HID Global analyzed that global organizations' security strategies are being reorganized around identity management, and presented seven key security trends in its "2026 State of Security and Identity Report." The report highlighted building trust, strengthening protection, and ensuring user choice as key axes.

On March 3, HID Global announced the release of its "2026 State of Security and Identity Report." The report is based on a survey of 1,500 security and IT professionals, end users, and industry partners worldwide.

According to the report, 73% of respondents cited identity management as their top priority. Organizations are moving beyond individual credential systems to a governance framework that integrates physical and digital environments. Mobile credentials were found to be introduced primarily for enhanced security rather than convenience, and biometric technology is expanding beyond multi-factor authentication (MFA) to become a core access control tool.

HID Global identified seven key trends: △Advanced identity management strategies, △Proliferation of mobile credentials, △Expansion of biometric access control, △Mainstreaming of real-time location services (RTLS), △Acceleration of convergence of physical and digital identities, △Infrastructure of radio frequency identification (RFID), and △Investment centered on integrated identity and security platforms. RTLS adoption is expanding, particularly in the healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics industries, while RFID is becoming established as operational infrastructure for asset tracking and inventory management. Organizations are shifting their investment strategies from standalone solutions to integrated platforms.

However, budget constraints, the complexity of system integration, and privacy and ethical concerns were identified as key challenges. Ramesh Songukrishnasami, HID Global Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, stated that security leaders are focusing on modernizing their access control and identity infrastructure, strengthening governance, protections, and transparency to ensure long-term trust. He added that organizations that provide stakeholders with real solution choices while maintaining robust security will gain a competitive edge.

The report reflects responses from a variety of industries, including healthcare, education, government, finance, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure, and also includes perspectives from end users and security system partners. The full report can be found on the HID Global website.