Written by Mae Cornes
“The future of digital identity resides within the minds of our visionary architects as they craft the walls that safeguard our online lives,” says a cybersecurity expert at a recent industry conference.
One such software architect, Nikhil Ghadge, is at Okta—a leading identity and access management firm. He has been leading developments that reshape how we protect our digital identities.
With a Master’s Degree in Computer Science, multiple awards and an 11-year tenure at Okta, Ghadge has progressed from junior software engineer to software architect team lead. His contributions include optimizing user import processes, detecting compromised passwords, and designing sophisticated access control mechanisms.
Rapid Rise of Identity Theft
According to FBI reports, cybercrime losses in the United States soared to a staggering $10.2 billion in 2021, with an identity theft incident occurring every 22 seconds. Government documents and benefits fraud emerged as the most prevalent form of identity theft, tallying 395,948 reported cases.
Despite these alarming statistics, consumer awareness remains inadequate. A mere 14% of individuals utilize virtual private networks (VPNs) to shield their online identities, while 87% have inadvertently left personal information exposed on the internet.
“It’s far easier to impersonate the digital identity of someone than ever before,” cautions Ghadge, referring to modern cybercriminals’ sophisticated tools and methods.
Pioneering Passwordless Authentication
Ghadge recognizes the urgent need for an overhaul in digital identity protection. His primary focus is ensuring the security of clients’ login processes across various applications. Ghadge achieves this by adopting passwordless authentication methods, biometrics, and multifactor authentication.
“Passwords have long been the Achilles’ heel of cybersecurity,” Ghadge asserts. By developing new safety mechanisms, we can drastically reduce cybercriminals’ attack surface.”
His team’s work on Universal Directory (UD), a core product within Okta’s ecosystem, epitomizes this focus on advancement. UD is a centralized repository for managing vast amounts of user data and group relationships, supporting millions of identities across more than 18,000 enterprise customers.
Indeed, Ghadge’s work has enhanced the safety and reliability of cloud services for various sectors, including banking, healthcare, hospitality, and government agencies. For his achievements, Ghadge was honored as a multiple-time hackathon winner at Okta, as well as a prestigious TITAN award where he was dubbed ‘Information Technology – Technical Professional of the Year.’
Envisioning a Digital Identity Wallet
As the industry braces for widely available quantum computing, Ghadge remains confident in his future-proof solutions. He emphasizes, “We must be ready, regardless of the challenges. Systems that can withstand the quantum leap must be developed and deployed.“
The concept of a digital identity wallet or single identity service is also gaining traction. Ninety percent of consumers express willingness to embrace such a solution, with banks emerging as the most trusted providers.
“By efficiently managing end-user profiles, we establish a safeguarded ecosystem that ensures appropriate permissions for accessing systems and applications,” Ghadge adds.
Though the road to digital identity protection may be riddled with challenges, experts like Ghadge hope for a future where our digital identities are impenetrable.
