every company is different. From Convoy's perspective, the things that make our experience in product management and technology hiring somewhat unique is that, first of all, we're a Seattle-based company. And so Seattle, if you think about it, it has two of the five largest technology companies in the world, with Amazon and Microsoft both headquartered here. But relative to the number of startups in Seattle, there really is a strange imbalance. If you think about the Bay Area having three of the five largest tech companies in the world, there are orders of magnitude more startups in the Bay Area than there are in Seattle.

I think that creates a very, very attractive opportunity to build startups in the Seattle area that I think exists nowhere else in the world. That certainly favors Convoy being one of the fastest-growing startups in Seattle, along with our peers, which generally are starting to thrive in this market.

**Dave Wilner**: _For many organizations, the real impact of product management was often misunderstood, and PM teams were not given the resources needed to carry out their best work. Today, they now own the product strategy and vision and play an active role in the future of organizations. Do you foresee any changes in 2021 around the strategic role that product management plays within a company?_

**Gene Farrell**: Yeah, absolutely. I think the way you articulated that was really spot-on. If you go back five, six, maybe even ten years, what has evolved into product manager roles was really program management. And program management, I think for a lot of companies, was more about keeping the trains running if you will, or coordinating and making sure that all the different functions involved in delivering a product or service to the market were working in harmony (or at least somewhat efficiently together). I think where product management has really broken out is this realization that it's not just about coordination; it's actually quarterbacking, right? It's actually leading and calling the plays and making the decisions, and applying business judgment. 

Before Smartsheet, I spent five years at AWS, and I think Amazon, in particular, was a bit of a pioneer in this space. We used to hire, and then they still hire, freshly minted MBAs out of some of the best schools in the world to come in as entry-level.

That was like the first product management role that you would take at Amazon. And they were really looking for the best and brightest, ambitious, strategic, innovative, driven folks that want to go build businesses. And they're competing with investment banks and all these other folks. So it's a very different profile. And I think that's why you've seen this evolution in the types of folks that pursue product management. And also, I think you're getting a lot more value out of the role when you have folks that are really thinking like owners and driving overall strategy for the business.

**Shiven Ramji**: Yeah, I think I still believe the product role can be different at a lot of companies and will probably continue to be that way. I think it's hard to say that there is just one type of product manager or product managing organization. Certainly, if you look at if you're building a software product versus a hardware product, there are different considerations.

But I do think the strategic value or importance of the product management organization is certainly appreciated more. So I think that product organizations are getting more attention and probably more funding. If you look at also just the recent trend of companies that have been successful again, using the stock market or financial performance as a metric, you see a lot of companies talk about cloud products leading growth and companies being successful because of that. And so I think there is more recognition now that product can be very impactful in an organization. And so supporting the growth and investing in an organization is being recognized for it. And I suspect it will continue next year.

**Dave Wilner**: _[SiriusDecisions' 2020 Pulse Survey](https://www.siriusdecisions.com/research-articles/t/thepulseresultsfromthesiriusdecisions2020brandandcommunicationssurvey) on Product Management Leadership Priorities cited "Improving the overall product innovation and life cycle management framework/process" as the number-one challenge facing PM organizations. What do you think is the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity for 2021?_

**David Flinton**: I think prioritization is our biggest challenge. As I mentioned, we've got a decent framework for managing our portfolio. The challenge comes in actually prioritizing the things that we should be working on and focusing on. I guess it's a really high-class problem. No shortage of really good things to work on, but with finite resources, management time, etc., you really have to get good at prioritizing. And we haven't cracked that one yet. It's something that we work on a lot.

It's gotten a little bit easier during the pandemic because it's really just completely crystallized what are our customers' most important pain points. And that has helped guide us to prioritizing everything in those funnels. So it's been a little bit easier because of the pandemic, but I think that's just a challenge that everybody wrestles with, and which we certainly wrestle with in our company.

**Gene Farrell**: Yeah, I think so, but it's a fairly nuanced answer. This product life cycle management, I think people would probably define that in very different ways. I framed the problem a little bit differently, particularly when you're bringing all of these really smart, talented people into product management roles, and they're all very ambitious. What I have found, both at Smartsheet and in prior roles, is that when you have great product leaders, you have no shortage of amazing ideas to go build. And the challenge is always where do you place your bets, and how do you actually innovate and build fast enough? Because it's much easier to come up with the idea than it is to actually go build it and then get it to market and then iterate based on the feedback and the signal you get from customers.

And so I think, in my experience, great product leaders live in this constant state of discontent because they have these big visions, and they spend a lot of time thinking two years out or, in some cases, three or four years out. And they're always anxious to see that vision come to fruition. And at the same time, I think many companies struggle from trying to do too much. So you have both impatience plus this inability to make hard trade-offs. I think those two things combined can make it really challenging. And so it's not surprising to me that product leaders would say, "We need to do a better job of life cycle management." I think what they're really saying is, "We need to figure out what's most important and most impactful to the business and execute better and faster while, at the same time, removing the distractions and stop putting resources and investment behind areas that are unlikely to pay dividends in the short term. Or just stop doing things that are no longer relevant."

**Dave Wilner**: _What are some emerging technologies that you think will impact product management in 2021?_

**Tido Carriero**: I feel like the keyword I've heard probably three times a week for the last two months at least is ML/AI (machine learning/artificial intelligence). I think, certainly, with Segment being a really large kind of hub of data, that feels like that is the technology that everyone's trying to emulate. Obviously, you have the famous Facebooks, Amazons, and Netflixes of the world, that have these incredible ranking and content recommendation systems. I do think every company in the world right now is looking to see how they can build that. To date, the Segment has spent more time getting data cleaned up and into an ML/AI-ready state. But one of the things we're most excited about with the Twilio acquisition is that Twilio has a bunch of ML/AI team. So by taking the clean data that is ML/AI-ready and helping produce offerings that I think will really solve and help mimic some of these capabilities that the Facebooks and Amazons, and Netflixes of the world have, we can democratize that kind of data for everyone.

I think there will be a lot of great products built in the next couple of years that really start to bring the promise of ML/AI. We've been talking about it for a very long time as an industry, but I think people are finally starting to get the data infrastructure set up. And then do all of that data collection and data cleaning work that will set us up for real success in ways that I think only a couple of companies to date have really, really leveraged.

**Dave Wilner**: _Is there any important product management trend for next year that we have not discussed today?_

**David Flinton**: Yeah, I think in general, more and more of our customers are concerned about the impact of their products on the environment. And some of that may be the nature of the industry that we work in. It's a little bit closer to home for us, working in the water industry, but I think that's a trend generally. And so product sustainability and product stewardship, I think, is something that is really important that we're starting to put some real emphasis on.

Not just understanding how many tons of CO2 my products emit or something over the course of the life cycle, but really looking at it from a more holistic kind of product life cycle approach to product sustainability. We should be leading the way in terms of take-back programs and things like that. But there's a lot of potential business model opportunities around that as well. It's not so much just a feel-good thing. There's a lot of potential business model opportunities around making the product sustainable. And I think we've got to take a more holistic approach to product sustainability, not just reporting the impact of our products, but really looking at it throughout the whole life cycle.

**Shiven Ramji**: I do think certain fundamentals of product management will get a lot of attention from an academic perspective, meaning product management will be taught more readily, and there will be some sort of certification that will come through. And I suspect even analyst firms will sort of jump on this trend of offering help, whether it's something that they've built or they utilized.

I do expect that both the teaching of and getting some certification around product management will become an emerging trend that is now being talked about. But I do see some leading organizations that are starting to invest in this idea that you can teach a lot more people to be product managers and hence accelerate their impact in all organizations.

To hear from the product management leaders directly, watch the video interviews. 

<include src="Vidyard" id="J8VSmEwTavfZKydUGmz3fp" />
<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Product Management Predictions for 2021

Former People Lead at Apple and Mercedes-Benz strengthens management team

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – Oct. 7, 2020 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced that Carolyn Moore has joined the company as Senior Vice President (SVP) of People. With more than three decades of experience in global human resources, Moore will be integral in furthering Auth0's commitment to its award-winning culture and being a world-class organization during its next phase of rapid growth.

As SVP of People, Moore will unify and implement a holistic strategy for global recruiting, human resources (HR) operations, HR business partnership, employee experience, culture, and internal communications, to guide Auth0 to its next evolution of global growth. Previously, Moore held senior people and HR-related leadership roles at Fortune 500 organizations, including Mercedes-Benz, Apple, and Samsung.

"Auth0's dynamic company culture, recognition as a global remote work pioneer, passion for its people, and dedicated leadership team immediately drew me in," said Moore. "The company's approach to its culture&mdash;the care, investment, and commitment&mdash;is unmatched in my experience. I look forward to building upon the organization's strong people-driven culture and taking Auth0 to new heights."

"As a company passionately dedicated to our talented people and culture, Carolyn will play a key role in supporting our people and processes as we continue to increase the size of our team and recruit from all corners of the globe," said Eugenio Pace, CEO and co-founder of Auth0. "With unmatched knowledge and expertise in talent acquisition and people leadership, Carolyn is an invaluable addition to Auth0 and we are thrilled she is joining us."

Underscoring Auth0's award-winning culture, the company was recently recognized as the #1 large company to work for in Seattle Business Magazine's '[100 Best Companies To Work For'](http://seattlebusinessmag.com/100-best-companies-work/100-best-companies-work-large) award. Auth0 was also listed as one of the top 10 best Seattle companies to work for in [Hired's 4th Annual Brand Health Report](https://hired.com/blog/highlights/2020-brand-health-report/), alongside Microsoft, REI, Starbucks, and Costco. Both awards recognized Auth0 for its highly differentiated culture, commitment to creating a workplace where people truly enjoy working, and generous employee benefits. 

After growing 70% in 2019, Auth0's rapid growth has continued through 2020. The company recently announced a [$120 million round of Series F funding](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-helping-navigate-through-times-of-transformation/) in July, bringing Auth0's valuation to $1.92 billion and total capital raised to more than $330 million. 

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts:
Global Communications 
Auth0 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Carolyn Moore Joins Auth0 Leadership Team as Senior Vice President of People

Host Vittorio Bertocci and identity thought leaders make identity specifications and trends more accessible

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sept. 17, 2020** – The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced the launch of ‘[Identity, Unlocked](https://identityunlocked.auth0.com/public/49/Identity%2C-Unlocked.--bed7fada/025d70b9?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=identity-unlocked)’, a new podcast featuring conversations with identity thought leaders. Hosted by Vittorio Bertocci, identity expert and principal architect at Auth0, the podcast explores the latest specifications and trends from a developer’s perspective, making identity more accessible to everyone.

