International. HID released its annual industry report, which gathers the perspectives of 2,600 partners, end users, and IT and security professionals from around the world.
The report offers a unique perspective, spanning a wide diversity of organizational roles and sizes, representing more than 11 industries.
The report takes a closer look at the fundamental concerns that are shaping emerging innovations and the technologies that make them possible, helping security leaders anticipate and adapt to dynamic industry challenges. Administered in the fall of 2023, this year's survey reveals six key themes.
Omnipresence of Mobile Identity
Given the widespread use of mobile devices, their adoption in identity verification continues to gain traction. End users surveyed estimate that within the next five years, nearly 80% of organizations will have mobile IDs. This optimism is even more pronounced among industry partners, who project that 94% of their customers will adopt this technology in the same period.
Using Multi-Factor Authentication
More than 83% of end users surveyed indicate that their organization currently uses multi-factor authentication (MFA), primarily due to password vulnerabilities. For many, this marks a first step on the broader path to a model of strict and continuous authentication (known as Zero Trust).
This approach to security urges organizations to maintain rigorous access controls and not automatically trust anyone, always verifying the identity of users, whether internal or external. The data provided by the survey reveal that this model has been implemented in 16% of organizations with more than 100,000 employees and in 14% of those with up to 10,000 employees.
With MFA becoming widespread, the eventual end of passwords is imminent. The creation of new standards such as FIDO (Fast Identity Online) which uses 'standard public key cryptography techniques to provide phishing-resistant authentication', will pave the way for new and more secure authentication options that will be part of a more robust Zero Trust architecture.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important
Among HID respondents, sustainability continues to rank high as a priority for companies. This is reflected in the high rating given to it by both end-users and partners, an average of "4" on a scale of 1 to 5.
In addition, 74% of end users point to an increase in the relevance of sustainability in the last year, a figure that rises to 80% among partners, who perceive an increase in the importance that their customers assign to this factor.
Against this backdrop, it is foreseeable that the emphasis on solutions that promote energy efficiency, reduce waste and optimize the use of resources will be maintained and reinforced. The transition to cloud solutions and the increase in the use of mobile devices are emerging as two essential strategies to achieve these sustainability goals.
Advancement of biometrics
In this year's survey, 39% of installers and integrators report that their customers are already using fingerprint or palm technologies, while 30% point to the use of facial recognition.
This trend toward adoption continues to gain traction, with 8% of respondents planning to test or implement some form of biometrics in the next year and 12% plan to do so in the next three to five years.
Identity Management, to the Cloud
Nearly half of end users are migrating to cloud identity management, with 24 percent already using these solutions, while another 24 percent are in the process of deploying them.
Industry partners report that their customers face several obstacles on the path to full adoption, including reliance on legacy equipment or on-premises infrastructure (28%), budget constraints (24%), and the perception that cloud identity is not a business priority (21%).
AI for Analytic Use Cases
Artificial Intelligence has become a predominant topic in the business world, in fact, many security professionals see its analytical capabilities as an accessible and high-value opportunity for their operations.
Rather than waiting for AI to redefine the entire security system, you can leverage its analytical capabilities for tangible and immediate benefits. In this context, 35% of end users plan to test or implement some AI functionality in the next three to five years, while 15% are already using AI-enabled biometrics solutions.
Access the full report online, with additional global data and a detailed analysis of the topics covered.
