Aembit, the AI-powered identity management firm, has today introduced the appointment of Mario Duarte as the chief information security officer (CISO). Duarte, previously the security chief at Snowflake, has joined Aembit with a strong dedication to addressing critical gaps in security concerning non-human identities.
Beginning his cybersecurity venture with a keen interest in penetration testing, sparked by the classic 1980s film “WarGames”, Duarte unfolded his career journey through red teaming, eventually broadening his expertise in both technical and managerial roles on the defensive front. Across his professional path, he has concentrated on safeguarding vital systems, resolving intricate security challenges, and nurturing and supervising high-performing squads.
His background spans various sectors such as finance, healthcare, retail, and technology. Particularly, Duarte spent nearly ten years at Snowflake, contributing significantly to shaping and governing the security program of the data cloud enterprise, eventually rising to the position of vice president of security, also known as CISO. It was during this period that he initially got exposed to Aembit and its progressive and award-winning method of securing non-human identities.
“My fascination with security stemmed from the excitement of discovering vulnerabilities and rectifying them,” Duarte mentioned. “My mindset has always resonated with that of an attacker, but gradually, I redirected my focus towards fortifying organizations – discerning the origins of real threats and resolving those issues on a larger scale. Over my career, I’ve observed how non-human identities like workloads and service accounts fall prey to exploitation, highlighting this as the next significant challenge in security.”
Prior to his tenure at Snowflake, Duarte occupied senior security positions at several firms, including GoGrid, Moodys KMV, and Ross Stores. His knack for adjusting and thriving across diverse domains significantly shaped his comprehension of security from myriad threat dimensions and standpoints, including adherence to FedRAMP, HIPAA/HITECH, and PCI criteria.
Duarte’s gravitation towards Aembit was not solely due to its pioneering technology but also owing to the corporate ethos and mission.
“Aembit is addressing an enduringly overlooked issue – securing the non-human identities underpinning IT infrastructure,” he expressed. “It is replacing obsolete techniques such as fixed credentials and manual procedures with a more dynamic and secure approach that I, along with my peers, have been seeking for an extended period. The Aembit team comprehends the intricacy of this issue and is steadfast in forging a pragmatic and scalable resolution for it.”
Given the escalating necessity for identity-centric, secretless, centrally enforced, and auditable links amid decentralized applications, SaaS offerings, and the surge of AI workloads, the Aembit Workload IAM Platform – recognized as the runner-up in the 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox contest – stands ready to secure access between non-human workloads and the sensitive assets and infrastructure that underpin organizational operations, delivering timely, secretless access based on the workload’s identity and stance.
“Mario brings an unparalleled level of experience and zeal to our team,” remarked Aembit’s Co-Founder and CEO David Goldschlag. “Having defended some of the most intricate infrastructures while being in the trenches, his stewardship will steer Aembit as we persist in solving the most challenging identity security complexities.”
In his new capacity, Duarte is committed to propelling Aembit’s endeavors to cater to the security community’s requirements as businesses increasingly transition towards cloud-native, distributed, and automated setups. His deep bond with fellow CISOs and security practitioners, in conjunction with his resolve to present effective, scalable, and pragmatic solutions, will assist in guiding Aembit’s continued expansion within this rapidly evolving field.
“Security runs in my blood,” he asserted. “The stakes in this realm are too elevated, and I would never endorse anything that I am not wholeheartedly convinced of.”
About Aembit
Aembit is the primary provider of identity and access management solutions for workloads, tailored to fortify non-human identities like applications, AI agents, and service accounts across diverse landscapes including on-premises, SaaS, cloud, and partner ecosystems. Aembit’s platform, operating without the need for coding, empowers organizations to enforce access policies instantly, ensuring the security and trustworthiness of critical infrastructure. Stay updated with Aembit by following them on LinkedIn.
Contact
Chief Marketing Officer:
Apurva Dave
Aembit
info@aembit.io
The article “Mario Duarte, Former Snowflake Cybersecurity Leader, Joins Aembit as CISO to Tackle Non-Human Identities” was originally published on Cyber Security News.