[Season one](https://auth0.com/blog/identity-unlocked-a-podcast-for-developers/) of ‘Identity, Unlocked’ features interviews with industry standards experts and identity thought leaders, including:

* **[Now available](https://identityunlocked.auth0.com/public/49/Identity%2C-Unlocked.--bed7fada/4d4e8add?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=identity-unlocked):** OAuth2 Sender Constraint Support: DPOP and MTLS with Brian Campbell
* **September 28:** What's New with OAuth2.1 with Aaron Parecki
* **October 12:** The Importance of Identity Standards with Pamela Dingle
* **October 26:** A Lap Around the OAuth2 Security BCP with Daniel Fett
* **November 9:** WebAuthN and FIDO2 with John Bradley
* **November 23:** Breaking New Ground: The GNAP Working Group with Dick Hardt

“‘Identity, Unlocked’ bridges the gap between ultra-specialized specification talk and practical applications, making identity more accessible to everyone,” said Bertocci. “From a wide range of topics that go from the immediately consequential such as OAuth2 security BCP and OAuth2.1 to the future looking like GNAP, each episode features a fun and informative chat among identity friends, discussed in a format that never loses sight of the concrete development applications.” 

To learn more about ‘Identity, Unlocked’, visit [identityunlocked.com](http://identityunlocked.com/). To subscribe to the latest podcast updates and episodes, visit [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-unlocked/id1529010471) and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1Y6XBZcVK45QijvV0o7RVs). 

## About Vittorio Bertocci
[Vittorio Bertocci](https://auth0.com/blog/authors/vittorio-bertocci/) is Principal Architect at Auth0 and applies his vast knowledge of the identity industry to Auth0 in all aspects of the company, including internal and external education, product innovation, and customer integration. Prior to Auth0, Bertocci spent 17 years at Microsoft, where he worked on the Azure Active Directory team and focused largely on improving the developer experience. As a published author of four identity books and a highly-trafficked blog: cloudidentity.com, his forward-thinking commentary has enabled him to speak at conferences, such as Identiverse, BUILD, PDC, TechEd, Cloud Identity Summit, and many other industry events around the world.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts
Jeana Tahnk 
Auth0 Global Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 
 
Hannah Carroll 
Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Launches Identity, Unlocked: The Identity Podcast for Developers

Industry veteran Jennifer Ceran joins Board; Auth0 adds new VPs to bolster leadership

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – May 13, 2020 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced that [Jennifer Ceran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferceran/) has joined its Board of Directors. Ceran has more than three decades of technology and SaaS industry experience and will serve as an integral member as Auth0 continues its exciting growth. As CFO of Smartsheet, a modern SaaS work execution platform, Ceran leads the Finance, Procurement, IT, Facilities/Real Estate, and Operational Excellence efforts, and was instrumental in Smartsheet’s successful IPO in April 2018. She will also serve as the chair of Auth0’s Audit Committee. 

“We are honored to welcome Jenny to our board, and look forward to her counsel as a trusted advisor to our company,” said Eugenio Pace, Auth0 CEO, and co-founder. “Her experience at Smartsheet will be invaluable in adding to the incredible diversity of thought that is represented across our Board of Directors.” 

“The opportunity to serve on Auth0’s Board represents a highlight in my career and one that I am very excited to dive into. Auth0’s success and future potential are undeniable,” said Ceran. “I greatly respect Eugenio, the senior leadership team, and the rest of the board members, and look forward to working collaboratively to guide Auth0 on its next stage of growth.”

In addition, Auth0 announced the appointment of three prominent executives to its leadership team: 

* [**Holly Files**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyfiles/) joined as Senior Vice President of Customer Success to enable customers’ business goals through product utilization and business transformation, and extend Auth0’s mission of putting the customer first. She was previously GVP of Customer Success at New Relic. 
* [**Cassio Sampaio**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/csampaio/) joined as Vice President of Product and will drive Auth0's product roadmap to continue delivering innovation towards the needs of application builders. He was previously Director of Business Operations (Cloud Infrastructure) at Apple. 
* [**Ken Oestreich**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenoestreich/) joined as Vice President of Product Marketing and is responsible for corporate positioning, product introductions, and driving adoption of the Auth0 platform. He was previously VP of Product Marketing at WSO2. 

“To support Auth0’s rapid growth, we continually seek the brightest minds and experts within their respective domains to contribute deep knowledge to our organization,” added Pace. “Holly, Ken, and Cassio offer incredible expertise and immediately add value to Auth0 as a world-class organization.” 

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts
Jeana Tahnk 
Corporate Communications 
Auth0 
[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Hannah Carroll 
Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Board of Directors Welcomes Smartsheet CFO as New Member

kaycie-east

As PR Manager, Kaycie supports public relations and global communications efforts for Auth0 in the AMER region. When not promoting the Auth0 brand, Kaycie can be found hiking, traveling, or searching for the next best bite to eat.

PR Manager, AMER Region

Kaycie East

Forbes and Statista recognize Auth0 as a leader in the security industry, and for its reputation, employee satisfaction, and company growth

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – March 10, 2020 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced it was named to Forbes’ inaugural [‘America’s Best Startup Employers for 2020’ list](https://www.forbes.com/americas-best-startup-employers/#38e7a3696527), ranking 51st out of 500 companies listed. This prestigious award presented by Forbes, a global media company, and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider, recognized Auth0 as one of the best startup employers across various industries, and one of the top three security companies for 2020.

Forbes and Statista analyzed more than seven million data points gathered in Q4 2019 through comprehensive research and social listening to identify the top 500 startup employers in the U.S., based on employer reputation, employee satisfaction, and company growth. The numerous key performance indicators that comprised these three areas of measurement were then combined to analyze which best-performing startups made the list. While more than 10,000 companies were initially considered for the recognition, 2,500 companies qualified for in-depth analysis, and only 500 companies, including Auth0 – along with companies like Duolingo, Allbirds, Gitlab, Udemy, and Chime – were identified for their renowned dynamism and innovative drive.

“Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to identify the top employers in the startup arena,” said Doug Lopenzina, VP Content Licensing and Syndication of Forbes Media LLC. “Just 500 are being recognized. We are thrilled to spotlight these companies for their collective excellence as employers.”

“We are a company that is passionately dedicated to our culture. We want to be a place that people truly enjoy working in – a place where meaningful contributions happen. It is a great honor to be recognized as one of the best startup employers in the U.S. for 2020,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and co-founder of Auth0. “Our placement is a reflection of the trust and confidence our team and customers have instilled in us since day one. We will continue to innovate and invest in a work environment that centers around collaboration, communication, and culture.”

Earlier this year, Auth0 [announced](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-closes-most-impactful-year-yet/) another successful year of business, ending 2019 with a 70 percent increase in overall revenue and customer acquisition, and a 35 percent expansion of its workforce. Along with its consistent and impressive year-over-year growth since its inception in 2013, Auth0 continues to be recognized as a leading identity management and security provider and for its workplace culture in respected industry awards, including [Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/topics/north-america-technology-fast-500.html), [Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces 2019](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-recognized-as-one-of-inc-magazines-best-workplaces-2019/), [Forbes Cloud 100](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-is-named-to-the-forbes-2019-cloud-100/), [Built In Seattle’s list of ‘Best Places to Work in 2020'](https://www.builtinseattle.com/companies/best-places-to-work-seattle-2020), and the [G2 Winter 2020 Grid® Report](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-named-a-leader-in-the-g2-winter-2020/).

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts
Kaycie East 
Auth0 Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 
 
Hannah Carroll 
Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Named One of Forbes America's Best Startup Employers for 2020

Pace honored at Washington’s most acclaimed C-Suite executive leadership awards

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – January 30, 2020 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced its CEO and Co-founder, Eugenio Pace, was honored at Seattle Business magazine’s [Executive Excellence Awards](http://seattlebusinessmag.com/executive-profiles/winners-2020-executive-excellence-awards), one of the Pacific Northwest’s most prestigious business leadership events, for his exceptional leadership practices and successes in the business community. 

[Pace](http://seattlebusinessmag.com/executive-profiles/2020-executive-excellence-awards-eugenio-pace-co-founder-chief-executive-officer), one of 16 award recipients – along with some of the state’s most respected business leaders from corporations and nonprofits including Zillow Group Inc., Rosetta Stone Inc., Textio, and Washington Women’s Foundation – was honored for his principled leadership practices, and commitment to his team and business community. 

“I am truly humbled to receive this prestigious award and be recognized alongside such a distinguished lineup of professionals, who I look up to for their exemplary leadership,” said Pace. “This award is truly the accomplishment of my entire team – a team that pushes me to be a better leader day in and day out, and never stops pushing boundaries to innovate and deliver only the best to our valued team, customers, and communities.” 

The eighth annual awards ceremony held on January 23, 2020, received nearly 100 applicants this year, a record-breaking year for entries. After a lengthy review process, only 16 individuals were selected by a judging panel based on which leaders have shown outstanding leadership in guiding their companies to success.

“Regardless of industry, successful executives share several traits,” said Seattle Business magazine Editor in Chief Rob Smith. “According to ghSMART's 10-year study of 17,000 C-suite executives, called the CEO Genome Project – featured in Harvard Business Review – top-level leaders excel at four behaviors: the ability to make quick decisions with conviction; achieving buy-in from employees and stakeholders; the ability to adjust to a rapidly changing environment; and producing results.”

The 2020 Executive Excellence Awards are featured in the magazine’s February print issue and online: [http://seattlebusinessmag.com/executive-profiles/winners-2020-executive-excellence-awards](http://seattlebusinessmag.com/executive-profiles/winners-2020-executive-excellence-awards).

## About the Executive Excellence Awards 

The Executive Excellence Awards is considered to be one of the Pacific Northwest’s most prestigious business leadership events of the year. Over the years, this awards program has hosted C-suite executives from companies and organizations such as Starbucks, Amazon, Alaska Airlines, Expedia, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Symphony, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and many more.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts:
Kaycie East 
Auth0 Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com)
 
Alexandria Plew 
Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Eugenio Pace of Auth0 Honored for Executive Excellence by Seattle Business Magazine

Placement in five categories based on customer satisfaction and market presence scores

**BELLEVUE, Wash. – December 18, 2019 –** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced it has been identified as a Leader in five G2.com, Inc. (G2) Winter 2020 Grid® Report categories, based on its high levels of customer satisfaction and likeliness to recommend ratings from real users on [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/auth0/reviews), the world’s leading business solutions review website. 

Auth0 achieved the Leader ranking in five categories: [Single Sign On (SSO)](https://www.g2.com/categories/single-sign-on-sso), [Identity Access Management (IAM)](https://www.g2.com/categories/identity-and-access-management-iam), [Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-identity-and-access-management-ciam), [Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)](https://www.g2.com/categories/multi-factor-authentication-mfa), and [Privileged Access Management (PAM)](https://www.g2.com/categories/privileged-access-management-pam). Placement in the grid is based on a thorough review vetting process of reviews from verified users compared to similar products. 

“Global companies turn to Auth0 to find a better way to handle identity, and we are dedicated to providing them with the most extensible and powerful — yet simple to set up — solution possible,” said Martin Gontovnikas, VP of Marketing at Auth0. “We are thrilled about our customers’ feedback and G2’s recognition of Auth0 as a Leader in five categories across identity management.”

