The evolution of access control and identity management has been a long, slow journey. About ten years ago, laptops introduced the first fingerprint readers. And it was another five years before those readers became common. An entire decade passed before we could unlock smartphones with a fingerprint, and about five years later we began seeing the first biometric alternatives to passwords.
Today, the field of identity management is introducing many new solutions that far exceed expectations. Get ahead of the curve and be ready for 2022 and beyond by digging deeper into the trends that are changing and redefining access control systems.
Industry Insiders
These days, there’s a lot of buzz around identity management. Many of the biggest companies, such as Google, Facebook, and Apple, are developing new solutions for next-generation identity management.
Before diving in, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the terminology and buzzwords used when talking about identity management:
- PII: Personally Identifiable Information
- SSN: Social Security Number
- NPI: National Provider Identifier
- NPIIS: National Provider Identifier Issuer System (a system that stores and manages NPI data)
- OID: Object Identifier (the unique number assigned to a person, object, or another item)
- IGOV: Identity Governance and Administration (the process through which an organization defines policies for managing access control and administrative rights)
Experts are predicting many trends in identity management over the next ten years. One major trend is the digitization of identification cards. Experts anticipate biometric cards with built-in fingerprint readers that we can use to log into computers and gain access to physical areas. They believe traditional ID cards will soon be replaced with digital solutions.
Experts also anticipate an increase in the use of identity management systems customized to suit the unique needs of different businesses and organizations.
Additionally, looking beyond 2022, experts anticipate a noticeable shift toward the adoption of cloud-based identity management systems over on-premises installations within an organization’s data center.
Key Trends
The world of identity and access management is evolving rapidly. As a business owner or decision-maker, you need to stay up to date on new trends. Below we describe some of the key things to watch out for in the coming year.
The Rise of Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS)
The first trend on our list is the rise of identity-as-a-service (IDaaS). With more people spending more time online than ever before, identity management has become a hot topic—and that is not likely to change anytime soon.
A survey conducted by Statista shows the global impact of the IDaaS market with a valuation approaching 18 billion dollars in the coming years.
IDaaS solutions are growing at an unprecedented rate because they allow businesses to manage users’ identities without the need for an internal IT department to manage them directly.
Emphasis on User Access over Device Access
With the growing prevalence of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environments, companies are moving away from device-level security policies in favor of user-level security policies. Such policies allow users to access their work environment on any device—not just their employer-provided computers or phones. This is an appealing option for employees who bring their own devices into the workplace.
Organizations will increasingly place a higher value on identity governance, which refers to a set of processes that ensure users receive the right level of access based on their roles within the organization. The focus is on making sure employees have access to what they need while limiting access to information they don’t need.
This becomes increasingly important as organizations move away from siloed systems toward ones that allow multiple entry points into their data.
Automated Detection of Compromised Accounts
Advances in automated detection will allow businesses to identify quickly when account credentials have been stolen by a third party. With automated detection systems, businesses can prevent hackers from using stolen credentials to infiltrate critical systems.
Cloud-based Identity and Access Management
Cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) services make it easy for businesses to automate their processes and reduce costs without sacrificing security or user experience.
Organizations are adopting cloud solutions in droves, but the rapid growth of the cloud has multiplied and intensified security concerns. The challenge for IT leaders and the organizations they serve is that a cloud-based environment’s convenience and cost savings are at odds with the need for security.
The increasing adoption of public cloud infrastructure and containers as well as more stringent compliance requirements (such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR) present both a need and an opportunity to improve IAM practices.
When implemented properly, cloud-based access control systems deliver the following benefits:
- Scalability to adjust to the needs of the organization
- Security updates for a better response rate
- Zero downtime
- Mobile-first access management
- Multiple account access control from a single location
- Real-time and remote granting or revocation of access
- Constant data backups
Digital Identity Verification
Digital identification is a crucial authentication factor because it verifies that users are who they claim to be. This is critically important in high-stakes industries, such as banking or healthcare.
As more devices transmit more information around the web and across networks, verifying digital identities is essential for maintaining a high level of security. This is already apparent as many companies are implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA).
Without a doubt, this trend will become increasingly important as the use of connected devices continues to grow. Approximately 10 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices are already in use worldwide, and that number may increase to $25.3 billion by 2030.
Biometric Access Control
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the need for a digital contact recognition system that is safe, secure, and—most importantly—touchless. While facial recognition systems are expensive and hard to implement, biometrics is comparatively cost-effective and efficient.
With remote access enabled on mobile devices, individuals can use their phones with biometrics to open any door. Furthermore, with an IoT central access control center, an entry point can be enabled in any building to gain contactless access to a door.
Contactless biometric technology is on track to represent a staggering $70 billion market by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4%.
Summary
Increasing digitization and connectivity create better conditions for centralized management with an authoritative data source. New technology is helping organizations define and enforce users’ permissions effectively and within a short timeframe.
Oloid specializes in end-to-end access control system management solutions that align with regulatory compliance needs to entirely automate traditional systems. Oloid provides touchless entry solutions that strengthen your authentication infrastructure.
With a broad portfolio and experience with many large-scale deployments, OLOID is a unique player in the access control industry, providing touchless and multi-modal solutions for companies of all sizes. Get in touch with OLOID today to reap the benefits of secure, AI-powered authentication.
