Return-Path: Delivered-To: alvarochf@traceseis.com Received: from cs510.bluehost.com by cs510.bluehost.com with LMTP id QJbjBBOLZmmyKwYAWiBQxw (envelope-from ) for ; Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:12:35 -0700 Return-path: Envelope-to: alvarochf@traceseis.com Delivery-date: Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:12:35 -0700 Received: from see.rippling.com ([172.246.46.190]:25968) by cs510.bluehost.com with esmtps (TLS1.3) tls TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (Exim 4.98.2) (envelope-from ) id 1vfisc-00000001lLt-2820 for alvarochf@traceseis.com; Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:12:35 -0700 DKIM-Signature: a=rsa-sha256; bh=GZCTYPLD3mslDH0Rq/4phhb4gQIT5G8cts3QQIOlkOg=; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=see.rippling.com; h=to:cc:from:reply-to:subject:date:mime-version:content-type:list-id:list-unsubscribe:x-csa-complaints:list-unsubscribe-post:message-id:sender:x-sib-id:x-mailin-client:x-mailin-campaign:feedback-id:bimi-selector; q=dns/txt; s=mail; t=1768327942; v=1; b=b/AtFljk5GwVxHHyxQlmUucMYytFFEljtEdwybH/0Ef0DE0DsYCPeRATiC9hiOVLYlzOSMIJ XBY+r7QiqeAkeBNDX5bppV6f7Mh8eXYyD5QMhPb8Xa7c80ByFohe0I+MqlRTzmY2en1Scl2CQ1X YgyVDX03SdV53m5aRh/w9NIc= To: Subject: =?utf-8?q?=F0=9F=AA=AA__Identity_is_the_new_perimeter_+_don't_forget_the_?= =?utf-8?q?memory_shortage?= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-------?=_96915-1901733092117" Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:12:22 +0000 Feedback-ID: 172.246.46.190:6348494_2954:6348494:Sendinblue From: The IT Factor by Rippling List-Id: NjM0ODQ5NC0yNTgyODkzLTEyMzM= List-Unsubscribe: , List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <202613011812.kvs830r5aa0csjj@see.rippling.com> Reply-To: X-Csa-Complaints: csa-complaints@eco.de X-Mailer: Sendinblue X-Mailin-Campaign: 2954 X-Mailin-Client: 6348494 X-sib-id: 5LK3BDDTgrm1QEQGOtBsgvx8669qbGf1BLW2prKyLYSspFk8ThFK_q95c6sZOPg21QCeyDlWR0GSH8XaU7gmh0gZPFBxQabcotreL5cWopuxXg9OOHFDfGQb5FuaXQ4wlUNFqmz_11la4eTB6aj5WHsINil44XRpYcnYFEuv215FcmHuABK7QuathWrccgFUJCkZQgYviWhQXdwLbJE6gvFEsATp5yoDIuyhoagQ ---------?=_96915-1901733092117 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 **JANUARY=C2=A0 2026** **James Sorrenti** Editor **Welcome back!**=C2=A0And just like that, it's Tuesday again. =F0=9F=AA=AA=C2=A0 Today, we'll kick things off with something we wanted to= expand on from last week, and that's the notion of identity as the new per= imeter.=C2=A0 =F0=9F=96=A5=EF=B8=8F=C2=A0 Then we'll run through some (rather alarming) n= umbers pertaining to the impending memory shortage and how that stands to i= mpact your hardware budgets.=C2=A0 =F0=9F=97=93=EF=B8=8F=C2=A0 And throughout, as always, we'll invite you to = a bunch of cool events you can and should definitely join if you're free.= =C2=A0 Let's jump in, shall we?=C2=A0 =F0=9F=AA=AA=C2=A0 Identity is the New Perimeter -------------------------------- Why **break** in, when you could **log** in?=C2=A0 That's the question threat actors are increasingly asking -- or, well, answ= ering -- as identity abuse becomes a dominant attack vector.=C2=A0 We touched on this last week, while we were looking at cybersecurity foreca= sts for the coming year, and today we're going to dig a level deeper to giv= e some more context. Much of the concern here revolves around agentic AI. Firms like Gartner and= Forrester are warning that autonomous AI assistants -- often armed with hi= gh-level permissions but zero identity governance -- will become a favorite= backdoor entry point for hackers, making identity-first security a necessi= ty for a lot of organizations today. (Our very own Todd Horner gave a prese= ntation touching on this issue at SpiceWorld, if you want to [**check that = out.