Building Digital Trust: A Complete Guide to Modern Identity Management
Understanding Digital Identity: Unlocking the Key to Seamless Digital Experiences
Digital identity bridges our physical selves and our online interactions in today’s interconnected world. It’s more than just a username and password—it’s the core of our digital experiences, influencing how we access services, make transactions, and verify who we are. But what exactly is digital identity, and why should it matter to you?
What is Digital Identity
At its essence, digital identity is a collection of data points that represent you in the digital realm. These data points include your email address, phone number, and even biometric information, such as fingerprints or facial features. Together, they create a profile that lets you log in, access government services, make online purchases, and more—all without needing to prove yourself physically.
For example, when you sign in to an online banking app, your digital identity helps verify that it's really you accessing your account. This could involve using your password, a one-time code sent to your phone, or even facial recognition.
Every time you log into a website, verify a payment, or access a secure app, your digital identity is at work. It’s like an invisible passport that allows you to navigate the online world seamlessly. Just like in the physical world, ensuring that this passport is secure and trustworthy is crucial.
Why Digital Identity Matters
As we transition more of our lives online, the importance of digital identity has grown exponentially. It’s no longer just about convenience; it’s about ensuring privacy, protecting against fraud, and streamlining access to vital services. Imagine being able to prove who you are instantly to access healthcare, complete financial transactions, or interact with government services—all while being confident that your information is safe.
The adoption of robust digital identity systems enhances service delivery for citizens and builds trust for businesses. Citizens can access services from the comfort of their homes, while businesses benefit from reduced fraud, improved customer experiences, and less friction during verification processes.
At Servos, we understand the importance of co-creating citizen-first solutions that go beyond typical digital identity systems by focusing on seamless integration, reducing friction, and providing a unified experience for citizens accessing diverse services. As a ServiceNow Elite Partner, we focus on driving digital transformation in the public sector, supporting communities with innovative technology solutions that make the lives of citizens and the teams that support them better. By leveraging the power of the ServiceNow platform, we build citizen-first experiences that replace paper-based applications and slow service times with intuitive, automated workflows.
Levels of Trusted Digital Identity
Digital identity can be categorized into different levels of trust, each representing a different degree of assurance in verifying an individual's identity. These levels help determine the types of services that can be accessed and the security measures required:
Low Assurance Level: At this level, basic identity verification is performed, often relying on easily obtainable information such as email addresses or usernames. This level is typically used for services that require minimal security, like accessing non-sensitive content or creating simple online profiles.
Medium Assurance Level: Here, additional steps are taken to verify the user's identity, often involving two-factor authentication (2FA) or other forms of verification like phone numbers. This level is suitable for accessing services where there is some sensitivity, such as banking apps or personal accounts that require added security.
High Assurance Level: The highest level of identity assurance involves robust verification methods, such as biometric data (fingerprints or facial recognition) or government-issued identity documents. This level is used for accessing highly sensitive information, such as healthcare records or government services that require strong proof of identity.
These assurance levels ensure that citizens and service providers can access appropriate services securely and conveniently. izens benefit from tailored security measures that match the sensitivity of the service, while service providers can deliver efficient, user-friendly experiences that maintain high standards of security.
Managing Digital Identity for Government Services
Managing digital identity effectively is crucial as citizens consume different types of government services. Each service requires a different level of authentication, and ensuring the right balance between security and convenience is key.
For example, accessing general information or submitting non-sensitive applications, such as applying for a camping permit, may require only a low assurance level of authentication. This allows citizens to access services quickly and with minimal barriers, making the process more convenient and encouraging digital engagement.
On the other hand, more sensitive services, like applying for financial assistance or accessing healthcare records, require a high assurance level of identity verification. This may involve multi-factor authentication, biometric verification, or the use of government-issued identity documents to ensure the highest level of security and prevent unauthorized access.
At Servos, we integrate with industry-leading identity providers to provide access to the different levels of required identity verification. By leveraging the ServiceNow platform, we ensure that citizens have the appropriate level of authentication for each type of service they access, creating a unified digital identity management solution. This helps governments offer a seamless experience where citizens can easily access different services based on their unique needs, while maintaining the highest standards of security where it matters most.
Our approach is designed to make digital identity management intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring that citizens feel confident in accessing services, regardless of their technical skills. By automating authentication processes and tailoring security requirements to the level of sensitivity of each service, we make it possible for governments to deliver secure, efficient, and citizen-first services.
Challenges in the Digital Identity Space
However, there are still challenges to address. Many states are dealing with dozens or even hundreds of different authentication providers, making it difficult for citizens to manage multiple logins for various services, such as healthcare portals, tax systems, and public benefit applications. A citizen should not have to remember so many logins to access systems provided by the state. How do we ensure that digital identities are accessible to all, even those without regular internet access or technology skills? How do we protect sensitive information from cyber threats and identity theft? These are questions that governments, technologists, and privacy advocates are grappling with every day.
Balancing security with convenience is a delicate dance. Too much friction, and users become frustrated; too little, and security is compromised. Technologies like blockchain can provide a decentralized and tamper-proof way to manage digital identities, reducing the risk of fraud and data breaches. AI, on the other hand, can help detect suspicious activities and adapt security measures in real-time, making identity systems more resilient. As these technologies advance, we are moving towards a future where digital identities are not just secure but also inclusive and easy to use.
At Servos, we believe in modernizing government for the digital age. We design digital experiences that are beautiful, accessible, and reflective of the unique needs of each state, county, or city. Our goal is to serve citizens more quickly and effectively, ensuring that digital identity solutions are truly citizen-first.
The Future of Digital Identity
Looking ahead, digital identity has the potential to completely transform how we live our experiences. Imagine a world where your digital identity provides seamless access to healthcare services, where proving who you are is as easy as tapping a button, and where your data is fully under your control. The move towards self-sovereign identity—where individuals manage and own their own identity information—is an exciting development that could put more power in the hands of everyday users.
The journey to a fully realized digital identity ecosystem is still ongoing, but one thing is clear: it will play a central role in shaping the future of our digital experiences. By understanding and engaging with this concept today, we can help shape a digital world that is not only more efficient but also safer and more equitable for everyone.
At Servos, we are committed to building unified, cutting-edge solutions on the ServiceNow platform that provide secure, stable environments for digital identities, replacing legacy systems with a single, cohesive data model. Our ServosGov solutions are designed specifically for government needs, from grants management to citizen services, ensuring that every interaction is smooth, efficient, and secure.
Conclusion
Digital identity is much more than a buzzword—it’s the key to unlocking the true potential of the internet, making it possible for us to interact, transact, and engage securely and effortlessly. As we continue to innovate, understanding the importance of digital identity and advocating for secure, accessible solutions will be crucial.
At Servos, we are ready to partner with governments and communities to co-create the citizen-first digital solutions of the future. Let’s work together to provide citizens with a first-class experience that makes accessing services as seamless as possible.
About the Author
Pat Snow serves as Vice President of State and Local Government Strategy at Servos, following his retirement as CTO of the State of South Dakota in June 2024. During his 28-year career in state government, Pat established South Dakota as a national leader in consolidated IT infrastructure and digital service delivery. At Servos, he continues to drive digital transformation in the public sector, helping agencies deliver more efficient and accessible services through the ServiceNow platform.