As software agents evolve to handle more critical workloads and become enhanced with AI, they will also need digital identities to create auditability and prevent unauthorized access. For example, a manager’s approval might be required to use an AI on a data set, so having identities for the manager, AI, and the data set become a necessary foundation.

By using the same protocols across personnel, devices, software agents, and other organizational resources, it’s possible to specify granular permissioning across all your systems.

To prevent large-scale hacks and vulnerabilities, Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) have emerged as a best practice for detailed inventory of all components used in software to automatically detect and respond to vulnerabilities. Through digital verifiable credentials, organizations can achieve reuse of component audits with improved auditability, saving thousands of developer hours in compliance processes.

For example, It also becomes possible to link specific software artifacts with IAM users or external vendors, allowing for policies such as requiring identity re-verification before pushing critical code updates to production.

Organizations can create digital verifiable credentials for their personnel and entities, whether they belong to the organization or are external. Digital employee badges or temporary visitor badges built on the same secure technology as digital driver’s licenses can be used for provisioning and de-provisioning access both online and offline.

IDs for organizations can streamline business processes such as vendor relationship management, contracting, supply chain management, and regulatory compliance. For example, interoperable vendor profiles can be shared across different departments or subsidiaries to create simplified procurement processes.