Digital identity management practices under the Trump Administration seeing a shift?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines for validating identity, first put in place in 2017-2018, continue to guide the federal government's approach to digital identity. This is a critical aspect as more organizations rely on effective digital identity practices to deliver services for the American public.
However, the landscape has changed. Jordan Burris, Head of Public Sector at Socure, has highlighted an increase in the use of stolen identities by nation-states and other actors for nefarious purposes such as acts of terrorism, human trafficking, and obtaining benefits. This underscores the need for a more cohesive approach to digital identity across the U.S., and a national strategy.
Digital identity fraud has been a concern for over a decade, with everyone's personally identifiable information (PII) well-known due to data breaches. In response, the U.S. federal government is moving towards recognizing digital identity as a critical infrastructure component. This shift includes modernization efforts in Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) and the advancement of Zero Trust security models, where identity forms the new perimeter for access control.
The Trump Administration's recent executive order on cybersecurity, EO 14306, issued on June 6, 2025, focuses on strengthening national cybersecurity by protecting domestic digital infrastructure, enhancing secure software practices, and prioritizing innovation through AI and quantum cryptography. This order narrows the scope of prior cybersecurity orders by concentrating on threats from "foreign persons" only and emphasizing AI innovation both in the private sector and federal agencies to improve cyber defense automation.
Regarding digital identity strategy specifically, a proposed roadmap calls for the issuance of a National Executive Order declaring Digital Identity as critical infrastructure, the establishment of a Federal Task Force to define standards and guidelines with private and state input, funded pilot programs using open-source, decentralized, user-controlled digital identity wallets, mandating open technical standards to ensure interoperability, and a public trust campaign to frame digital IDs as privacy-protective and security-enhancing for Americans.
The General Services Administration (GSA) is actively pursuing mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) as a forefront of secure digital identity verification, seen as critical in combating fraud and preparing for advanced threats like quantum computing. This is aligned with federal efforts to harmonize digital identity with state and industry standards, all aiming for stronger privacy, security, and public trust in government digital identity systems.
In summary, the U.S. federal government’s digital identity strategy is evolving into a federally coordinated, privacy-centric, standards-based framework underpinned by modern technological capabilities. The Trump Administration’s latest executive order prioritizes cybersecurity innovation with a focus on foreign cyber threats, AI, and secure infrastructure, influencing digital identity policy and implementation at the federal level. However, Jordan Burris believes that there needs to be more action and faster progress on digital identity in the U.S., with the White House, National Security Council, Office of the National Cyber Director, and Office of the Federal CIO coming together to put a comprehensive approach in place for a national digital identity strategy. State partners should also be involved in this process.
- To combat rising security threats and fraud, the reimagined workforce in the federal government is focusing on advancements in finance, cybersecurity, and technology, as outlined in the Trump Administration's latest executive order on cybersecurity.
- The federal workforce, in collaboration with state partners, is proposed to establish a National Executive Order declaring Digital Identity as critical infrastructure, build a Federal Task Force for standardization and guidelines, and implement funded pilot programs featuring open-source, decentralized, user-controlled digital identity wallets, all with the aim of fostering privacy, security, and public trust in government digital identity systems.