Since its inception in 2013, Auth0's [developer-first approach](https://auth0.com/blog/the-developer-first-identity-platform-auth0-story-and-future/) to identity management has differentiated itself in the market and attracted a global audience of developer loyalists and customers. With high-velocity growth and more than 9,000 customers worldwide, the company is answering the demand for identity management with a simple, extensible, and powerful solution.
 
“Rankings on G2 reports are based on data provided to us by real users,” said Michael Fauscette, Chief Research Officer at G2. “We are excited to share the achievements of the products ranked on our site because they represent the voice of the user and offer terrific insights to potential buyers around the world.” 

G2 will syndicate user reviews in the [Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace](https://news.g2.com/g2-to-display-authentic-user-reviews-in-aws-marketplace), a digital catalog with thousands of software listings from independent software vendors that makes it easy for customers to find, test, buy and deploy software that runs on AWS. Auth0 was [recently selected](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-joins-the-aws-partner-network-global-startup-program/) as a member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) Global Startup Program, a unique “white glove” support and go-to-market (GTM) Program for selected startup APN Partners so that they can build on their AWS expertise, better serve shared customers, and accelerate their growth.
 
Learn more about what real users have to say (or leave your review of Auth0) on G2’s [Auth0](https://www.g2.com/products/auth0/reviews) review page.
 
## About G2 
G2, the world’s leading business solution review platform, leverages more than 790,000 user reviews to drive better purchasing decisions. Business professionals, buyers, investors, and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software and services based on peer reviews and synthesized social data. Every month, more than three million people visit G2’s site to gain unique insights.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts

Kaycie East 
Auth0 Communications 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com)
 
Alexandria Plew 
Matter for Auth0 
[auth0@matternow.com](mailto:auth0@matternow.com)

Auth0 Named a Leader in the G2 Winter 2020 Grid® Report

Identity management leader ranked no. 5 in Washington state

**BELLEVUE, Wash., November 14, 2019 —** The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced it ranked #5 in Washington state and #73 nationally on [Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/topics/north-america-technology-fast-500.html). The list features the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech companies in North America. 

Auth0’s ranking is due to its growth rate of 1,813 percent from 2015 to 2018. Auth0 has achieved consistent and impressive year-over-year growth since its inception in 2013 and has continued throughout 2019 as well. Earlier this year, Auth0 announced a [Series E funding](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-closes-103m-in-funding-passes-1b-valuation/) round of $103M, remarkable business [growth in EMEA](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-expands-european-presence-with-customers-in-belenux-and-nordics/) and [Asia-Pacific](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-doubles-revenue-customers-in-apac-australia-new-zealand/), as well as key appointments to its leadership team. 

“Our placement is truly the accomplishment of our entire team from past to present, and the trust our customers have put in our identity management platform since the beginning,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO, and co-founder of Auth0. “We are honored to have earned our spot, and will continue to work tirelessly to innovate our technology offering and be a valued partner to our customers.” 

## About Deloitte’s 2019 Technology Fast 500™
Now in its 25th year, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2015 to 2018.
To be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company's operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $US50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least $US5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

## About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about learn more about our global network of member firms.

### MEDIA CONTACTS
Jeana Tahnk
Global Communications
Auth0
press@auth0.com

Alexandria Plew
Matter for Auth0
auth0@matternow.com

Auth0 Ranked on Deloitte’s 2019 Technology Fast 500™

auziros:mckenzie-mayer

Customer Identity (CIAM) Product Comms lead, driving collective storytelling across Okta and Auth0. Making technology accessible for everyone.

Customer Identity Product Comms Lead at Okta

McKenzie Mayer

Consecutive reports highlight the breadth of Auth0’s identity capabilities

**LONDON – Sept 3, 2019 –** [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced it has been selected as an Overall Leader in two KuppingerCole Analysts Leadership Compass reports – IDaaS Access Management and Identity API Platforms. The IDaaS research report evaluates vendors delivering cloud-based access management capabilities, and the new Identity API Platforms report focuses on using APIs to provide identity management in agile, DevOps, and more complex IT environments.

Digital transformation is driving the need for APIs to link different systems and services together to create a seamless experience. Identity API Platforms is a new segment established by KuppingerCole to evaluate vendors that are solving this need. By exposing key identity functionality via APIs, Identity API Platforms support the requirements of IAM, Federation, IDaaS, CIAM, and more with a focus on being developer-centric.

Auth0 is positioned as an Overall Leader in both Identity API Platforms and IDaaS Access Management. According to Martin Kuppinger, founder of KuppingerCole, “Auth0, with its rich set of APIs and SDKs, is an extremely developer-friendly IDaaS AM service that offers rapid deployment and is forward-leaning in its approach to create and support a flexible identity ecosystem.”

Kuppinger adds: “Organizations seeking a developer-friendly IDaaS platform with great extensibility, support for open standards, DevOps, and microservices should consider Auth0 on their shortlist.” KuppingerCole also named Auth0 an Overall Leader in the 2018 [Leadership Compass for Consumer Identity Access Management (CIAM)](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/leadership-compass-for-ciam).

“Today’s API-driven economy is a primary driver of Auth0’s ongoing growth and represents a significant portion of our business,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and co-founder of Auth0. “Our placement in these reports is further validation of our overall approach and our focus on the builders of applications. We are grateful to KuppingerCole for the recognition.”

Develop an action plan for thinking about identity from an API platform perspective vs. a point solution in a new whitepaper from KuppingerCole and Auth0: “[Do Identity Right – So Your Digital Business Strategy Succeeds.](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/identity-digital-business-strategy)”

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contacts

Mark Fowler 
Racepoint Global for Auth0, EMEA 
[auth0@racepointglobal.com](mailto:auth0@racepointglobal.com)

Auth0 Named Overall Leader in KuppingerCole Leadership Compass Reports for IDaaS and Identity API Platforms

df6c864847fba9687d962cb80b482764?size=200 avatar

df6c864847fba9687d962cb80b482764?size=200

Martin Gontovnikas, a.k.a Gonto, is a software engineer at heart who moved to the ‘dark side’ and became VP of Marketing at Auth0. He considers himself lucky to have found a way to combine his two passions and apply his engineering thinking model to marketing. Gonto’s analytical thinking is a huge driver of his data-driven approach to marketing strategy and experimental design. He is based in the Bay area, and in his spare time, can be found eating gourmet food at the best new restaurants, visiting every local brewery he can find, or traveling the globe in search of new experiences.

Former SVP of Marketing and Growth at Auth0

Martin Gontovnikas

Business leaders can use NIST guidelines to craft privacy policies that drive results.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sets the rules that govern the protection of digital identities for federal agencies in the United States — yet NIST policies can also be secret weapons for other organizations striving to stay on the front lines of digital security.

If you’re tasked with organizing and processing sensitive data for your team, you can’t afford to ignore the new [2019 NIST Privacy Framework draft](https://www.nist.gov/privacy-framework/working-drafts).

More than a policy to simply adhere to, the Privacy Framework, which builds on the widely adopted [NIST Cybersecurity Framework](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework), includes important takeaways that can help your organization meet its cybersecurity needs more efficiently and effectively (and free your technical talent up for projects that clearly drive ROI).

NIST emphasizes how important it is not to treat user privacy as an externality — a risk that’s isolated from your core operation, to be treated independently (e.g., after a [data breach](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-a-data-breach/)). Instead, NIST helps you build privacy into the design of your organization. This can significantly reduce the risk of data loss and data breaches — and can help teams scale with a more sustainable foundation.

Before you wade through the full text of the NIST Privacy Framework draft, this piece digs into its fundamentals, highlights important differences from the Cybersecurity Framework, and offers suggestions for using the Privacy Framework to shape a more stable and successful business.

## How To Approach the NIST Privacy Framework

To realize the value of the NIST Privacy Framework, it’s important to understand its current structure.

The NIST Privacy Framework has three major parts: the Core, the Profile, and the Implementation Tiers. 

* **Core:** A set of activities and outcomes that you use to communicate privacy priorities across your organization. You can use your Core to quickly communicate and plan your privacy risk strategy. 
* **Profile:** The privacy outcomes you want to achieve, which you can select from the Privacy Framework and tailor to your needs. You can design a current Profile that identifies your current state, and build toward a target Profile that identifies your goals. 
* **Implementation Tiers:** The kinds of approaches you can take to meet your goals. NIST provides a spectrum, from reactive responses to agile strategies. 

If you’re not a U.S. federal agency, NIST doesn’t require strict compliance. Instead, it serves as a comprehensive resource to support organizations in making more informed and valuable decisions about privacy. 

As with its [Cybersecurity Framework](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework), NIST writes flexibility into its privacy guidelines, encouraging readers to customize its principles to their specific business and industry. It’s up to each team to tailor NIST approaches to achieve their desired outcomes.

Below are five key takeaways from the 2019 NIST Privacy Framework draft that can support teams as they scale.

## 1. Distinguish between cybersecurity and privacy to create a more powerful platform

Although the Privacy Framework shares several goals and tools with the Cybersecurity Framework, NIST created it as a standalone document for good reason. In 2018, Ponemon found that internal issues of data privacy (including system glitches, human error or negligence) cost companies a [combined $259 per record to resolve](https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach?ce=ISM0484&ct=SWG&cmp=IBMSocial&cm=h&cr=Security&ccy=US&cm_mc_uid=85865526986315615699666&cm_mc_sid_50200000=99514441561569966657&cm_mc_sid_52640000=93472991561569966677) — in contrast with the cost of an outside cybersecurity incident at $157 per record.

Cybersecurity procedures go a long way toward protecting data from unauthorized activity, but privacy risks [are increasingly embedded in a system’s architecture](https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/nist-creating-privacy-risk-management-framework-a-8271). They arise from the regular, authorized data processing and analyses that teams undertake on an ongoing basis to achieve their mission and set and hit their KPIs.

![Venn diagram of Cybersecurity and Privacy Relationship](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/3Thsp6v4gS1TNvjAg6uZai/9f110ab9bf96ed4b459203a7e3edfc1f/privacy-risk-diagram)
[Source: [NIST](https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019/04/30/nist-privacy-framework-discussion-draft.pdf)]

For teams looking for the most powerful and precise ways to protect their data, distinguishing between the two — and giving weight to each — is essential. 

To this end, NIST suggests creating separate privacy policies that specifically address data processing. This can go a long way towards reducing errors on the part of authorized employees, negative consequences for customers, and adverse impacts on company health.

## 2. Build systems that enable you to control data (and harness it to your advantage)

Controlling sensitive data, such as user credentials or customers’ financial information, is imperative for any team today. Yet, as your team’s information grows in volume and becomes more complex, it can be a challenge to set clear policies on how to do this. Moreover, data control can create tension within a team. Since data is often spread throughout a company, data control often requires input from several departments, each of whom may be used to setting up and executing on their policies independently. 

