Gartner Research

Portable Digital Identity: Definition and Approaches

Published: 29 November 2023

Summary

While decentralized identity is one possible future for PDI, major ecosystem vendors are building alternative approaches. IAM-focused security and risk management leaders must track developments, and assess risks and benefits of existing PDI approaches to decide which one works for their use case.

Included in Full Research

Overview

Key Findings
  • The market for portable digital identity (PDI) is expansive, confusing and ill-defined. Identity and access management (IAM) practitioners and vendors tend to use various — and sometimes conflicting — definitions when discussing digital identity.

  • While massive centralized stores of identity data have become commonplace, the holders of those identity stores have largely proven untrustworthy in protecting them against breaches.

  • Some governments are establishing electronic means to identify, and interact with, their citizens for the purposes of delivering government services or collecting taxes on earnings. However, access and availability for the private sector to use those IDs are limited to nonexistent.

  • On

Clients can log in to view the entire document.

Access Research

Already a Gartner client?

To view this research and much more, become a client.

Speak with a Gartner specialist to learn how you can access peer and practitioner research backed by proprietary data, insights, advice and tools to help you achieve stronger performance.

By clicking the "Continue" button, you are agreeing to the Gartner Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

AskGartner: The AI-powered tool our clients use to find trusted Gartner insights, instantly.

AskGartner | Discover the new AI-powered tool to access trusted Gartner insights

Gartner research: Trusted insight for executives and their teams

What is Gartner research?

Gartner research, which includes in-depth proprietary studies, peer and industry best practices, trend analysis and quantitative modeling, enables us to offer innovative approaches that can help you drive stronger, more sustainable business performance.

Gartner research is unique, thanks to:

Independence and objectivity

Our independence as a research firm enables our experts to provide unbiased advice you can trust.

Actionable insights

Not only is Gartner research unbiased, it also contains key take-aways and recommendations for impactful next steps.

Proprietary methodologies

Our research practices and procedures distill large volumes of data into clear, precise recommendations.

Gartner research is just one of our many offerings.

We provide actionable, objective insight to help organizations make smarter, faster decisions to stay ahead of disruption and accelerate growth.

Tap into our experts

We offer one-on-one guidance tailored to your mission-critical priorities.

Pick the right tools and providers

We work with you to select the best-fit providers and tools, so you avoid the costly repercussions of a poor decision.

Create a network

Connect directly with peers to discuss common issues and initiatives and accelerate, validate and solidify your strategy.

©2022 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner’s prior written permission. It consists of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Although Gartner research may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its research should not be construed or used as such. Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartner’s Usage Policy. Gartner prides itself on its reputation for independence and objectivity. Its research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from any third party. For further information, see Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity.