The need to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access and theft has never been greater, and cybersecurity and IAM technologies are evolving to meet this challenge while providing users with more convenience.
There are three key trends to watch in cybersecurity and IAM:
Organizations will prioritize identity-centric zero trust security
Zero trust is a security model that assumes that all users, devices and applications are potentially compromised and should not be trusted by default. Instead, zero trust requires that all access to resources is verified and authorized on a per-user and per-device basis. Simply put, zero trust means taking an “assume you’ve been breached” approach, which means that you should never trust and always verify.
In an identity-centric zero trust model, identity becomes the foundation of security. It means robust identity (known users and devices), strong authentication and appropriate dynamic authorization. It takes the form of continuous adaptive trust, with companies monitoring users’ biometric, behavioral, and context-based data in real time to continuously confirm their identity and access based on policies.
Many individual vendors who offer identity-centric zero and continuous adaptive trust claim that their solutions are the ultimate answer, but zero trust is not a single-vendor solution. The real solution involves cybersecurity companies coming together around more aligned definitions of zero trust. No-code orchestration can help multiple vendors integrate to achieve zero trust and other broad identity-related concepts such as identity fabric.
Increased focus on flexible integration frameworks
The new frontier of identity security is flexible integration frameworks. Hard coding experiences are becoming a thing of the past as one of the most significant trends in cybersecurity and IAM is the move towards flexible integration frameworks. Many organizations have complex heterogeneous IT infrastructures that consist of multiple systems and applications that need to be secured. The challenge is to ensure that all these disparate systems can be integrated and managed effectively, while still maintaining a high level of security.
Traditionally, organizations have relied on a piecemeal approach to cybersecurity, implementing different security solutions to achieve the desired outcomes with varying levels of success that is often suboptimal. This approach can be cumbersome and can lead to security gaps that can be exploited by cybercriminals. To overcome this challenge, many organizations are adopting more flexible integration frameworks that allow them to manage their security solutions holistically.
Identity orchestration provides simplicity and reduces dependency on developers, which speeds up deployment time and improves IT agility. It allows companies to choose vendors and integrations that fit into their existing identity tech stack. The benefits are that enterprises can tailor their user journeys while optimizing the balance between user experience and security. It also avoids vendor lock-in to proprietary systems that force companies to operate in silos and use custom coding. Enterprises can have a faster reaction time to evolving threats.
Decentralized identity is becoming a reality
Decentralized identity refers to the paradigm-shifting concept of identity management that is not controlled by any centralized authority. With a decentralized identity, users can control their own identity information and decide who has access to it.
Decentralized identity solutions have the potential to revolutionize the way that organizations manage identity and access. By providing users with greater control over their identity information, decentralized identity solutions can help to reduce the risk of identity theft and data breaches. Additionally, decentralized identity solutions can make it easier for organizations to manage identity across multiple systems and applications.
This is the year that more businesses will begin to embrace decentralized identity. If users present preauthorized, verifiable digital credentials for transactions online or in person; enterprises will no longer need to take on the role of storing and managing user data. Once this burden is alleviated, companies can save money and reduce the risk of reputational damage caused by breaches.
Enterprises can provide better user experiences if digital credentials are used because rather than requiring users to complete lengthy registration forms or applications, customers can scan a QR code, for instance, to provide all their needed identity information. Identity becomes far more portable and reusable within decentralized identity trust framework.