**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6Ti_140hXTU)**)** Furthermore, data from Microsoft last year shows roughly 4 out of 5 breache= s involve stolen but valid credentials, with CrowdStrike reporting 79% of i= ntrusions are now malware-free. So if you're treating IP blocking and firewall patching as your primary def= enses, you're still fighting the last war. The bad guys aren't hacking anym= ore. They're authenticating. ####**What you can do now:** **Audit who has access to what and revoke the rest.** Start with your most = privileged accounts (admins, finance, HR) and work backward. Orphaned accou= nts and over-provisioned permissions are attackers' easiest ways in. **Implement session timeout policies and monitor for suspicious login patte= rns.** If someone's logging in from Denver at 2pm and Singapore at 2:05pm, = that's uh... not possible! Treat it as such.=C2=A0 **Get a baseline on your access hygiene.** Download our=C2=A0[**10-Po**](ht= tps://www.rippling.com/resources/10-point-access-hygiene-checklist?rtlid=3D= 00QUd00000QcSfRMAV)[**int Access Hygiene Checklist**](https://www.rippling.= com/resources/10-point-access-hygiene-checklist?rtlid=3D00QUd00000QcSfRMAV)= to identify gaps in your identity security posture and get practical steps= to close them. Don't panic! There's still time! Tomorrow, I'll be sitting down with the CI= O of Carallel to talk about how they've used Rippling to scale their in-hou= se IT operations. Come hang out with us at our usual webinar o=E2=80=99clock, 12p ET / 3p PT.= =C2=A0 [**Regist**](https://rippling.registration.goldcast.io/webinar/1f3e1e73-d97= 1-47f0-ad19-1a76d34ac5ce?rtlid=3D00QUd00000QcSfRMAV)[**er here**](https://r= ippling.registration.goldcast.io/webinar/1f3e1e73-d971-47f0-ad19-1a76d34ac5= ce?rtlid=3D00QUd00000QcSfRMAV). =F0=9F=96=A5=EF=B8=8F**=C2=A0 Lest We Forget, We've Got a Memory Shortage** --------------------------------------------------- Memory's getting harder to come by. And don't you forget it! I guess we can= blame those gluttonous AI tools of ours, huh. So here's a whole bunch of numbers speaking to that phenomenon, and what th= ey actually mean for IT teams.=C2=A0 **47%** =E2=80=94 That's how much Gartner predicts DRAM prices will jump in= 2026. Not a typo. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have pivoted their product= ion lines away from the boring old DRAM that goes into laptops and servers,= and toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centers. Why? Because h= yperscalers like Microsoft and Google will pay 3x more for the same wafer c= apacity. **15%** =E2=80=94 The price hike Dell and Lenovo have already warned custom= ers about for enterprise PCs. Some vendors are getting creative (read: desp= erate) and selling pre-built systems without RAM included just to keep list= prices competitive. Framework stopped selling standalone memory modules en= tirely to prevent scalping. **31%** =E2=80=94 The percentage of small companies (>100 employees) that h= andle PC refreshes on an as-needed basis, according to a year-end survey fr= om our friends at Spiceworks. If that's you, this memory shortage is about = to get personal. Ad-hoc purchasing means you're competing for scraps after = the hyperscalers claim their supply. **The move:** If you've got any hardware purchases planned for Q1 or Q2, yo= u might want to get on that now. Gartner's advice for servers and storage: = check your infrastructure utilization first. If you can operate with a 30% = buffer instead of buying at today's inflated prices, wait it out.=C2=A0 But as far as PCs go, you might want to buy what you need now. Paying for e= xtended security updates might actually be cheaper than replacing aging har= dware at sky-high prices this year. Back in her day, Rhonda (that's her on the left!) made do with 32 MB of SDR= AM. But maybe that's why she's riding off into the sunset. And if you have no idea who or what I'm talking about, check out the [**vid= eo here**.