Trust in digital identity is under attack — here’s how to protect it
Without strong cyber resilience, digital identity systems risk collapsing under increasing threats, making trust harder to build and even harder to regain.
In the digital age, trust has become the foundation of how people access services, verify identity and interact with society. Yet rising cyber threats are putting that trust at risk.
France’s data watchdog recently reported a 20 percent rise in personal data breaches in 2024, affecting over a million citizens—evidence that cyber resilience must come first when shaping our digital identity systems.
Rather than relying on reactive fixes, digital identity must be secure by design, from biometric authentication to data storage. Identity is now the key to everything from payments to healthcare, making it both a gateway and a target for cyberattacks.
Projects like Australia’s and Queensland’s digital wallets show that secure, user-friendly systems are achievable when prioritising security and inclusivity.
The upcoming European Digital Identity Wallet could unify identity systems across borders, but only if citizens feel their data is safe, and businesses benefit from adopting it. Without trust, even the most sophisticated technology will struggle to gain support.
True resilience means assuming threats will happen and preparing systems to adapt and respond immediately—empowering users with control over their data instead of keeping them in the dark.
To fight digital fraud, stronger tools are needed: AI-based fraud detection, advanced biometrics, and zero-trust models that continuously monitor behaviour. But the real solution lies in collaboration.
Governments, tech firms and the public must work together to build identity systems that are inclusive, secure and interoperable. Because once trust is established, everything else, from innovation to service delivery, can thrive.
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