Topic starter
24/06/2026 11:28 pm
TL;DR: Critical industries are entering a phase where identity, access security, and workflow intelligence determine resilience, productivity, and response speed, according to Imprivata’s leadership interviews. Passwordless access, modernised third-party and privileged access, and identity-first automation are becoming the practical controls that legacy systems can no longer deliver at scale.
Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by Imprivata: “Top five expert predictions on the identity and access security trends shaping 2026”.
Key questions
Q: How should security teams introduce passwordless access in critical industries?
A: Start with the workflows where shared passwords, resets, and phishing exposure create the most operational drag.
Q: Why do third-party and privileged accounts create outsized IAM risk?
A: They combine elevated access with weaker lifecycle oversight, which means they can persist longer, be reviewed less often, and reach more sensitive systems than ordinary user accounts.
Q: What are the signs that identity controls are too rigid for frontline work?
A: Frequent exceptions, repeated password resets, shadow workarounds, and users bypassing secure paths are the clearest signs.
Practitioner guidance
- Prioritise passwordless migration for high-friction workflows Target the login journeys where password reset volume, phishing exposure, or workforce delay is highest.
- Extend privileged access governance to third parties Map contractors, vendors, and service partners to the same approval, monitoring, and revocation standards used for elevated internal access.
- Align access policy to real workflow context Review where rigid identity controls create exceptions, shared accounts, or bypass behaviour in frontline operations.
Bottom line: Critical industries are moving toward identity-led resilience because legacy access models no longer fit mobile, AI-assisted, and highly distributed operations.
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25/06/2026 8:23 am
Identity has become the resilience layer, not just the access layer. In critical industries, the question is no longer whether IAM supports the business. It is whether identity and access decisions determine whether the business can keep operating under pressure. That makes identity governance part of operational resilience, not a back-office control. Practitioners should treat access design as an availability and continuity problem as much as a security one.
A question worth separating out:
Q: What is the difference between identity security and workflow intelligence?
A: Identity security governs who or what can access systems, while workflow intelligence adapts that access to role, context, and task reality. The difference matters because controls that ignore work patterns tend to generate friction, and friction often produces unsafe exceptions.
👉 Read our full editorial: Identity and access security will define resilience in critical industries