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DfklUqAS8Nj0) Also very glad to continue promoting a couple of great events for all thing= s **#**[**CertifiedDestroyed**](https://www.rippling.com/lp/certified-destr= oyed) this month, so read on for the full calendar. =E2=99=BB=EF=B8=8F =C2=A0First, for anybody in the Bay Area, come join our = E-Waste Dropoff Day on January 24th, an event we=E2=80=99re co-hosting with= some of our pals from the Mac Admins Foundation. Bring your old chargers, = monitors, cables, and forgotten tech clutter and give it a secure, sustaina= ble sendoff. It=E2=80=99s gonna be messy, and it=E2=80=99s gonna be fun.=C2= =A0[**Register here.**](https://luma.com/li1ch8xy)**=C2=A0** =F0=9F=A5=83 =C2=A0On top of that, we=E2=80=99re hosting a giant virtual wh= isky tasting and Device Buyback Q&A with free tasting kits available for th= e=C2=A0**first 300 RSVPs.=C2=A0**That=E2=80=99s a lot of booze, folks. We'l= l need some help with that! So come join us on the 29th. You can=C2=A0[**re= gister here**](https://priorityexperiences.com/pages/rippling-certified-des= troyed)**.** **Some light reading** ---------------------- =E2=9C=85=C2=A0**Read:=C2=A0**Anthropic joins OpenAI's push into health car= e with new Claude tools=C2=A0([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-= news/anthropic-health-care-rcna252872))=C2=A0 =E2=9C=85=C2=A0**Read:=C2=A0**More than 100 new tech unicorns were minted i= n 2025 =E2=80=94 here they are=C2=A0([TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/20= 26/01/12/at-least-36-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/)) =E2=9C=85=C2=A0**Read:=C2=A0**How to end the IT blame game ([CIO](https://w= ww.cio.com/article/4110731/how-to-end-the-it-blame-game.html)) =E2=9C=85=C2=A0**Read**:=C2=A0Neoclouds size up enterprise opportunities=C2= =A0([CIO Dive](https://www.ciodive.com/news/neocloud-providers-eye-enterpri= se-growth/809268/)) =E2=9C=85=C2=A0**Read**: Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is launching its own AI = infrastructure initiative ([TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/12/m= ark-zuckerberg-says-meta-is-launching-its-own-ai-infrastructure-initiative/= )) ###**Got an IT horror story?** Share with the class! We're looking for any and all submissions, rants very= much included, to be featured in a future edition of Group Therapy. [**Give us your thoughts here.**](https://forms.gle/dHMPKVoGtevKHcEq7)**=C2= =A0**Hope to hear from you soon.=C2=A0 Till next time, folks. If you received this newsletter via an email forward, =C2=A0[Subscribe Here= ](https://www.rippling.com/the-it-factor) [Service Terms](https://app.rippling.com/legal?rtlid=3D00QUd00000QcSfRMAV "= Service Terms")=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0|=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0[Privacy Policy](https:= //app.rippling.com/legal/privacy?rtlid=3D00QUd00000QcSfRMAV)[=C2=A0](https:= //app.rippling.com/privacy)=C2=A0=C2=A0|=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0[Unsubscribe](htt= ps://www.rippling.com/06741456066933719627-22348?email-type=3Dnewsletter&Em= ail=3Dalvarochf@traceseis.com "Unsubscribe") 430 CALIFORNIA ST, SF, CA 94104 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Rippling Insurance | CA: 0M36087 | NPN: 18578689 [override](https://r.see.rippling.com/mk/un/v2/sh/WCPxRrWByckThluAc3ZDUbPNC= iXKR1KI/u7M99BNZa4c_) [override](https://r.see.rippling.com/mk/un/v2/sh/WCPxRrWByckThluAc3ZDUbPNC= iXKR1KI/u7M99BNZa4c_) ---------?=_96915-1901733092117 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 =F0=9F=AA=AA Identity is the = new perimeter + don't forget the memory shortage
3D"Rippling

JANUARY=C2=A0 2026
<= /a>
<= tr>=
=C2=AD

James Sorrent= i

Editor

Welcome back!=C2=A0And just= like that, it's Tuesday again.


=F0=9F=AA=AA=C2=A0 Today, we'll kick things off with somethin= g we wanted to expand on from last week, and that's the notion of identity = as the new perimeter.=C2=A0


=F0=9F=96=A5=EF=B8=8F=C2=A0 Then we'll run through some (rather= alarming) numbers pertaining to the impending memory shortage and how that= stands to impact your hardware budgets.=C2=A0

=F0=9F=97=93=EF=B8=8F=C2=A0 And throughout, as= always, we'll invite you to a bunch of cool events you can and should defi= nitely join if you're free.=C2=A0


=

Let's jump in, shall we?=C2=A0

=
=C2=AD
<= /td>
=C2=AD

=F0=9F=AA=AA= =C2=A0 Identity is the New Perimeter
<= table cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0" role=3D"presentation= " width=3D"504" align=3D"center" class=3D"r11-o" style=3D"table-layout: fix= ed; width: 504px;">
<= table cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0" role=3D"presentation= " width=3D"100%" align=3D"center" class=3D"r0-o" style=3D"table-layout: fix= ed; width: 100%;"> <= /tr>

Why break in= , when you could log in?=C2=A0

<= br>

That's the question threat actors are increas= ingly asking -- or, well, answering -- as identity abuse becomes a dominant= attack vector.=C2=A0


We touched on this last week, while we were looking at cybersecurity fo= recasts for the coming year, and today we're going to dig a level deeper to= give some more context.


Much of the concern here revolves around agentic AI. Firms like Gar= tner and Forrester are warning that autonomous AI assistants -- often armed= with high-level permissions but zero identity governance -- will become a = favorite backdoor entry point for hackers, making identity-first security a= necessity for a lot of organizations today. (Our very own Todd Horner gave= a presentation touching on this issue at SpiceWorld, if you want to check that out.= )


= Furthermore, data from Microsoft last year shows roughly 4 out of 5 breache= s involve stolen but valid credentials, with CrowdStrike reporting 79% of i= ntrusions are now malware-free.


So if you're treating IP blocking and firewall patching as yo= ur primary defenses, you're still fighting the last war. The bad guys aren'= t hacking anymore. They're authenticating.


What you can do now:


Audit who has access to= what and revoke the rest. Start with your most privileged account= s (admins, finance, HR) and work backward. Orphaned accounts and over-provi= sioned permissions are attackers' easiest ways in.

Implement session timeout policies and= monitor for suspicious login patterns. If someone's logging in fr= om Denver at 2pm and Singapore at 2:05pm, that's uh... not possible! Treat = it as such.=C2=A0

Get a baseline on your access hygiene. Download our=C2=A010-Point Access Hygiene Checklist<= /strong> to identify gaps in your identity security posture and get= practical steps to close them.


Don't panic= ! There's still time! Tomorrow, I'll be sitting down with the CIO of Carall= el to talk about how they've used Rippling to scale their in-house IT opera= tions.


= Come hang out with us = at our usual webinar o=E2=80=99clock, 12p ET / 3p PT.=C2=A0

Register here.
=C2=AD
<= /td>
=C2=AD

=F0=9F=96=A5=EF=B8=8F= =C2=A0 Lest We Forget, We've Got a Memory Shortage

Memory's getting harder to come by. And don't you forget it! I gue= ss we can blame those gluttonous AI tools of ours, huh.


So here's a whole bunch of numbers s= peaking to that phenomenon, and what they actually mean for IT teams.=C2=A0=

47% = =E2=80=94 That's how much Gartner predicts DRAM prices will jump in 2026. N= ot a typo. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have pivoted their production line= s away from the boring old DRAM that goes into laptops and servers, and tow= ard high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centers. Why? Because hyperscal= ers like Microsoft and Google will pay 3x more for the same wafer capacity.=

15% = =E2=80=94 The price hike Dell and Lenovo have already warned customers abou= t for enterprise PCs. Some vendors are getting creative (read: desperate) a= nd selling pre-built systems without RAM included just to keep list prices = competitive. Framework stopped selling standalone memory modules entirely t= o prevent scalping.