To help streamline the process, NIST pushes for greater transparency about privacy practices — which many companies lack. According to NIST, it’s common to bolster privacy by way of *obscurity*. This includes scheduling data for automatic deletion or using cryptographic techniques that make it hard for the organization itself to access data. Obscurity might grant a degree of privacy, but it also limits your ability to keep your users informed and respond proactively.

A solution like [Auth0’s Dashboard](https://auth0.com/docs/dashboard) can help you open up this process. Team members can view (in real-time and historically) who is accessing and working with data sets. 

![Image showing Auth0 dashboard](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/5vutGoL0hYC6nLL811xPxx/f7cf833796ab0b313f3cec9030a9c9d4/auth0-dashboard)

In addition, it’s simple for Dashboard admins to manage privileges of user accounts and configure it for any given tenant. This clarity and ease-of-use reduces risk of data loss, ensuring only those who *should* have privileges to move or manipulate the information *do*.

While many sections in the Privacy Framework draft are lifted from NIST’s prior Cybersecurity Framework, its emphasis on keeping everyone on a team informed about data control and data privacy processes is new.

According to NIST, it’s critical to make this information available and digestible to its employees. Doing so helps builds accountability within an organization. In the event of a systems breach or data loss, for example, it becomes clear who was responsible for keeping the information secure. In addition, it helps expose vulnerabilities that a team can move swiftly to fix. 

## 3. Think on an industry level to create comprehensive privacy policies

When it comes to data, the amount of intermediaries between businesses and their users can be dizzying. A single organization might use multiple cloud services for storage, several [customer intelligence tools](https://auth0.com/blog/three-tools-to-improve-your-customer-intelligence/) to inform outreach, and numerous data analysis tools to shape user onboarding. 

Even a simple landing page might rely on traffic from Facebook ads, [user feedback from Hotjar](https://www.hotjar.com/blog/what-is-hotjar), email address collection from Mailchimp, and on-demand server elasticity from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

NIST drives home that agencies must consider these external relationships when developing their privacy policies — or risk data exposure on a regular basis. Moreover, NIST wants teams to think beyond what information they might share with their partners and conceptualize risk management in their industry more broadly.

For example, one business might be a service provider to other businesses, offer products to individual customers, and work with regulatory organizations. Privacy-focused teams have to think up and down the stack, considering privacy needs and requirements across a web of stakeholders, as NIST depicts in the figure below. 

![Diagram of ecosystem relationships from NIST](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/7eabfqCS4VS2tm47iTLCMe/50880373173382089ec1df61626ef4a8/ecosystem-relationships)
[Source: [NIST](https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019/04/30/nist-privacy-framework-discussion-draft.pdf)]

Business leaders can use NIST’s recommendations to determine the privacy requirements they want from partners and write contracts that codify and enforce them. To solidify these requirements, NIST recommends communicating about them with third parties regularly, showing partners how you’ll verify and validate them. 

## 4. Design response plans to reduce reputational damage

The scale and precision with which hackers now operate mean every organization needs to plan for a hack or breach — no matter their size or how comprehensive their current security systems. Even [startups](https://auth0.com/blog/data-breach-response-planning-for-startups/) just beginning to capture and store user data have to keep this front of mind.

In addition, a response plan must be deliberate and thorough. According to NIST, response plans should involve internal and external stakeholders, such as law enforcement and lawyers specializing in cybersecurity. NIST strongly suggests including notification systems that enable teams to move quickly to mitigate and contain privacy problems. 

This can be a daunting task for any security team — yet the faster and more accurately you can respond, the more impressive you will appear to your users. In 2018 Ponemon found the teams with clear incident response (IR) protocol were able to reduce the cost of a data breach by [$14 per compromised record](https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach?ce=ISM0484&ct=SWG&cmp=IBMSocial&cm=h&cr=Security&ccy=US&cm_mc_uid=85865526986315615699666&cm_mc_sid_50200000=99514441561569966657&cm_mc_sid_52640000=93472991561569966677) — resulting in an adjusted cost of $134/record v. $148/record. Multiplied by thousands or even millions of users, this cost savings quickly adds up. 

On the flip side, if you’re slow and opaque, you could quickly lose your customers’ trust — and be subject to additional fines. For example, the [California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB375) will institute fines of up to $7,500 for each privacy violation. In addition, the CCPA allows individuals to sue for any breach of their “non-encrypted or non-redacted personal information” — whether or not they incurred damages.

Privacy issues can be extremely complex, but your response doesn’t have to be. For example, implementing a tool like [Auth0’s breached password notification](https://auth0.com/breached-passwords) can afford you the insight you need to immediately detect threats — and ability to take action. If a user’s password is leaked or stolen as a result of a data breach, Auth0 will notify you immediately. Once you’re informed, you can also inform your users. This underscores your skills and reinforces how much you care about those you work with. 

## 5. Prioritize identity management to scale without fear

The NIST Privacy Framework places a special emphasis on identity management. If your business involves processing data, then the ability to authenticate and authorize access to the right individuals is fundamental.

According to NIST, organizations should be able to issue, manage, verify, revoke, and audit credentials as necessary. “Protect,” one of five functions in the NIST Privacy Framework’s Core, emphasizes the infrastructure that enables identity management, authentication, and [data security](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-data-security/). 

Implementing granular [user management](https://auth0.com/user-management), especially at scale, can be very complex. Even at the behest of NIST, it’s difficult for many organizations to allocate adequate resources to build an identity management system that serves their current needs — and is flexible enough to grow with them. 

As you bring on partners, develop mobile apps or APIs, grow your user bases, or enter regulated industries, you might find you have to keep rebuilding your system. For this reason, businesses that want to get up to speed on identity, and remain at speed, often choose to [buy rather than build](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/build-vs-buy-evaluating-identity-management) their identity infrastructure. Partnering with identity experts like Auth0, focused exclusively on these solutions 24/7, can give you peace of mind and more leeway to create and refine your core products. 

### Make Privacy a Core Concern

NIST Frameworks are best together. Both the Cybersecurity Framework and the Privacy Framework can inform your approach to security, privacy, and risk management. 

In particular, the NIST Privacy Framework enables businesses of all sizes to make privacy a priority. Rising public concern about privacy means that if businesses truly want to put customers first, they need to figure out how to put privacy front and center. NIST lays out a variety of tools you can use to build a path toward being a privacy leader. 

The current draft is [available online](https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019/04/30/nist-privacy-framework-discussion-draft.pdf), and if you have feedback, you can [contact NIST](https://www.nist.gov/privacy-framework/working-drafts). As it did with the Cybersecurity Framework, NIST is currently gathering feedback from privacy and security specialists and expects to release a final version by October 2019.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

5 Valuable Takeaways From The 2019 NIST Privacy Framework Draft

Industry leaders in Japan rely on Auth0 for their identity management needs

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- June 3, 2019 -- [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced the addition of two leading Japanese companies to its customer roster, signaling continued expansion in the region. Both [NTT DOCOMO](https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/) and [PERSOL CAREER](https://www.persol-group.co.jp/en/index.html) are using Auth0 for their identity management needs.

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with more than 78 million subscribers, is one of the world's foremost contributors to 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile network technologies. The company is preparing for the launch of a new service called "[docomo sky](https://www.docomosky.jp/)™", a drone service that offers monitoring for mega solar farms, manufacturing plant maintenance, construction management for large scale buildings, and more. Auth0 will support the service for securely authorizing users across its drone platform.

PERSOL CAREER, an affiliate of PERSOL HOLDINGS with $700M+ in revenue, 37K employees, and 75 affiliate companies, is one of the leading Human Resources (HR) service providers in Japan. It operates popular job posting sites in Japan for job-seekers of all levels. Given its breadth of services and affiliates under one brand, PERSOL CAREER is planning to use Auth0 to standardize login across all brands, starting initially with the launch of eight new web services, with the goal of expanding centralized login across its entire ecosystem.

Japan is on the forefront of digital innovation, and ranks fifth in the world on public cloud spending with a projected $7.4B in 2019, according to [IDC](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005137/en/Worldwide-Public-Cloud-Services-Spending-Forecast-Reach). The rapid and ubiquitous migration to cloud services, paired with the ever increasing need to securely manage identities and optimize the user experience, is serving as the catalyst for identity management adoption.

The growth of Auth0 in Japan is not only supported by industry demand, but also by strong leadership, with [Jun Fujita](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-new-country-manager-in-japan/) as Country Manager, and developer community expert [Hideki Ojima](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-welcomes-hideki-ojima-to-the-team/) as strategic advisor. Another exciting addition to the team is Yasuhiko Tokunaga as Marketing Director. Tokunaga comes from Stripe, and was instrumental in building the company's brand in Japan.

"It has been really exciting to see how companies are responding to Auth0 and the rate at which we are signing on new customers," said Fujita. "The addition of NTT DOCOMO and PERSOL CAREER represents significant momentum for us, and we look forward to working with them and other Japanese enterprises of this caliber."

Auth0 recently announced a $103M round of [Series E funding](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-closes-103m-in-funding-passes-1b-valuation/), bringing the company's total funding-to-date to more than $210M. The past two rounds included investment from [World Innovation Lab](https://wilab.com/) to support the company's growth and expansion in Japan.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Auth0 Propels Growth in Japan with Significant Enterprise Wins

kapehe-jorgenson

Kapehe is an R&D Content Engineer for Auth0 with a passion for learning and teaching. With her primary focus on ReactJS and JavaScript, she is impressed with what code can create for the web. Technology and web development are constantly evolving and naturally bring that need for continual learning. She enjoys writing tutorials, hosting local meetups, and learning with others to expand coding knowledge.

R&D Content Engineer

Kapehe Jorgenson

Platform Engineer Dorrin Poorkay on the challenge of scaling and the benefits of calm leadership

Platform Engineer [Dorrin Poorkay](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorrin-poorkay-94552b82/) came to [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) after working as an infrastructure engineer for a local startup facing rapid growth where she handled [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](https://aws.amazon.com/) infrastructure. She also maintained the cloud infrastructure (OpenStack) at the [University of Louisville](http://louisville.edu/), where she also earned her degree in computer science and engineering.

Sitting down with Dorrin was not your typical "let's meet in a conference room" because Auth0's a globally distributed company. We kept in touch via Slack, Google Docs, and Zoom. I learned more about her path to Auth0, what it’s really like to be a platform engineer, and her favorite programming language — all while being on the other side of the United States from each other.

![Photo of Dorrin Poorkay](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/chaGa7c9KKM8i2ZOja0i2/6a6360c8eee3f36061e8a1c6cccb186e/dorrin-poorkay-2)

**On the daily life of a platform engineer at Auth0:**

Platform engineers design and build the underlying infrastructure for applications to run on. Given that we’re responsible for the foundation of our entire product, a lot goes on in a typical day of platform engineers.

Some days I'm on-call and responding to incidents — those days are chaotic, but fun! Other days I work on building new infrastructure, automating our current one, and making improvements.

