The growing digitalization of processes, the emergence of artificial intelligence and an increasingly demanding regulatory framework are accelerating a paradigm shift: it is no longer enough to protect access, it is also necessary to guarantee who acts, with what permissions and under what level of supervision. This is elevating digital identity to the rank of essential as a strategic element for proper business continuity in all types of organizations.
Redtrust, based on the conclusions drawn in the discussion forums at its annual event, has identified five trends that place identity as a strategic priority for companies, something that will become more pronounced in the coming years:
1. Digital identity is no longer just the responsibility of IT
The use of digital certificates has spread far beyond technology departments. Areas such as tax, treasury, human resources, legal, purchasing or business development use digital credentials daily to interact with public administrations, financial entities and other organizations.
This growth multiplies the number of users and makes it essential to have mechanisms that allow us to know who uses each digital identity, when they do it and for what purpose.
2. Regulation requires greater control and traceability
Regulations such as DORA, NIS2 or eIDAS 2.0 are raising the level of demands on the management of digital identities and access to critical systems.
Organizations need to demonstrate that they have adequate controls over the use of digital certificates, maintain activity logs, and reduce risks associated with shared identities or manual processes. Digital identity thus ceases to be solely a cybersecurity issue and also becomes a regulatory compliance and risk management requirement.
3. AI agents, a key challenge for the control of digital identity
The incorporation of AI agents capable of executing tasks, accessing platforms or starting processes presents a new scenario for companies.
The question is no longer just who accesses a system, but who actually acts when an action is executed by an intelligent agent. Guaranteeing the authorization, supervision and traceability of these actions will be one of the main challenges in the coming years.
4. Manual identity management has reached its limit
Many organizations continue to manage digital certificates using manual procedures or tools that are poorly prepared for the current volume of operations. However, the increase in users and use cases makes centralized management increasingly necessary that allows us to know at all times who uses each credential, avoid the sharing of identities and have evidence in the event of audits or security incidents.
5. Digital identity will be the basis of digital trust
The increase in fraud, the sophistication of cyberattacks and the expansion of artificial intelligence are placing digital identity at the center of digital trust.
In the coming years, the ability to verify identities, securely delegate permissions and guarantee the traceability of any action will be a key factor in promoting the digitalization of companies, public administrations and citizens.
«Today AI continues to function mainly as an assistant, but the real change will come when it begins to act as an agent capable of executing actions. At that time, each agent will need their own digital identity, with defined permissions and governance mechanisms that allow them to always know who is doing what.points out Daniel Rodríguez, CEO of Redtrust.