31% =E2=80=94 The percentage of small companies (>100 employe= es) that handle PC refreshes on an as-needed basis, according to a year-end= survey from our friends at Spiceworks. If that's you, this memory shortage= is about to get personal. Ad-hoc purchasing means you're competing for scr= aps after the hyperscalers claim their supply.

The move: If you've got any hard= ware purchases planned for Q1 or Q2, you might want to get on that now. Gar= tner's advice for servers and storage: check your infrastructure utilizatio= n first. If you can operate with a 30% buffer instead of buying at today's = inflated prices, wait it out.=C2=A0


But as far as PCs g= o, you might want to buy what you need now. Paying for extended security up= dates might actually be cheaper than replacing aging hardware at sky-high p= rices this year.
=
=C2=AD
=C2=AD
=
<= /tr>


Back in her day, Rhonda (that's her on the left!) ma= de do with 32 MB of SDRAM. But maybe that's why she's riding off into the s= unset.

And if you have no idea who or what I'm talking about, check = out the video here= .


Also very glad to continue promoting a couple of g= reat events for all things #CertifiedDestroyed this month, so rea= d on for the full calendar.
<= /tr>


=E2=99=BB=EF=B8=8F =C2=A0First, for anybody in th= e Bay Area, come join our E-Waste Dropoff Day on January 24th, an event we= =E2=80=99re co-hosting with some of our pals from the Mac Admins Foundation= . Bring your old chargers, monitors, cables, and forgotten tech clutter and= give it a secure, sustainable sendoff. It=E2=80=99s gonna be messy, and it= =E2=80=99s gonna be fun.=C2=A0= Register here.=C2=A0
=

=F0=9F=A5=83 =C2=A0On top of that, we=E2= =80=99re hosting a giant virtual whisky tasting and Device Buyback Q&A with= free tasting kits available for the=C2=A0first 300 RSVPs.=C2=A0That=E2=80=99s a lot of booze, folks. We'l= l need some help with that! So come join us on the 29th. You can=C2=A0register here.
=C2=AD
=C2=AD

Some light reading
=

= =E2=9C=85=C2=A0= Read:=C2=A0Anthrop= ic joins OpenAI's push into health care with new Claude tools=C2=A0<= span style=3D"font-family: basel, arial; color: rgb(24, 24, 24);">(NBC News)=C2=A0


=E2=9C=85=C2=A0Read:=C2=A0More than 100 new tech unicorns were min= ted in 2025 =E2=80=94 here they are=C2=A0(<= u>TechCrunch)


=E2=9C=85=C2=A0Read:=C2=A0How to end the IT blame game (CIO<= /u>)


<= span class=3D"fr-emoticon fr-deletable" id=3D"isPasted" style=3D"color: rgb= (24, 24, 24); font-family: basel, arial;">=E2=9C=85=C2=A0Read:=C2=A0Neoclouds size up enterprise opportunit= ies=C2=A0(CIO Dive)

=E2=9C=85=C2=A0Read: Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is launching its own AI infrastru= cture initiative (TechCrunch)
=C2=AD
<= /table>
=C2=AD

Got an IT horr= or story?
<= tr>

Share with the class! We'= re looking for any and all submissions, rants very much included, to be fea= tured in a future edition of Group Therapy.

Give us your thoughts here.=C2=A0Hope to hear from you soon.=C2=A0


Till n= ext time, folks.
=
= =C2=AD
=
=C2=AD

If you received this newsletter via an email forward, =C2=A0<= span style=3D"font-family: basel, arial; font-size: 14px;">Subscribe Her= e
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<= /table>
<= tr>
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430 CALIFORNIA ST, SF, CA 94104

=C2=A0

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Rippling Insurance | CA: 0M36087 | NPN: 18578689
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= <= /table>

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