Digital Identity vs. Digital ID

Publication Date: October 2024

Introduction

A famous (and still relevant) cartoon from 1993 (Figure 1) insightfully portrayed Internet online anonymity, which exemplified the potential needs for actually verifying who or what is actually on the other end of online and offline digital transactions. With the arrival and increased adoption of Digital Identities and using Digital Identifiers (Digital IDs) to access online and other services, trusting, and verifying end users is essential to combat fraud and misuse.

Figure 1 – Trust is a constant challenge

Linking a Digital Identity to an individual through identity information, and optionally a biometric strengthens the level of assurance or trust levels at the creation of Digital Identities and using Digital IDs. Other mechanisms can be used to provide a greater level of assurance in addition to traditional methods.

The stronger the connection of the individual to a Digital Identity, the lower the risk to providers accepting them to provide access to their trusted services.

This paper intends to define and clarify the various manifestations of Digital Identities that a person or non-person (e.g., device) entity may have, and the various Digital Identifiers/IDs that a Digital Identity may possess in order to gain access to desired services and other resources. Future projects will explore each of these areas in detail.