Programme

Chair of the Conference Kian Bayat warmly welcomes you to the plenary hall during Digital Identity & Trust Conference 2026 and will walk you through today’s agenda.

In this session, we will explore the critical intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and impact on cybersecurity. You’ll gain insights into what AI Security entails, the Security AI Framework, and the various AI Security models shaping today’s landscape. We will examine the key threats and risks associated with AI, and discuss practical strategies to mitigate these challenges through robust security capabilities. We’ll also examine how AI Security reshapes Identity and Access Management (IAM), and what steps organizations can take to stay resilient in this rapidly changing security landscape.

Autonomous AI is reshaping the digital landscape, but how do you ensure it operates responsibly? In this session, learn how Identity Security serves as the control plane for managing AI agents, providing the visibility and governance needed to align autonomous AI with your business objectives. Key takeaways: Understand the critical role of Identity Security in AI governance. Gain visibility and control over autonomous AI agents. Learn how to align AI-driven capabilities with business goals and risk management requirements. Join this session to explore how Identity Security can help organizations unlock the potential of autonomous AI while ensuring security, trust, and accountability.

In this session, we'll explore why identity-first API design is essential for building systems that scale, moving beyond perimeter security to fine-grained authorization that scales for humans and AI agents alike. We'll look at future-proof API design: Leveraging modern standards (OAuth, OIDC, OpenID Authzen, MCP) with pragmatic patterns that work.

Shared accounts, unlocked workstations and limited traceability created security and compliance risks across Darta’s factory environments. In this practical case study, Ralph Houthoofdt and Jamie Pattyn explain how Darta introduced badge-based authentication and single sign-on across sites in Belgium, the United Kingdom and Portugal.   They will share the technical and operational choices behind the project, including securing shared devices, distributing and managing badges, supporting users outside regular business hours and driving adoption among factory employees. The session offers practical insights into strengthening accountability, access security and user adoption in environments where shared devices and operational continuity are critical.

Agentic AI introduces a new IAM challenge: machines that act autonomously across systems. This session presents KBC’s real-world approach to defining agent identities, aligning IAM platforms, and building cross – platform governance. A practical story of how to start small – and scale securely.

Identity and Access Management is often approached as a technical control, focused on authentication, permissions and compliance. But as organisations increasingly rely on cloud platforms, APIs, connected machines and AI agents, IAM has become a fundamental business capability. In this keynote, Kian Bayat explores how organisations can move beyond traditional access management and establish governance and assurance across human and non-human identities. He will explain why the return on IAM is not limited to reducing security risks, but also lies in simplifying complexity, enabling innovation and supporting trusted digital growth. While Zero Trust remains essential, modern identity strategies must become more adaptive, contextual and risk-aware. Attendees will gain a strategic perspective on how IAM can evolve into a foundation for resilience, trust and sustainable digital transformation.