# No exceptions: How Amazon killed the password and unified security

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/safe-mode-podcast-6421323/no-exceptions-how-amazon-killed-the-password-and-unified-security
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/safe-mode-podcast-6421323/no-exceptions-how-amazon-killed-the-password-and-unified-security.md
Podcast: [Safe Mode Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/safe-mode-podcast-6421323)
Published: 2026-02-12T18:39:08+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/podcast-defensescoop-com/no-exceptions-how-amazon
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2265403829-podcast-defensescoop-com-no-exceptions-how-amazon.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/safe-mode-podcast-6421323/episodes/no-exceptions-how-amazon-killed-the-password-and-unified-security
Duration seconds: 2212

## Resource

In this episode, we sit down with Stephen Schmidt, SVP & Chief Security Officer at Amazon, to explore the engineering and leadership required to run a "no exceptions" identity program at a global scale. Most organizations suffer from the "fragmentation problem"—a mix of high-security cloud apps and vulnerable legacy systems. Stephen explains how Amazon unified its authentication standard to ensure that every internal account, from a fresh developer environment to a legacy application from 2003, meets the same rigorous bar. In our reporter chat, Greg talks with Derek Johnson on why your AI doctor does not have the same privacy protections as your real doctor. https://cyberscoop.com/radio/how-amazon-killed-the-password-and-unified-security/ Join Virtru on Feb 18th for the inaugural DCMMC at 1801 Pennsylvania Ave for a no-nonsense CMMC deep dive followed by a bourbon tasting—grab your spot here. - https://www.virtru.com/dcmmc-event Follow CyberScoop on Social Media • https://www.twitter.com/CyberScoopNews • https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyberscoop • https://www.facebook.com/cyberscoop/ • https://www.instagram.com/cyberscoopnews/ • https://www.tiktok.com/@cyberscoopnews • https://bsky.app/profile/cyberscoop.bsky.social About Safe Mode Every week we break down the most pressing issues in technology, provide you with the knowledge and tools to stay ahead of the latest threats and take you behind the scenes of the biggest stories in cyberspace. https://cyberscoop.com/show/safe-mode/

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