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Government tech isn’t broken. It’s just missing the keys. And Nate and Burch think it’s time to change the locks.
In this episode, Jamie sits down with Nate McKervey, CEO of Subkeys, and Burch, Prince of Puns at Subkeys, to unpack how virtual API keys are unlocking a new era of public sector modernization.
With analog APIs acting more like snail mail, Subkeys is flipping the model, turning them into smart locks that offer precision access, airtight security, and scalable efficiency. It’s not just about making government tech faster. It’s about making it smarter.
They dive into:
- Why most APIs are built for yesterday’s internet,
- How virtual keys can simplify compliance and strengthen security,
- What proactive API management looks like in high-stakes environments,
- Why better APIs mean better services for everyone, and much more!
Virtual API keys aren’t just a better way to manage access, they’re the foundation for a safer, smarter, and more adaptable public sector. If you’re thinking about the next chapter of government tech, this is where it begins.
About Nate
Nate McKervey is the CEO of Subkeys, an innovative platform for API key virtualization. Before founding Subkeys, he spent over a decade at Splunk, where he was the company’s first TS/SCI-cleared hire in professional services, supporting public sector clients. At Splunk, he later led technical marketing and spearheaded Web3 product development. Prior to that, Nate worked at L3Harris, focusing on mission-critical networks. His unique data analysis projects have earned him features on national television, as well as in Sports Illustrated and Wired magazine. Fun fact, Nate competed in the Rubik’s Cube World Championship.
About Burch
Burch is the Prince of Puns at Subkeys.io, leading the Go-To-Market organization. Before joining Subkeys, he spent 9+ years at Splunk, doing everything from developer advocacy to sales engineering—basically, if there was a way to talk about Splunk, he found it. In fact, he once set a company record by presenting 11 sessions at a single .conf, which some call impressive and others call “a cry for help.” While no longer performing improv on stage, he brings his love of quick thinking and comedy to his work. Combine that with his passion for technology, toss in Subkeys.io, and out you get Burch making API authentication… fun?
Guest Quotes
“ We crafted a Splunk search so we could look at the logs and see if somebody was trying to exploit that vulnerability. If you virtualize keys, you can do the same thing. So you can look for that targeted, that well-crafted API call. You can search for that and alert on it in real time. So not only do you block it, but you also can identify the region of where the carefully crafted attack came from. So it's not only a block, but it allows you to turn the defense into a little bit of an offense.” - Nate McKervey
“The part that really blows my mind is the concept of virtual keys provides data that just didn't exist. And it's so critical, but it was just, just didn't exist…The data is huge because we can't even imagine what then becomes possible when you take that data and you feed it into AI. And now we can say, oh, this is abnormal behavior for this key. Or we take that data and coalesce it with security items. Or we take that data and we now have cost control, eliminating license. We're paying for this one service. No one's actually making any calls. So things like that, the possibilities of ways that we can improve our lives become incredible once you have visibility.” - Burch
Time Stamps
00:00 - Episode Start
04:37 Subkeys’ mission
05:55 What is an API?
10:17 Importance of API keys and virtual keys
38:42 Modernizing constituent services with APIs
50:36 Breaking down the Kubernetes breach
01:02:38 Future of AI and API management
01:13:25 The Roundup
01:27:37 A look at what Subkeys can do
Sponsor
Ever To Conquer is brought to you by RedLeif, a digital agency focused on accelerating the modernization and security of public sector data. Visit RedLeif.io to learn more.
Links
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Get in touch with Nate and Burch at contact@subkeys.io
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