
#423 - The Middle Market Identity Security Gap with Robert Snodgrass
Show notes
Jeff and Jim welcome back Robert Snodgrass, Principal at RSM, for a deep dive into the RSM Middle Market Business Index cybersecurity report. The conversation covers the confidence gap facing middle market organizations, why digital identity remains undervalued despite being the primary attack surface, non-human identity governance, flat cybersecurity budgets, risk framework adoption, and what good incident response preparedness actually looks like. The episode wraps with a spirited Bitcoin Pizza Day toppings debate.
Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-snodgrass-7a199412/
Review the RSM US Middle Market Business Index Special Report on Cybersecurity 2026: https://rsmus.com/middle-market/cybersecurity-mmbi.html?cmpid=ola:45559-idac:bb01
IDPro new member discount: https://idpro.org/idac/
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Jim McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmcdonaldpmp/
Jeff Steadman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsteadman/
Visit the show on the web at http://idacpodcast.com
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Introduction and Scatter Spider social engineering discussion
00:04:00 IDPro discount code and upcoming conferences
00:06:26 Guest intro: Robert Snodgrass and the MMBI report
00:09:05 Defining the modern middle market
00:12:00 The confidence gap: 96% confident, 18% breached
00:15:04 Why attackers log in and top identity investment priorities
00:19:00 Why only 23% of leaders prioritize digital identity
00:22:00 Internal partnerships as the path to identity program success
00:25:10 AI, shadow AI, and non-human identity risks
00:31:00 NHI governance at scale: 45 to 1 ratio
00:34:50 Cybersecurity budget realities in the middle market
00:39:00 EU regulation and top-line cybersecurity drivers
00:42:03 NIST CSF adoption and risk framework value
00:46:00 Incident response planning: the two-minute drill
00:52:16 Bitcoin Pizza Day and closing thoughts
KEYWORDS
identity security, middle market, cybersecurity, MMBI, RSM, Robert Snodgrass, phishing-resistant MFA, non-human identities, NHI, shadow AI, incident response, NIST CSF, IAM, identity governance, ransomware, tabletop exercises, digital identity, cybersecurity budget, identity program, IDAC, Identity at the Center, Jeff Steadman, Jim McDonald