HID 2026 Report Finds Identity Management Tops Security Priorities
Summary
HID’s 2026 survey of more than 1,500 end users and industry partners finds identity management and physical-digital integration are priorities, while fragmented systems, integration costs, and biometric privacy concerns remain major obstacles.
Key points
- The survey included more than 1,500 end users and industry partners, including installers, integrators, and equipment manufacturers.
- 73% of respondents identified identity management as a leading trend; 52% cited managing multiple systems as a primary challenge.
- 75% of organizations said they had deployed or were evaluating converged physical-digital identity solutions; 30% cited security concerns about a compromise spanning facilities and data.
- 74% of organizations had deployed or planned to deploy mobile credentials, while 84% of end users maintained a mix of mobile and physical credentials.
- 67% of respondents reported moderate or high concern about biometric privacy and ethics; 31% said they were actively implementing safeguards.
- The report also identifies cost, integration complexity, and expertise gaps as recurring barriers across identity and security technology adoption.
Article Details
- Publisher
- HID
- Report Period
- 2026
- Scope
- Survey of security and identity management trends, adoption, investment, and privacy concerns.
- Sample Size
- More than 1,500 end users and industry partners, including installers, integrators, and original equipment manufacturers.
- Key Statistics
- 73% of physical security professionals identified identity management as a top-three trend.
- 52% of respondents cited managing multiple systems as their primary identity-management challenge.
- 74% of surveyed organizations had deployed mobile credentials (36%) or planned deployment (38%).
- 67% of end users reported moderate or high concern about biometric privacy and ethical implications.
- 75% of organizations had deployed converged identity solutions (29%) or were evaluating them (46%).
- Recommendations
- Protect biometric data with encryption at rest, including database and file-level encryption, and encryption in transit using secure transport protocols.
- Use modern cryptography, zero-trust approaches, and strong authentication for physical-digital identity systems.
- Develop clear data-governance policies and transparent privacy protections, particularly for biometric and location data.
- Use phased implementation and partnerships with vendors and integrators to help address expertise and ongoing-support gaps.
MITRE ATT&CK
Industries
Healthcareindicating substantial education opportunities. The technology spans diverse use cases, including in healthcare for equipment tracking, in manufacturing for safety monitoring and in logistics optimization. Growthlogisticscases, including in healthcare for equipment tracking, in manufacturing for safety monitoring and in logistics optimization. Growth expectations remain high as 53% anticipate expansion, though measured scalingManufacturing and industrialAccording to this year’s survey, Manufacturing and Industrial; Healthcare; and Software, Technology and Telecommunications are the top three industries deploying RFID technologies, with adoption spread across multipleSoftware, Technology and TelecommunicationsAccording to this year’s survey, Manufacturing and Industrial; Healthcare; and Software, Technology and Telecommunications are the top three industries deploying RFID technologies, with adoption spread across multiple