I always start my day with coffee and aim to be productive right from the start. Over the years, I’ve found I’m most productive after my first cup of coffee and again late at night. I try to structure my day by scheduling meetings during my "downtime" (when I’m least productive) and snoozing Slack and my phone to minimize distractions.

During my on-call week, things are a bit different as I have to be alert and respond to pages quickly, but I adjust by planning for the interruption beforehand and setting expectations. When I am on-call, each day is unique. The flow of my day depends on what happens. Sometimes you wake up at 3:00 a.m. to a page. Most of the time our incidents are short but if incidents are long (say a few hours) then your teammates will fill in for you to get some rest and sleep. It balances out nicely. While most of our incidents do not mean “widespread outage”, we proactively monitor all of our systems and can be paged preemptively before our customers can experience issues.

Whether on-call or not, a light lunch and an hour of exercise are also included in my daily routine. I also find time to learn about topics that I am passionate about. For example, these days I spend most of my time programming in [Go](https://golang.org/) which I enjoy immensely.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="On being a platform engineer at Auth0: Some days I'm on-call and responding to incidents - those days are chaotic, but fun! -Dorrin Poorkay"/>

**On moving up to the challenge of scaling and maintaining a service that can’t have any downtime:**

When I came to Auth0, I was really looking for a challenge.

I started my career with a few internships during college and a few weeks before finals I landed my first job at a local startup. It was extremely fast-paced and as chaotic as small startups can be. I thoroughly enjoyed it until it was time for me to move on to a more challenging job.

What attracted me to Auth0 was the engineering talent, specifically evident in the engineers I spoke to [during the Auth0 interview process](https://auth0.com/blog/how-we-hire-engineers/), the [Auth0 blog](https://auth0.com/blog/), and, of course, the [identity platform](https://auth0.com/docs/getting-started/overview) product, but the big attraction was the challenge of scaling and maintaining a service that can’t have any downtime.

Working at a startup at a much smaller scale had its own challenges but things like writing postmortems, doing root cause analysis, measuring SLAs of services were not part of my daily job. Auth0 has a unique challenge of "can't be down at all.". We serve billions of authentication requests and none of them can fail. Banks, airlines, news websites, or anyone using Auth0 expect a very high Service Level Agreement (SLA) because our service is critical to the success of theirs.

**On keeping up with rapid changes in the engineering field:**

Engineering changes quickly. I keep up by reading — lots and lots of reading. I try to read a few articles every day. The tech industry moves very quickly, you have to keep up. I also implement new technologies I’m curious about in my personal projects. Although when there is not a lot of time to do personal projects, reading is still the best substitute.

I get a lot of my exposure to the tech industry's ins and outs from [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/), [my twitter feed](https://twitter.com/fseekme) and different Slack workspaces. In terms of books, I've been reading [Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment](https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Programming-UNIX-Environment-3rd/dp/0321637739). It might seem like it's not necessarily knowledge in the world of cloud, containers and serverless but it's a great read that continues to be helpful in my day-to-day job.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="The tech industry moves very quickly, you have to keep up. -Dorrin Poorkay, Platform Engineer for Auth0"/>

**On her favorite project for Auth0 (so far):**

We had [another record growth year in 2018](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-record-year/) and are on track to continue that rapid growth. That means we’re always looking at ways to scale our systems to meet customer needs while we improve our products and services. Our product and engineering teams are also continuing to expand — we have to develop more tooling and services around our platform and infrastructure to keep up with our growth. My favorite projects (so far) aim to solve many of these challenges with code by blending programming and infrastructure knowledge.

**On what it’s like to work remotely from Louisville, KY and its great tech community:**

Most people think of fried chicken and bourbon when they hear Kentucky. While it is true that Kentucky has great chicken and bourbon, it also has great coffee shops, micro-breweries, and co-working spaces. Those places are usually where you see remote workers hacking away at their laptops.

I was born and raised in a big city, so it took a while to adjust to life in Louisville. I’d describe it as a big city with a small city feel. We have a close-knit tech community which has its own Slack workspace. We also have a lot of tech meetups around town. So if you’re working remote and looking to socialize with other software engineers, there’s plenty to do here!

->![Louisville, Kentucky](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/5X808xp71KOaN6J34cZ69b/f70ed2c326fbe15bb0532245e6c14adf/louisville-kentucky-2)<-

Check out two of our local [meetup](https://www.meetup.com/) groups:

* [Kubernetes and Cloud Native Computing Louisville](https://www.meetup.com/Kubernetes-and-Cloud-Native-Computing-Louisville/)
* [Louisville AWS User Group](https://www.meetup.com/Louisville-AWS-Users-Group/)

**On the importance of calm leadership:**

During my on-boarding, I joined an incident call (we collaborate via video chat on incidents to facilitate communication). My fellow colleagues were on the call, but I noticed our Chief Technology and Product Officer and co-founder, [Matias Woloski](https://auth0.com/blog/authors/matias-woloski/) was also on the call. Even though he was incident-commanding and aware of the urgency, he remained calm. To me, this shows how Auth0 leadership contributes to a culture of openness where engineers are not afraid to touch production, make mistakes, ask questions, and be confident in taking ownership.

**On her favorite Auth0 value:**

That would have to be: [We are obsessed with delivering customer value](https://auth0.com/blog/our-culture-and-values-at-auth0/).

Most of what we do is for customers. Even though as platform/infrastructure engineers we don’t write code directly for the product, we still put a lot of emphasis on how a tool we’re implementing, a change we’re making, or infrastructure improvements affect customers.

**On being a woman in tech:**

Growing up my mom highlighted the importance of a role model. Being a surgeon, my mom was already a strong woman in a male dominant field. Because of her, nothing felt unachievable to me. I was encouraged to take classes like math and physics in school; I was very good at it. My grandfather also highlighted the importance of "allies" to me. An ally is basically an advocate that [boosts and draws attention to an oppressed group’s own voices](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-male-ally_b_596d49d8e4b05561da5a5a05). He encouraged us, especially his daughters and granddaughters, to be career and science driven. I'd like to extend this analogy and say I find that having such role models and allies is beneficial to women in tech.

I have been privileged to work with great people over the years and my exposure to negativity has been small. Unfortunately, that's not the same experience for everyone. We need more allies, education, awareness, support, and empathy as we still fight discrimination and bias. This year, UI Engineer [Dasha Nikitina](https://www.linkedin.com/in/darianikitina/), R&D Content Engineer [Kapehe Jorgenson](https://auth0.com/blog/authors/kapehe-jorgenson/), and I will be attending [Women Who Code (WWC)](https://women.dev/) this Saturday, April 13th, in San Francisco. Come meet us at the Auth0 booth!

**On the advice Dorrin would give to someone interested in this field:**

First is to try to understand the reason behind your task. Why are you typing this command or writing code this way? This thinking gives you a deeper understanding of the tech you’re using. It also helps you with troubleshooting problems that might arise in the future, and for me personally, it brings a lot of joy to know the ins and outs of what I’m doing.

Second is to keep looking if you haven’t found the right place! There are so many companies with different cultures, tech stacks and standards that you can find a company that matches all your values.

**Join the Auth0 Team**

As you've learned, we are growing rapidly at Auth0. We have multiple engineering job openings available in our [career page](https://auth0.com/careers). You can learn more about our hiring and interview process through our [How We Hire Engineers](https://auth0.com/blog/how-we-hire-engineers/) post. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below!

---

Meet the Experts: Dorrin Poorkay

Two of Auth0’s most confident colleagues share how they overcame feeling like fakes to reach the leadership team

At some point, we've all felt it — that sweaty moment when you're certain everyone is going to figure out that we can't really do whatever it is we said we could do: we're impostors. But to rise to the level of impostor syndrome, that feeling has to happen more often than feeling confident. Ironically, the syndrome seems to strike some of the most capable and talented.

Here at Auth0, we've been talking about why impostor syndrome is so prevalent in the tech industry and how various people have worked through it. Discussions ended up revealing that some of our most seemingly confident colleagues have contended with impostor syndrome. We asked them to share their strategies.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="@auth0’s @mgonto and @CloudCISO_Joan share their strategies for overcoming impostor syndrome."/>

## Martin "Gonto" Gontovnikas, VP, Marketing & Growth and acting VP, Product, Auth0

![Martin "Gonto" Gontovnikas leading a hackathon activity during Auth0 company offsite](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/5miHC981Oy3hGgGVRsdz4M/6404d039c22af179f950433c63092e09/impostor-syndrome-auth0-gonto-in-action)

If you've seen [Gonto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgonto/) energetically taking a conference stage, then connecting with people in the halls after he's wowed the audience, you'd be stunned to learn that this guy still suffers from impostor syndrome. His brash, warm style suggests that he's always been great at thinking on his feet and conveying his enthusiasm to others.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BE0JxHC66Rc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

But the same ability that makes him a fast thinker in all situations worked against him when it came to feeling he'd earned his success (VP of Marketing by 27). "To me, impostor syndrome is feeling that you got to wherever you are by luck and external forces instead of by your own efforts," says Gonto. "What I really don't like about it is that you question your own thoughts: Do I have enough experience? Is it right? Is it correct?"

### Meditation as a Way to 'Discard' Unwanted Thoughts

Gonto says he's worked hard on his "obsessive" need for control in his personal and professional life, turning to a psychologist for help because he found himself unable to accept compliments even when his grades and athletic achievements visibly demonstrated his skill.

"I'm a very rational being, but I can still kill ideas with fear," says Gonto.

But that ability to cancel a good thing with a thought also made Gonto realize he could use that ability to his benefit.

To get a handle on his rapid-fire thinking, Gonto turned to meditation. "Meditation is a form of training that allows me to become conscious of my thoughts at a certain point in time and order my brain to do something. Let's say I get this random thought of insecurity. I can 'be there,' consider the thought as just insecurity and therefore discard it by focusing on my body. Maybe I wasn't aware of being insecure or didn't know why when I first felt it. Meditation helps me get the why if I want it, or if I prefer, it helps me discard anxious, insecure thoughts."

### Creating 'Vulnerability-Based Trust'

One of Gonto's more daunting recommendations is creating 'vulnerability-based trust' with your team members. As a late-stage startup, Auth0 requires a team that can make rapid decisions together and that means being able to trust your team when you speak bluntly &mdash; and when you need them to call you on your crap, says Gonto.

But encouraging people to test you with hard questions understandably sets off some insecurity bells for people. If you're one of those people, Gonto says that creating more trust can be the answer. That means sharing something that makes you feel vulnerable &mdash; maybe a concern or a hesitation about a work situation or something personal &mdash; sharing more will create the empathy that will create the trust. The goal is to get to where anyone can ask the questions needed &mdash; people have to be able to think out loud together.

Recently Auth0 revamped our landing pages, but Gonto disagreed with the direction supported by two other managers. He felt a bit insecure about sharing his point of view, but credits meditation and the environment of trust he's created with his colleagues in helping him set aside the insecurity so he could share his opinion. Because he took that risk, they were able to come to a mutually acceptable agreement.

