Identity trends in 2018

1 April 2018 Editor's Choice, Access Control & Identity Management

HID Global has identified the top trends in the identity technology industry for 2018. The company points towards increased cloud and mobile access adoption, more focus on securing the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics as some of the top trends that will take centre stage in developing more intelligent, connected experiences this year.

“Trusted identities will emerge this year as the fundamental building blocks for organisations to create environments that connect people, places and things,” said Samuel Asarnoj, senior vice president corporate strategy and business development with HID Global. “The user experience will be redefined by mobile, IoT and cloud technologies and deliver new capabilities for the future.”

HID Global sees five significant trends in 2018 that will influence how organisations leverage the power of trusted identities.

Embracing the benefits of the cloud

• Increased awareness of the cloud’s ease of deployment, flexibility, connectivity options and productivity benefits will escalate adoption. Access control cloud platforms with APIs and SDKs will fuel new software solutions that expand choices for organisations to get the most out of their investments. Cloud-based card issuance will drive adoption due to its simplicity, security and cost structure, while governments increasingly investigate how printed IDs can be complemented by cloud-issued mobile citizen IDs.

• Cloud authentication and credential management will further integrate mobile devices, tokens, cards and machine-to-machine endpoints. And digital certificates in the IoT will draw upon the trusted cloud services to deliver and manage certificates across thousands of devices.

Focus on securing the IoT

• Digital certificates will become a core component for adding trust in the IoT by issuing unique digital IDs to printers and encoders, mobile phones, tablets, video cameras and building automation systems, plus a broader range of things like connected cars and medical devices.

• Apple iOS 11 ‘read’ support of NFC will fuel adoption of IoT-based applications such as brand protection, customer loyalty programmes and other use cases that will further drive the need to enhance security in the IoT.

Mobile access reaches tipping point

• 2017 was the year mobile access went mainstream and adoption will accelerate even further in 2018. Maturity in mobile solutions and integration into other systems, coupled with mobile’s ability to enhance user ­convenience, improve operational efficiency and provide higher security will drive accelerated growth for mobile access and mainstream adoption.

• Card emulation, the NFC mode most coveted for mobile access control, remains reserved exclusive to Apple Pay; this leaves Bluetooth as the communication standard for cross-platform mobile access support. Still, organisations will invest in readers and other infrastructure that supports NFC and BLE to prepare for future possibilities.

Convergence of physical and digital security

• The concept of Physical Identity & Access Management (PIAM) will drive convergence of physical and digital security to a single credential, putting identity at the centre of all use cases. Government, finance, energy and other regulated markets will emerge as the forerunners using these solutions for secure access to buildings, email, websites and VPN.

• New converged identity models that use cloud authentication and mobile devices are also emerging, such as the ability to verify a person’s presence at a location, mobile IDs that validate physical citizen IDs, and smartcards that authenticate users to enterprise resources.

Data analytics will drive risk-based intelligence

• Devices, access control systems, IoT applications and other solutions connected to the cloud will provide robust data for advanced analytics. Insights from these analytics can be used to optimise workflow solutions and provide more seamless access for end-users.

• Predictive analytics and biometrics will play a crucial role in people-centric security and address employee demands for workplaces to deliver premium, more individualised services. Analytics will also help reduce downtime in the enterprise, spur factory automation and improve compliance via condition monitoring that is based on real-time location and sensing solutions.





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

South African fire standards in a nutshell
Fire & Safety Editor's Choice Training & Education
The importance of compliant fire detection systems and proper fire protection cannot be overstated, especially for businesses. Statistics reveal that 44% of businesses fail to reopen after a fire.

Read more...
LidarVision for substation security
Fire & Safety Government and Parastatal (Industry) Editor's Choice
EG.D supplies electricity to 2,7 million people in the southern regions of the Czech Republic, on the borders of Austria and Germany. The company operates and maintains infrastructure, including power lines and high-voltage transformer substations.

Read more...
Standards for fire detection
Fire & Safety Associations Editor's Choice
In previous articles in the series on fire standards, Nick Collins discussed SANS 10400-T and SANS 10139. In this editorial, he continues with SANS 322 – Fire Detection and Alarm Systems for Hospitals.

Read more...
Wildfires: a growing global threat
Editor's Choice Fire & Safety
Regulatory challenges and litigation related to wildfire liabilities are on the rise, necessitating robust risk management strategies and well-documented wildfire management plans. Technological innovations are enhancing detection and suppression capabilities.

Read more...
Biometric security key for phishing-resistant MFA
Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management
New FIDO-compliant USB, Bluetooth, and NFC BioKeys with biometric login and centralised management for phishing-resistant, passwordless multifactor authentication (MFA) for enterprise users.

Read more...
Winners of the 2025 Southern Africa OSPAs
Editor's Choice
The winners of the 2025 Southern Africa Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) were revealed on Wednesday, 4th June, at Securex South Africa. Winners from all categories (except the Lifetime Achievement) will be featured in the second Global OSPAs set to take place in 2026.

Read more...
Gallagher Security releases OneLink
Gallagher Animal Management Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management
Gallagher Security has announced OneLink, a cloud-based solution that makes it faster, easier and more cost-effective to deploy security anywhere in the world, transforming how security can be delivered to remote sites and distributed infrastructure.

Read more...
Deepfakes and digital trust
Editor's Choice
By securing the video right from the specific camera that captured it, there is no need to prove the chain of custody for the video, you can verify the authenticity at every step.

Read more...
A new generational framework
Editor's Choice Training & Education
Beyond Generation X, and Millennials, Dr Chris Blair discusses the seven decades of technological evolution and the generations they defined, from the 1960’s Mainframe Cohort, to the 2020’s AI Navigators.

Read more...
Suprema unveils BioStar Air
Suprema neaMetrics News & Events Access Control & Identity Management Infrastructure
Suprema launches BioStar Air, the first cloud-based access control platform designed to natively support biometric authentication and feature true zero-on-premise architecture. BioStar Air simplifies deployment and scales effortlessly to secure SMBs, multi-branch companies, and mixed-use buildings.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.