Research Analyst

Alejandro Leal

Alejandro joined KuppingerCole as a Research Analyst in December 2021. His main areas of expertise include digital transformation in the public and private sector, managing business in today’s geopolitical context, and governance in artificial intelligence and cyberspace.

Background and Education

Bachelor of International Relations and Security from Jagiellonian University in Poland and a Master of Technology Governance and Digital Transformation from Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.

Professional Experience

Alejandro has gained professional experience doing research in cybersecurity think tanks, a cryptocurrency gaming brand, and the Mexican Embassy.

Latest publications

Webinar Recording
Unlocking Zero Trust Network Access
March 14, 2024
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is becoming increasingly essential as organizations adapt to remote work, cloud adoption, and the growing sophistication of cyber threats. This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of ZTNA solutions, vendor offerings, and adoption strategies, addressing…
Blog
EU Digital Identity Wallet: A Catalyst for Business Transformation
March 04, 2024
Setting the stage On February 29, 2024, the European Union (EU) Parliament voted in favor of amendments to the eIDAS regulation, marking a significant milestone on the road to a unified standard for European digital identity services. The regulation, which is expected to enter into…
Advisory Note
Maturity Level for Zero Trust: A Comprehensive Analysis
February 20, 2024
This Advisory Note explores the fundamental principles of Zero Trust, emphasizing its significance in modern cybersecurity. It discusses the Department of Defense (DoD) Zero Trust Strategy and introduces the 5+2 approach to address implementation challenges. With a focus on bridging the gap…
Leadership Compass
Zero Trust Network Access
January 29, 2024
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is becoming increasingly essential as organizations adapt to remote work, cloud adoption, and the growing sophistication of cyber threats. Unlike traditional perimeter-based security models, ZTNA treats every user, application, or resource as untrusted and…
Advisory Note
SBOM as a Core Element of Cyber Resilience
January 29, 2024
This advisory note delves into the critical intersection of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and cyber resilience, exploring the role of SBOM in fortifying digital landscapes against evolving cyber threats. With a focus on recent incidents, regulatory developments, and the intricate web of…
Blog
A Closer Look at eIDAS 2.0 and the EU Digital Identity Wallet
January 16, 2024
Navigating the Digital Identity Landscape While eIDAS 2.0 centers on fostering interoperability and setting standards for digital identity, the EUDI Wallet serves as a tangible tool for users, thereby contributing to the development of a comprehensive digital identity ecosystem. The…
Blog
AI Regulation: Challenges and Opportunities
December 19, 2023
In our Artificial Intelligence (AI) journey, much like the timeless question "Quo vadis, Domine?"-meaning "Where are you going, Lord?"-we find ourselves at a crossroads, questioning the direction of our technological trajectory. So as we traverse the AI landscape, we should ask ourselves,…
Whitepaper
How to Implement a Zero Trust Security Model With TrustBuilder’s Adaptive Authentication and Fine-Grained Authorization
November 13, 2023
Every organization, regardless of size or industry, needs an agile and modern Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform. As the cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve, so do the requirements for IAM. Managing identities and access is essential to ensure that only the right…
Webinar Recording
Passwordless Authentication: What, Why, and How
October 27, 2023
Join identity and access management experts from KuppingerCole Analysts and ForgeRock for a discussion on passwordless authentication solutions, the reasons organizations are slow to implement them, and how to go about making the switch successfully by understanding the technologies and…
Blog
Tech vs. Law: A Dialectical Approach to Balancing Innovation and Regulation
September 12, 2023
Reshaping the future The relationship between law and technology is a complex one. While law plays a crucial role in safeguarding public interests and ensuring checks and balances, it is also perceived by some as a potential impediment and a deterrent to innovation in the tech…
Analyst Chat
Analyst Chat #188: Beyond Tradition - The Evolution and Integration of Access Management
September 04, 2023
Today, host Matthias and expert Alejandro Leal discuss the dynamic realm of Access Management. They'll touch on its evolution beyond traditional capabilities, the intertwined nature of Access Management and Identity Federation, and the industry-wide shift driven by Covid-19 towards modern…