### The Impostor Syndrome Edge

As uncomfortable as impostor syndrome can be, it might not always be a bad thing, says Gonto. "A lot of times this feeling of being an impostor happens just as you're taking on a new challenge or stretching into a new role. When I think about successful folks like Sheryl Sandberg, Natalie Portman, and Howard Schultz who have [said they have impostor syndrome](https://www.fastcompany.com/40447089/its-not-just-you-these-super-successful-people-suffer-from-imposter-syndrome), it makes me wonder if maybe there's something about it that can give you an extra edge."

Despite the discomfort of impostor syndrome, Gonto sees benefits in how he's become obsessed with how the mind works, which has helped him better understand other people, leading him to be a better manager. "Unconsciously I see life as chess with 1,000 possibilities. Sometimes overthinking helps," he says, "and sometimes it doesn't."

### How Staying With the Feeling Makes It Go Away

Ultimately, Gonto relies on the power of the mind to convince him of both the negative and the positive. "We do things because of our beliefs. I convinced myself (and therefore installed a new belief in my brain) that I will only grow and learn new things when something makes me feel scared and uncomfortable."

After having a bad moment following mistakenly saying something he knew he shouldn't have, Gonto says he kept the bad moment going by arguing in his head. He wasn't able to release the feeling until he allowed himself to fully feel it and accept it. "Things happen. We can't change them. Staying with the feeling that the event created and knowing that the feeling will go away and isn't forever is what makes it go away faster. If we fight against our feelings, we make them 'stay' for longer"

### Making Time for Reflection

Even for an obsessive thinker, dealing with the constant flow of thoughts can be too much. "I think you need to find time to reflect. You need to find time in your week to think and write. What I do is survey the people around me: How do you think? What do you do for thinking? This gives me new ideas on how to approach life and work" Finding time to reflect on the information gathered allowed Gonto to change beliefs he's been holding onto since he was a kid:

- All ideas need to be mine; I have all the answers. As we grow the organization, Gonto says, ideas can come from anybody on the team and we should foster autonomy. As a manager, I can just guide the discussion instead of assuming ownership of all the ideas.

- The objective of life is not to suffer. That's a lie, says Gonto. "If you don't suffer, you don't feel the good things either. You need to learn no emotion is forever."

"People are afraid of talking about impostor syndrome, their psychologist, or meditation because they think it's not ok to look for help (inward or outside). You always have to be yourself. Don't be afraid of who you are &mdash; it just gives you more insecurities. We are best when we are ourselves. It's all about being genuine and accepting ourselves, our thoughts, and our emotions as they are"

## Joan D. Pepin, CISO/VP of Operations, Auth0

![Auth0 CISO Joan D. Pepin overcame impostor syndrome and now helps women develop leadership skills](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/2AcuG3v6Emxuy3i4PpE1zf/5997e6c78a40ab1681f38f5dd7767e7a/joan-talking-0)

[Joan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanpepin/) manages to command a conversation and inspire empathy and loyalty in the same breath. She speaks directly and clearly on complex topics without skimping on intellectual or emotional reactions and regularly inspires with her belief that [leadership is a skill that can be learned](https://auth0.com/blog/five-things-to-be-a-better-leader/). Joan says she's contended with impostor syndrome, but has since cured herself. She shared her method in an interview with Auth0 Community & Technical Content Manager [Kim Maida](https://twitter.com/KimMaida) and during a recent _On Wednesdays We Wear Leadership (OWWL)_ meeting.

_OWWL is an Auth0 group dedicated to developing leadership skills that meets monthly and shares insights via an internal Slack channel._

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lAraWX64ZJw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Defining the Problem  

Known for her [systematic method of problem solving](https://cdn.auth0.com/blog/videos/joan-theory-of-problem-solving.mp4), it's no surprise that Joan applied a similar approach after recognizing her primary symptom &mdash; not feeling "expert" enough to handle the challenge she'd taken on.

As a first step of defining the problem of why she was feeling this way, Joan started thinking about what made someone an expert and she reached an intriguing conclusion: "Impostor syndrome is interesting because there's this belief people have that out there in the world &mdash; "expertise exists &mdash; and I don't believe that's true. Who is the actual authority on X, Y, Z? There are increasingly informed opinions. Someone with a PhD in biology offers an informed opinion, but that doesn't mean they know everything."

While working on this line of thought, Joan realized that there are relatively few bodies of experts with the authority to hand down edicts. In fact, she came up with only one &mdash; the [Académie française](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acad%C3%A9mie_fran%C3%A7aise), a council imbued with the power to decide whether or not a word may officially enter the French language by the government of France.

The idea that there are only a few experts and everyone else is working with "varying degrees of opinion and experience" fascinated Joan. "This hit me: I don't fully know, but I have the ability to keep figuring it out. And if I don't know what I'm doing, I don't think anybody does."

{% include tweet_quote.html quote_text="“This hit me: I don’t fully know, but I have the ability to keep figuring it out. And if I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t think anybody does.” @auth0’s @CloudCISO_Joan on her impostor syndrome breakthrough."%}

### Analyzing Your Particular Situation

As a next step in addressing something that makes you feel like an impostor (such as a talk, presentation, or job opportunity), Joan recommends a [gap analysis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_analysis), where you objectively compare your skills to the perceived "experts."

Impostor Syndrome Gap Analysis &mdash; Ask yourself:

- What did they do that was specific to this that I don't have?

- What makes them more special than me?

- What do I have that is different/more powerful in this situation?

"Nobody really knows what they're doing," says Joan. "The world is a complex place filled with interdependencies. No one can absolutely predict the future. When looking up the chain (e.g., to your boss, their boss, their boss's boss), do any of them actually know what they're doing any more than you do? People figure it out as they go along."

### Breaking Down Impostor Syndrome

The thing about impostor syndrome is that it will break down under intellectual pressure, says Joan.

1. First, ground yourself. Understand that we're all just doing our best and none of us really know what we're doing. Then, think: "Well, I made it here, so I must at least know how to be here and be me, and do what it is I'm already doing."

2. Next, ask yourself some important questions: "Do I even want to know what I'm doing?" Knowing the ins and outs of all you do actually sounds pretty boring. Instead of making you feel afraid, let opportunities excite you. Practice asking yourself these questions until you start to feel that glimmer of interest.

3. Learn how to be okay with being wrong. Since no one is an expert, everyone is going to be wrong from time to time. But if you're building on what you do know and continually using your skill to gain additional knowledge, you can identify as a learner. "When you identify as a learner, being wrong doesn't come as blow," says Joan.

4. Let learning empower you. Recognizing and acknowledging that you don't know everything and have opportunities to learn and grow is actually very empowering. It gives you the opportunity to objectively analyze your experience and set new goals.

 - Ask:

 - Have I done something similar before?

 - Have I been faced with other difficult situations and overcome them in the past?

 - Self-talk:

 - I've solved problems in the past; I can solve this one, too.

5. Practice. Like anything else you've learned, overcoming impostor syndrome is a skill you're going to need to strengthen with practice. Taking the leap to do something you've never done before is tremendously powerful. The more you do it, the more you'll feel comfortable with doing it.

## Supporting Friends/Family with Impostor Syndrome

Even if you've felt like an impostor yourself, the temptation to tell someone else who looks more confident and more capable that they're "awesome" when they're feeling insecure can be strong &mdash; except it doesn't honor their lived experience. Instead, you can provide more help by supporting their skills. Letting them know that you have confidence that they'll figure it out can help. During the conversation, you might try the following:

- Acknowledge they have the skill to learn new things.

- Give them an example: X person (they admire) didn't know either, and they figured it out; I'm confident that you can, too.

- Encourage them to ground themselves in something they do (or have done) and feel good about. Help them bridge the gap between that experience and the new opportunity: "I know this is a little different, but haven't you done something similar before?"

{% include tweet_quote.html quote_text="Impostor syndrome isn’t a leadership barrier. @auth0’s @mgonto and @CloudCISO_Joan share strategies to increase comfort as you broad"%}

## Impostor Syndrome Resources

*Breaking Down the Types*: Talking about impostor syndrome can be challenging. [This Fast Company post breaks it down into 5 types](https://www.fastcompany.com/40421352/the-five-types-of-impostor-syndrome-and-how-to-beat-them) that can make it easier to identify your personal impostor challenge and come up with strategies that might work best for you.

*Alternative Strategies*: Maybe you tried some of the things in this article and they just didn't work for you. Does that mean you're stuck feeling like a fake? No. There are definitely more approaches to try. Our Human Resources Director, [Maris Krieger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariskrieger/), suggests you explore these [21 strategies](https://startupbros.com/21-ways-overcome-impostor-syndrome/).

_Kim Maida, Auth0 Community and Technical Manager - Content, contributed to this story._

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Honest Conversation About Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Auth0 “leads the pack” in Product, Market, and Innovation categories

**BELLEVUE, Wash., – December 20, 2018 –** [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced that it has been selected as an Overall Leader in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Consumer Identity Access Management [(CIAM)](https://auth0.com/b2c-customer-identity-management). This research report takes a thorough look at the overall CIAM industry, leading vendors, and the importance they play in managing millions of identities, and processing potentially billions of logins and other transactions per day. To download the full report, please click [here](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/leadership-compass-for-ciam).

The Leadership Compass provides an overview of the industry and evaluates vendors based on the use cases, experiences, business rules, and technical capabilities required by B2C companies today, and their anticipated needs in the future. The criteria also involved evaluating overall functionality, security, partner ecosystem, licensing models, as well as specific features such as authentication options, APIs, IoT integration, and Single Sign On (SSO).

Auth0 is positioned as an Overall Leader in the industry, and is also featured in the Leadership category for the Product, Innovation/Technology, and Market categories. According to John Tolbert, lead analyst and author of the report, “Auth0 offers a full set of CIAM capabilities that can be integrated with customers’ existing IT infrastructure, including legacy applications. Auth0 has a high DIY value.”

Tolbert adds, “They identified a previously untapped segment in CIAM: developers. Auth0’s successful business model challenges traditional IAM and CIAM delivery models. Auth0 is a strong contender in the CIAM space, especially for organizations that need quick-to-deploy CIAM solutions. Those that have programming expertise alongside major consumer-facing applications should strongly consider Auth0 when doing RFPs.”

“Recognition of our unique value proposition for consumer enterprises from an analyst firm as well-regarded as KuppingerCole is incredibly gratifying,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder of Auth0. “We are thrilled with our placement in this report, and look forward to continuing to provide B2C customers with the product innovation and technology partnership they expect from a market leader.” 

The company’s developer-centric Universal Identity Platform and its extensibility options are why major [consumer enterprises](https://auth0.com/customers) rely on Auth0 for their identity needs. For more information about Auth0’s B2C offering, please visit: [https://auth0.com/b2c-customer-identity-management](https://auth0.com/b2c-customer-identity-management).

