{"id":3666,"date":"2025-04-28T11:55:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T11:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=3666"},"modified":"2025-04-28T11:55:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T11:55:34","slug":"digital-identity-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/digital-identity-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Digital Identity Examples for Small Business Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

VikingCloud reports that one in five SMBs<\/a> believe they\u2019d be forced out of business if they fell prey to a cyber attack. Discover 10 ways SMB owners like you can use digital identity within their businesses to thwart attackers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Menlo Security\u2019s research data indicates that cybercriminals created 12 million new phishing<\/a> <\/a>sites<\/a> in 2024 alone. Furthermore, nearly half of browser-based attacks included a form of brand impersonation. Knowing this, how can you, as a small business owner, ensure your customers recognize and trust you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the era of deepfakes and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), how do you prove it’s really you they’re communicating with when you can’t rely on face-to-face interactions? By implementing some or all of the digital identity examples we talk about throughout this article to enable smooth, secure online transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we’ll explore 10 digital identity examples that cover key aspects of your business. They help you go from \u201czero to hero\u201d by enhancing security, building trust, and improving your customers\u2019 experience with your organization.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Makes PKI and Digital Certificates Work Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the real world, it’s easy to prove who you are in face-to-face situations as an employee of a specific business. To travel abroad, you can simply show your passport, or to assert that you are a trusted reseller of a known brand, you can display a physical certificate along with your official employee ID badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online, it\u2019s a totally different story. You can\u2019t hand over your ID card or registered license for inspection to instill more trust in your interlocutor. Someone can intercept your messages and insert fraudulent information without you or the other party (e.g., your software or code users, in this case) knowing it. Thankfully, the following digital identity examples fill this gap with the support of public key infrastructure<\/a> (PKI) and digital certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PKI works behind the scenes with X.509 certificates<\/a> issued by trusted certificate authorities (CAs) to authenticate and secure the entities and devices in the digital ecosystem. In other words, together, they foster trust and enhance security by verifying identities and protecting sensitive data and communications against the bad guys through authentication and authorization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds good, right? Now, let’s see a few practical examples of how you, as an SMB, can make digital identities work to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #1 \u2014 Enable Secure Physical Access Controls for Your Office<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, I visited a data center. To my surprise, to access it, besides having to show my badge, I was asked to step on a scale! The security guy recorded my weight, using it as a biometric identifier, and I was in. That was the oddest (and most embarrassing) security measure I\u2019d ever experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there are better (and less embarrassing) ways to secure physical access to your offices and server rooms. PKI certificate-based smart cards are one of the most effective (especially when paired with other security measures). This digital identity solution embeds the employee\u2019s unique X.509 digital certificate and private key into the ID card (which, ideally, should have the employee\u2019s photograph printed on it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time a staff member needs to access a company\u2019s building or an internal secure area, they use their certificate-based strong authentication card that acts as a digital ID. No one should have physical access to an employee\u2019s smart card except the employee to whom it\u2019s assigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the background, the PKI validation process checks the validity of the certificate and signature to verify the user’s identity. It authorizes or denies access to the premises \u2014 no PINs or scales required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #2 \u2014 Server Certificates Prove Your Site Is Authentic and Secure<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Image caption: This is what you’ll see when you click on the address bar to view our website’s SSL\/TLS certificate information.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Your organization\u2019s website is its window into the digital world. It allows you to showcase your company\u2019s products and services, promote your brand, and connect with current and prospective customers. Nevertheless, the news is filled with stories of phony websites impersonating brands to steal users\u2019 data and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you reassure your customers that they\u2019re really browsing your website and not a copycat created by an imposter? Confirm your organization’s information with a secure socket layer\/transport layer security (<\/a>SSL\/TLS<\/a>)<\/a> certificat<\/a>e, a type of digital identity certificate that\u2019s issued by a trusted certification authority (CA). There are various levels of digital identity validation (such as domain validation, organization validation, and extended validation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few clicks on the address bar, and voila’<\/em>, an OV or EV SSL\/TLS certificate<\/a> will display your organization\u2019s validated information in all its glory, just like in the example below. It’s that easy.  Now, customers can browse your website with the peace of mind that your site is secure and legitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop SSL\/TLS Certificates<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #3 \u2014 User Certificates Ensure Only Authenticated Users Access Secure Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In February 2025, KELA researchers revealed that an infostealer malware stole 3.9 million credentials<\/a> from infected machines. A personal authentication certificate<\/a> (PAC) is one of the examples of digital identities that eliminates the need for traditional IDs and passwords that can be phished or stolen, leaving attackers empty handed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how it works. When a user accesses your website or app, their device exchanges its certificate and public key with the server\u2019s certificate (i.e., mutual authentication). The trick? The user\u2019s private key is never sent to the server, and depending on the user\u2019s device, the key is typically stored in a secure trusted platform module (TPM) that\u2019s inaccessible. Furthermore, the user is allowed to access the website\/app only with the device that stores the certificate and the corresponding private key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way, the bad guys have no password to steal. Moreover, they can only access the website\/app if they manage to get hold of the private key, which is easier said than done if you do things wisely (more on this momentarily). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image caption: The graphic shows how digital identities use SSL\/TLS certificates so that devices can securely connect to web applications without a password.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Image caption: The screenshot shows an example of VPN supporting digital identity connection<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #4 \u2014 Mitigate Wi-Fi Credential Theft Risks with Passwordless Authentication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next on our list of digital identity examples is one that’ll be highly useful for large and small businesses alike: passwordless authentication for access to secure resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passwordless authentication<\/a> via PKI digital certificate isn’t only effective for secure access to websites and applications. Once implemented, it lets employees securely connect to your company\u2019s Wi-Fi network by first confirming their digital identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have remote workers who need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to do their jobs? No problem. Most VPNs allow users to connect, harnessing the power of digital identity and X.509 certificates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #5 \u2014 Ensure Only Authenticated IoT & Mobile Devices Access Your Network<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Forescout analyzed the risk represented by Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The outcome was shocking: IoT vulnerabilities skyrocketed by 136% <\/a>in just one year. We’re talking everything from vulnerabilities in proprietary and open-source software to security-related issues in the hardware itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usage of IoT devices such as security cameras, routers, and smart lights is growing, as is the number of employees using their personal mobile devices for work. With this in mind, would you trust these devices with access to your network without having access controls and authentication measures in place first? I guess you know the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give a digital identity to your IoTs and mobile devices. Your network will automatically recognize them as secure and grant them access without requiring credentials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Identity Example #6 \u2014 Validate Your Software\u2019s Integrity and Authenticity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the support of AI, attackers are creating malicious applications that look like legitimate apps. In 2024, Malwarebytes identified 3,900 phony applications<\/a> that could read one-time password (OTP) information directly from the notification bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you authenticate and secure your software\u2019s integrity as a developer or publisher? Sign it using a special digital certificate known as a code signing certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a Code Signing Certificate<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Imagine you\u2019ve just created a new application, signed it with a trusted code signing certificate<\/a>, and published the app on your website. When a customer downloads it, their device\u2019s operating system or client will use the certificate’s public key to<\/p>\n\n\n\n