Advisory Note
Cybersecurity Resilience with Generative AI
August 25, 2023
Cyberattacks have intensified in recent years. The evolving threat landscape is exemplified by the persistent threat of cyberattacks, driven by cybercriminals' exploration of new tools and techniques, enabling them to launch sophisticated and evasive attacks. As a result, organizations need…
Leadership Compass
Access Management
August 16, 2023
This report provides an overview of the market for Access Management products and services and presents you with a compass to help you to find the product or service that best meets your organization’s needs. We examine the market segment, vendor product and service functionality, relative…
Blog
Beyond Boundaries: The Geopolitics of Cyberspace
August 15, 2023
In recent years, the question of a state's territorial sovereignty in cyberspace has been a major topic of discussion. The emergence of cyberspace has introduced new spatial dimensions and challenged our understanding of international law. When it comes to cyberspace, the solid and defined…
Analyst Chat
Analyst Chat #183: The Danger of Deepfakes for Identity Proofing and Growing Misinformation
July 31, 2023
Join Matthias as he delves into the world of deep fakes with Research Analyst Alejandro Leal. Deep fakes are manipulated media that can be difficult to distinguish from real footage, posing threats in remote identity proofing attacks and disinformation campaigns. Alejandro…
Blog
Future Cybersecurity Threats: Advanced Disinformation Campaigns
July 21, 2023
Deepfakes and Disinformation in Cyberspace Cyberspace greatly enhances an actor's ability to engage in activities that can yield geopolitical and economic gains without resorting to the use of force. With the advent of cyberspace, various actors, including both state and non-state…
Event Recording
Reflections & Predictions on the Future Use (and Mis-Use) of Generative AI in the Enterprise and Beyond
May 12, 2023
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries and applications, from creating realistic images and videos to generating natural language responses. This Future Enterprise Use of Generative AI Deep Dive session will explore the current…
Event Recording
Access Management Trends in a Connect Anywhere World
May 11, 2023
The combined impact of the pandemic driven shift to remote work with a connect-anywhere paradigm and the ongoing digital business transformation has inspired a higher awareness of cybersecurity concerns, requiring a profound change in the way we define Access Management.  New…
Event Recording
Market Overview: Passwordless Authentication
May 10, 2023
This session will provide an overview of the market for Passwordless Authentication products and services and will present a compass to help you to find the Passwordless Authentication product or service that best meets your customers, partners, or workforce needs. KuppingerCole´s…
Event Recording
Passwordless Primer
May 10, 2023
Passwordless authentication counts amongst the hot topics in IAM. In this session, the variants of passwordless authentication will be explained. Phishing resistance, device binding, secure elements, and many of the other technical aspects will be explained, put into context, and rated…
Webinar Recording
Optimize Security With Security Orchestration, Automation, & Response
May 05, 2023
Join security experts from KuppingerCole Analysts and IBM as they explain how Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solutions address this and other security challenges. They will also examine different approaches to SOAR, and discuss how to identify SOAR solutions that…
Webinar Recording
Take Invisible MFA to the Next Level With Passwordless Continuous Authentication
April 21, 2023
Join experts from KuppingerCole Analysts and SecureAuth as they discuss why not all MFA solutions offer the same level of protection, and how organizations can improve their security posture and user experience by adopting a different approach that combines MFA with risk-based Passwordless…
Blog
2023 Trends and Predictions - Passwordless Authentication
March 24, 2023
We hear it all the time: “Humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity”. Unfortunately, this contemptuous characterization of human nature is deeply ingrained in the industry. While human error is still the driving force behind a number of security breaches and incidents, the…
Webinar Recording
Best of Both Worlds: Combining Multi-Factor and Passwordless Authentication
March 24, 2023
Join experts from KuppingerCole Analysts and trusted identity firm Entrust as they discuss why not all MFA solutions offer the same level of protection. They will also explore the current state of Passwordless Authentication solutions and how best to implement them. Alejandro Leal,…