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

## **Media Contacts:**
Jeana Tahnk 
Corporate Communications 
Auth0 
[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Kasia Hall 
Matter for Auth0 
[khall@matternow.com](mailto:khall@matternow.com) 
971-246-7898

Auth0 Named Market and Technology Leader in KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Consumer Identity Access Management

3 lessons business leader can learn from the T-Mobile data breach to protect their teams and customers.

On August 20, T-Mobile discovered that a hacker had gained personal information from unauthorized access to its system. Over 2 million of its 77 million customers were exposed.

Although T-Mobile quickly reported the incident to authorities, it's apparent that the cybercriminal is [aiming to sell the data](https://www.databreachtoday.com/t-mobile-database-breach-exposes-2-million-customers-data-a-11420), including names, ZIP codes, phone numbers, email addresses, and payment information.

While it's still too early to determine the financial consequences T-Mobile will face from the incident, a recent [study](https://blog.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/risky-business-the-impact-of-data-breaches/) from UNC found that data breaches can cost companies as much as 3% of their market value. Dashlane estimates the average dollar cost at [$7.35 million](https://blog.dashlane.com/data-breach-statistics-2018-forecast-everything-you-need-to-know/) in the U.S., 60% of which is customer (revenue) loss.

 What can business leaders learn from this incident to protect their teams and their customers going forward?

## Lesson 1: Hackers Go for Weak Points, So Protect Yours

Understanding how hackers get in is the first step. There are [four common ways](https://auth0.com/blog/four-cybersecurity-attacks-you-need-to-know/) that hackers access systems:

1. Malware infiltration (placement of malicious software, including ransomware and spyware)
2. Phishing (emails that trick recipients into giving away sensitive data or downloading a file that installs spyware)
3. USB traps (a hardware device that contains a HID spoof)
4. Mobile attacks (attacks specifically designed for mobile software)

In all cases, hackers look for the simplest vulnerability they can possibly use to compromise your system. That means they're not necessarily going to try to waltz in the front door. In the T-Mobile data breach, the thief was able to access the system through a hole in an API.

It's critical to plug your leaks. Since APIs run on web servers, they are available to all internet users. Like websites, hackers can crawl APIs.

### Authorize Your Users

To be sure you know who is working within your system at any one time, implement a strong user management system. You can build one in-house or outsource it. Many choose to outsource their identity management since the field is increasingly complex and time-intensive — a challenge for in-house teams to manage with the rest of their workload.

Auth0's [user management](https://auth0.com/user-management) dashboard, for example, lets administrators grant permissions for certain users to access sensitive customer information.

![Auth0's user management dashboard](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/QocoCmdAqGCxzA9wCSqsp/c0f08f478e78129808dea8aa38477077/authorization-permissions)

With this powerful web interface, they can add or remove users, modify their profiles, and identify any root-cause login issues.

With APIs, it's also important to remember to authenticate your apps in addition to authorizing users. You can use a [standardized protocol](https://auth0.com/docs/api-auth) for both authentication and authorization.

## Lesson 2: Update Your Password Practices

A 2017 Verizon report found that [81%](https://blog.dashlane.com/data-breach-statistics-2018-forecast-everything-you-need-to-know/) of hacking-related breaches were due to stolen and/or weak passwords. While for years teams relied on the MD5 (message-digest) algorithm to hash passwords (create mathematical representations of plain text), today it's not considered the safest method.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="A 2017 Verizon report found that 81% of hacking-related breaches were due to stolen and/or weak passwords."/>

Although originally MD5 hashes were designed to prevent anyone from working backwards from the hash to determine the real password, it's now possible to rapidly generate MD5 hashes to eventually find a matching password.

[Evidence](https://www.databreachtoday.com/t-mobile-database-breach-exposes-2-million-customers-data-a-11420) points to T-Mobile password hashes being MD5, which suggests the company may have been using outdated password practices.

To prevent the risk of password hacking, many providers are using bcrypt instead — a more resistant algorithm. bcrypt uses a salt, an additional layer safeguard for passwords in storage. Over time, users can increase bcrypt's iteration count to slow the process. This makes it more resistant to brute-force search attacks.

### Implement Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication or 2FA is an alternative verification method. In addition to requiring users to type in a password, 2FA can also request a TOTP (a time-based one-time password algorithm) that it sends to the user's cell phone or other hardware device.

2FA can also require the second form of identification to be a biometric, such as a thumbprint or Face ID.

![iOS 11 iPhone X Face ID](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/i6mkIBMKzZboV96MAaR8I/a18fc7a031c9f5660c611d89a7e52de0/ios11-iphone-x-face-id-hero)

[[Source](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208109)]

While none of these solutions are foolproof, a second method of authentication has been found to prevent breaches in [80%](https://www.slideshare.net/cheapsslsecurity/vip-strong-authentication-no-passwords-infographic-by-symantec)of the cases.

## Lesson 3: Improve Communication with Customers After a Data Breach

Although T-Mobile did attempt to notify customers whose accounts might have been compromised a few days after they discovered the incident, many of these recipients were put off — thinking the text message itself was a form of phishing.

![T-Mobile Data Breach Tweet](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/1mspiKVeO2GUD8nXvUZw8z/7ba4d36cdc43e5edbcdbcf60907236b0/tmobile-tweet)

[[Source](https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/24/t-mobile-says-hackers-stole-customer-data-in-data-breach/)]

Texting can be a tricky form of communication for something so sensitive (particularly from a large, impersonal corporation). Organizations like [Reddit](https://auth0.com/blog/what-companies-can-learn-from-the-reddit-data-breach/) and Equifax have succeeded with well-crafted PR campaigns and explanations on their websites:

![Reddit data breach press release](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/KD5ZLDwuM8UeOKhP3UW2K/bcb28aeb0eda8d90b2a6daee7e69f580/reddit-breach-release)

As a portion of the full announcement (which you can read [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/93qnm5/we_had_a_security_incident_heres_what_you_need_to/?st=jkk18vb3&sh=ad92bacb)), Reddit clearly defines the scope of the breach, including details of what information the hacker accessed and how to know which users were affected.

Reddit also lets users know ahead of time that they will be contacting them through email to verify if their account has been compromised.

This is in stark contrast to T-Mobile's [vague description](https://go.skimresources.com/?xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-mobile.com%2Fcustomers%2F6305378821&xguid=85UTUFk2RzAa&id=66960X1514734&checksum=fc5d6ea7126bb8e6a7af56a7049975e787946c4e625ac9ceef083a8513bb04da) that their team shut down “an unauthorized access to certain information.”

![T-Mobile data breach press release](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/3di8OI1TiR8WKlOTKzEIX3/560aff9c400227387f70fbc291cfad36/tmobile-breach-release)

Being as specific and transparent as possible (as quickly as possible) will help your customers trust that you are handling the situation and keeping them safe.

## Recent Data Breaches by the Numbers

It seems like every week there is a new catastrophe for personal data in the headlines. [Reddit](https://auth0.com/blog/what-companies-can-learn-from-the-reddit-data-breach/), Saks, Ticketfly, Panera, Lord & Taylor — these are just a handful of the major incidents so far in 2018.

The first half of 2018 saw nearly 700 breaches, on pace to equal 2017's staggering 1,579 breaches.

![T-Mobile Data breach chart](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/2zNkiAn1hkY4MHzNlS1usB/28808e7918247c784def7780f80ae734/data-breach-chart)

The total number of exposed records from these incidents in the past five years tops 580 million.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="The first half of 2018 saw nearly 700 data breaches, on pace to equal 2017's staggering 1,579 breaches."/>

In addition to data breaches, data exposures — when data is improperly defended and open for access on the internet — are on the rise. Instead of a malevolent hacker getting through a protected system, a data exposure occurs if a database isn't correctly configured or doesn't require appropriate authentication. In 2018, Exactis, for example, exposed [340 million records](https://www.wired.com/story/exactis-database-leak-340-million-records/), putting 2 terabytes of personal information at risk.

You don't have to be as large as T-Mobile to take powerful steps to secure your company. [Small businesses](https://www.godaddy.com/garage/online-security-advice-small-business/), for example, can still implement multi-factor authentication and improve their password practices. Taking steps to secure your customer data — whatever your size — will help you avoid becoming an easy target for hackers.

## Bolster Your Security in Order to Scale

Data breaches and exposures can quickly erode customer and investor trust — particularly at critical times in a business's lifecycle. For example, T-Mobile is currently in [a $26 billion merger agreement](https://www.zdnet.com/article/t-mobile-and-sprint-to-merge-finally-strutting-5g-clout/) with Sprint. The deal, which has already been subject to regulatory scrutiny, could face even more hurdles if parties see T-Mobile's lack of updated security practices as a liability.

On the flip side, if you strengthen your defenses and clearly communicate your progress, you have a better chance of emerging from any issues with your reputation intact.

Make sure you are on top of the latest security practices and protocol to avoid worst-case scenarios that could obstruct progress.

3 Critical Lessons from the T-Mobile Data Breach

Auth0 CISO Joan Pepin to speak Women Who Code Portland’s Networking Night + leadership advice video.

Want to know what it takes to be a successful woman in infosec?

Join us at [Women Who Code Portland’s Networking Night](https://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Portland/events/253324140/) on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 5 - 8:30 p.m. to hear what this group of notable women have to say about how they got into InfoSec, what their roles are like, and advice for someone breaking into the field. (Special thanks to sponsor [Mozilla](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/).) The panel will include:

- **Joan Pepin** , Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and VP Operations, Auth0
- **LJ Johnson** , Sr. Director, Information Security, Nike
- **Miki Demeter** , Security Researcher, Intel
- **Moderator:** Ann Wallace, Technical Cloud Consultant, Google

Recently, Joan expanded her Auth0 CISO role, adding VP of Operations to her title. As a preview, we asked her to offer some leadership advice for people stretching into new roles:

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<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="Stretching into a new role? Here’s some advice from @CloudCISO_Joan — and an opp to hear her in person in Portland this week! #WWCode"/>

Auth0 CISO Joan Pepin to Speak at WWC Portland Networking Night

Industry thought leader Christian McCarrick brings more than 20 years of experience

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- July 30, 2018 -- [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced that [Christian McCarrick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmccarrick/) has joined the company as Vice President of Engineering. As a technology veteran and renowned thought leader on software engineering and technology leadership, McCarrick will be responsible for driving innovation and growth within the engineering team; and working alongside CTO and Co-founder Matias Woloski to continue expanding the company’s Universal Identity Platform.

McCarrick has a 20+ year history in the software engineering industry, having previously served as SVP of Platform Engineering at Global Tel*Link. He also held senior leadership positions at Telmate, AltX, and Mobitor Corporation. McCarrick is a regular speaker at engineering leadership conferences and has recorded nearly 50 podcasts at [SimpleLeadership](http://simpleleadership.io/category/podcast/) on topics like scaling engineering teams, nurturing inclusive environments, building remote teams, and much more.

