Aembit, a leader in non-human Identity and Access Management (IAM), has announced the appointment of Mario Duarte as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Duarte, previously the head of security at Snowflake, brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to addressing critical gaps in non-human identity security.

Mario Duarte’s Background

• Cybersecurity Journey: Began his career inspired by the film WarGames, focusing on penetration testing and red teaming.
• Career Progression: Transitioned to defensive security roles, protecting mission-critical systems and developing high-performing security teams.
• Industry Experience: Has worked in finance, healthcare, retail, and technology, gaining a comprehensive view of security threats across sectors.
• Tenure at Snowflake: Played a pivotal role in shaping Snowflake's security program, ultimately serving as Vice President of Security (CISO).

Insights and Vision

• On Security: "I fell in love with security because of the thrill of finding weaknesses and fixing them," said Duarte. He emphasizes understanding real threats and solving them at scale, particularly regarding the exploitation of non-human identities such as workloads and service accounts.
• Focus on Aembit: Drawn to Aembit for its innovative technology and culture, Duarte recognizes the importance of securing non-human identities that drive IT infrastructure.

Aembit’s Mission and Innovation

• Addressing Identity Security Gaps: Aembit aims to replace outdated methods with dynamic, secure solutions for managing non-human identities.
• Aembit Workload IAM Platform: Honored as a runner-up in the 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox competition, this platform enforces secure access between non-human workloads and sensitive resources based on the workload's identity and posture.

Leadership and Future Focus

• Aembit’s Vision: David Goldschlag, Co-Founder and CEO, emphasizes that "Mario brings an unmatched level of experience and passion to our team," highlighting his background in defending sophisticated infrastructures.
• Duarte’s Goals: In his role, Duarte will enhance Aembit’s efforts to support the security community amidst the shift towards cloud-native and automated environments.

Mario Duarte's extensive experience and dedication to cybersecurity position him to make significant contributions to Aembit’s mission. His focus on practical and scalable solutions will be essential as organizations increasingly rely on dynamic security measures in the evolving landscape of identity management.