According to digital identity specialists at Ping Identity, the coming year will see rapid growth in digital wallets, decentralised identity, and continuous monitoring of both human and machine identities, driven largely by the rise of AI-enabled cyber threats.
Below is our summary and interpretation of the key themes from the article by Shannon Williams, journalist at SecurityBrief, shared in plain language for business leaders and IT professionals alike.
Digital Wallets and Decentralised Identity Are Accelerating
Governments and organisations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas are expanding digital identity frameworks. Digital wallets and smartphone-based credentials are increasingly used for:
- Financial services.
- Travel.
- Government and public-sector services.
However, as adoption grows, so does concern around identity theft and social engineering.
Alex Laurie, GTM CTO at Ping Identity, notes that:
- Public anxiety about identity misuse remains high.
- AI is enabling highly realistic phishing scams, fake government portals, and fraudulent payment pages.
- These attacks are becoming harder for individuals to detect.
To address this, decentralised identity models are gaining attention.
Why decentralised identity matters:
- Individuals retain greater control over their personal data.
- Only the minimum required information is shared (selective disclosure).
- Cryptographic verification improves trust and reduces exposure.
- This approach helps counter increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks.
The New Cyber Front Line: Identity in Real Time
Russ Kirby, Chief Information Security Officer at Ping Identity, argues that by 2026, the traditional cyber perimeter will effectively disappear.
Instead, the new front line will be “Identity at Runtime” — the continuous, real-time monitoring of what identities are doing, not just who they are.
Key shifts include:
- Security can no longer rely solely on credentials or login checks
- Behaviour matters more than static access rights
- Trust must be assessed continuously, in real time
The Rise of Autonomous AI and Machine Identities
One of the biggest changes ahead is the rapid growth of autonomous AI agents, sometimes described as agentic identities.
These AI agents:
- Act like non-human employees
- Perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with systems
- Require the same level of governance and oversight as human users
Failing to manage these identities properly creates:
- Fast-moving blind spots
- Increased risk of misuse or compromise
- Difficulty tracing accountability when something goes wrong
Shadow AI and the Limits of Static Controls
Another growing concern is Shadow AI — AI tools and services used without formal approval or oversight.
According to Ping Identity:
- Traditional, static security controls are ineffective against these threats
- AI-driven risks evolve too quickly for periodic checks
Instead, organisations must move toward:
- Continuous identity monitoring
- Real-time behavioural analysis
- Mapping every action, process, and workload back to an authenticated identity
This approach allows defenders to:
- Detect abnormal behaviour immediately
- Block malicious activity the moment it deviates from normal patterns
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