“Christian’s pedigree in software engineering and technology is extremely impressive, as is the knowledge he has accrued over his long and successful career,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder. “We know that Christian will be an incredible addition to our company from an engineering standpoint, but equally important, he embraces our company values and is a fantastic fit with our culture as well.”

“The more I interacted with Auth0, the more I recognized what a unique company it is. Not only is it growing at an exponential rate, but the way Auth0 differentiates itself from other identity platforms on the market is a large part of why I chose to come here,” said McCarrick. “I also resonate strongly with its emphasis on culture and values. I am thrilled to be part of this organization and look forward to contributing to future growth.”

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### **Media Contact:**

Jeana Tahnk 
Corporate Communications 
Auth0 
[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Kasia Hall 
Matter for Auth0 
[khall@matternow.com](mailto:khall@matternow.com) 
971-246-7898


---

Auth0 Bolsters Executive Team with New VP of Engineering

Industry thought leader joins company to fuel continued growth

**BELLEVUE, Wash. -- May 5, 2018** -- [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), announced that renowned identity expert [Vittorio Bertocci](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vittoriobertocci/) will be joining the company as Principal Architect. Bertocci will apply his vast knowledge of the identity industry to Auth0 in all aspects of the company, including internal and external education, product innovation, and customer integration.

Bertocci has spent most of his 20-year career at Microsoft, where he worked on the Azure Active Directory team and focused largely on improving the developer experience. As a published author of four identity books and a highly-trafficked blog: [cloudidentity.com](http://www.cloudidentity.com/blog/), his forward-thinking commentary has enabled him to speak at conferences, such as BUILD, PDC, TechEd, Cloud Identity Summit, and many other industry events around the world.

“I have followed the success of Auth0 since its inception and am very impressed with where it has been and where it is going,” said Bertocci. “I am thrilled to be joining the company and look forward to collaborating with the team to help continue its massive growth.”

Bertocci holds a masters degree in Computer Science from Università degli Studi di Genova and began his career doing research on computational geometry and scientific visualization. Over the years, he has worked with Fortune 100 and Global 100 companies and has been a sought-after evangelist for claims-based identity in mainstream use.

“My co-founder Matias Woloski and I knew Vittorio before we even started Auth0, and credit him with introducing us to many innovative identity concepts,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder of Auth0. “His highly technical expertise and deep knowledge of the industry as a whole will be an incredible resource for Auth0.”


<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### Media Contact

Jeana Tahnk 
Corporate Communications 
Auth0 
[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Kasia Hall 
Matter for Auth0 
[khall@matternow.com](mailto:khall@matternow.com) 
971-246-7898

Identity Expert Vittorio Bertocci Joins Auth0

joan-pepin

As CSO, Joan is responsible for the holistic security and compliance of Auth0's platform, products, and corporate environment. She brings 20 years of experience to the role, with a career that has spanned a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, defense, ISPs, and MSSPs. Previously, Joan served as Business Information Security Officer (BISO) at Nike, Inc, CISO, and VP of Security at Sumo Logic, and held different positions at Guardent/Verisign/Secureworks organization. Joan holds a patent for developing the methodology to assess whether a communication contains an attack. She is also is a well-recognized thought leader and has spoken at major events, such as RSA, WhiteHat Security Summit, and Forrester Security Summit, and is frequently called upon for her expertise and commentary in Cloud Security and Compliance in large-scale and DevOps/CI environments.

Chief Security Officer (CSO)

Joan Pepin

Leadership is a skill that can be learned. My talk, given at Women Who Code Connect 2018, gives tips on growing your knowledge.

Five Things That Every Leader Could Use to be a Better Leader

National Geographic, a recognized leader in premium science, has selected Auth0 to provide centralized login across all brands.

**BELLEVUE, Wash. -- April 23, 2018** -- [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced that it has been selected by [National Geographic Partners, LLC](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/) (NGP) to centralize identity for its global properties, spanning tens of millions of users in 172 countries. Auth0 will be used across the brand to unify a standardized identity platform, which will increase user adoption and improve National Geographic customers’ entire online experience.

National Geographic, a recognized leader in premium science, adventure, and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets, was seeking a way to provide a cohesive digital experience to its global customers and provide a more seamless way to access rich content across its breadth of brands. Auth0’s Universal Identity Platform provides all the features to achieve that, and was the only solution that could quickly be integrated into National Geographic’s existing technology infrastructure without any major disruption to its consumers.

“Centralizing identity for our global brand is a huge undertaking and priority for us - one that has many layers of complexity, from a technology standpoint,” said Nik Khilnani, Senior Director of Platform Development, National Geographic. “We needed a solution that could be standardized across all our properties and be able to scale to our tens of millions of global customers as we fully roll-out. Auth0 is that solution.”

“Our platform’s extensibility and the advanced competence and vision of National Geographic’s development teams will make the integration even easier, enabling their consumers to reap the benefits right away and set them up for long-term success,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder of Auth0. “National Geographic is a time-honored brand and we are looking forward to a great partnership with them.”

National Geographic will begin implementation for its North American properties, and then expand to different regions worldwide, with the goal of having one centralized identity platform for global users across the entire brand.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

National Geographic selects Auth0 for Identity Management of Global Properties

Industry leaders join company to drive next stage of growth

**BELLEVUE, WA - OCTOBER 5, 2017** - Auth0, the global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), announced three additions to its executive team, further strengthening its core leadership. The recent expansion of the leadership team is in response to [Auth0’s rapidly accelerating growth in revenue, enterprise customers, and headcount.](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-record-year/)

The new executives are:

* **Joan Pepin, Chief Information Security Officer:** Joan is responsible for the holistic security and compliance of Auth0's platform, products, and corporate environment. She is a recognized thought leader in security and previously held positions as Business Information Security Officer at Nike and CISO at Sumo Logic, a leader in cloud-based log management and analytics.

* **Lewis Carpenter, Chief Marketing Officer:** Lewis oversees the company’s brand strategy and leads the team driving Auth0’s marketing efforts. He is the former CEO of Winshuttle, a leader in Application Data Management, and has helped build several market-leading technology companies.

* **Jeremy Freeland, General Counsel:** Jeremy is responsible for all legal affairs of the company. He has worked as inside and outside general counsel for several early and mid-stage information technology companies, and has significant experience with technology based transactions.

"Our tremendous success over the past year has been fueled by the amazing people who work at Auth0," said Eugenio Pace, CEO. “The addition of Joan, Lewis, and Jeremy provides us with deep expertise in each of their respective areas, and bolsters an already outstanding leadership team that will manage the next stage of growth for Auth0. We’re thrilled to have them on board for the journey.”

According to [Forrester Research](https://www.forrester.com/report/The+IAM+Market+Will+Surpass+13+Billion+By+2021/-/E-RES138932?objectid=RES138932 ), the identity and access management market is expected to surpass $13 billion by 2021. This growth is due to an ever-changing digital landscape and customer demand for secure and seamless authentication across all channels. Companies need an extensible and robust identity and access management platform more than ever and are turning to Auth0 to handle their most complex identity needs, quickly and securely.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

**Media Contact:**

Jeana Tahnk

Auth0

[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Auth0 Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Appointments

Former Auth0 Employee

Jon Gelsey

Company revenue grows 3x year-over-year as customer base extends across multiple industries. Auth0 will use the new funds to double down on security, extensibility and simplicity.

**BELLEVUE, WA** — (Marketwire, June 27, 2017) - [Auth0](https://auth0.com/about), the leading Identity as a Service platform, today announced it has raised $30 million in a Series C financing led by late-stage investor [Meritech Capital Partners](http://www.meritechcapital.com/) and that George Bischof, Managing Director at Meritech Capital Partners, has joined Auth0’s Board of Directors. All existing major investors also participated, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures, and K9 Ventures. NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Japan’s largest mobile carrier, and [Telstra Ventures](https://telstraventures.com/), the venture capital arm of Australia’s largest mobile carrier, participated as well, endorsing the easy-to-integrate enterprise scale platform that secures billions of logins every year. Auth0 will use the funds to further expand its geographic footprint, and to accelerate the growth of its identity platform with an increased subscriber and talent acquisition focus. 

“Identity has become even more mission critical as businesses become increasingly digital. In our dozens of calls with customers, it was clear that Auth0’s value proposition is resonating in the market. Developers can leverage Auth0’s extensible and easy to integrate identity platform and free up their cycles to work on the core application,” said George Bischof, Managing Director at Meritech Capital Partners. ”Auth0 subscriber adoption is exponentially expanding and we are excited to support their rapid growth.”

![Auth0 Board of Directors](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/4Q2T2wz8ufCArbORCAeowl/3a9966211a214369b99e4baa258ebfe3/about-bod)

Funding comes as Auth0 caps off a yet another year of record growth, which saw revenue increase by nearly 3x year-over-year as the company added 1,250 new companies to its worldwide subscriber base across multiple industries. New customers include Atlassian (SaaS), News Corp (Media) and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Publishing). The company has also opened an office in London to serve the EMEA region, announced that it will open an office in Sydney, doubled employee headcount, and launched the [Auth0 Extend](https://auth0.com/extend/) product line, a new Serverless extensibility platform. The Series C funding will help Auth0 further extend its reach as an identity-as-a-service platform, offering deep identity security features, doubling down on simplicity and extensibility, as well as adding new features to the platform to better suit the needs of modern enterprises.

“At this time of constant threats and data breaches, modern enterprises require the strongest possible identity solution. Furthermore, in these new times, companies are racing to bring new products to market and facing both intense pressure to grow revenue and customers as well as fierce competition. They need to consolidate all their identity needs in one single end-to-end platform that works out of the box and can be easily extended to support all applications and use cases,” said Jon Gelsey, Auth0 CEO. “We are honored by the confidence placed in us by our investors, as well as by the trust displayed by our subscriber base as we seek to accelerate their business goals. Our subscribers are among the [most sophisticated enterprises](https://auth0.com/customers) in the world, and they continually drive and inspire us to create an even better set of services.”

Auth0 is an enterprise-grade platform for modern identity. It provides companies with a service that eliminates the complexity of authentication for applications and APIs, all accessible through a developer friendly dashboard. Their technology makes it easy to implement even the most complex identity solutions for their web, mobile, and internal applications and APIs.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

## About Meritech Capital Partners

Meritech Capital Partners is a leading provider of late-stage venture capital to category- defining private technology companies, and has been one of the top performing venture firms of the past decade. With over $3 billion under management, Meritech leads investments into companies with proven and differentiated technology, rapidly-growing revenue and experienced management teams. Meritech investments in industry-leading companies include Box, Cloudera, Cornerstone OnDemand, Coupa, Facebook, Fortinet, Mulesoft, NetSuite, Proofpoint, PopCap, Salesforce.com, Sourcefire, Tableau and Zulily. Meritech is located in Palo Alto, CA and can be found at [www.meritechcapital.com](http://www.meritechcapital.com). 

For more information visit [https://auth0.com](https://auth0.com) or follow [@auth0 on Twitter](https://twitter.com/auth0).

"leader"