Government body heralds age of multifactor authentication

The future of information security will be dominated by ideas of identity and trust, according to new research from non-departmental public body the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

Revolution or Evolution - Information Security 2020, which was undertaken by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, reports that as identity theft becomes evermore commonplace and more interactions become virtual, proving one's identity online will become increasingly challenging.

"The research throws trust and identity up as key drivers of change in information security over the next decade," argued Andrew Tyrer, who heads up information security at the TSB.

"Current models primarily look at human to human trust. But with greater connectivity, there is an increasing need for humans to trust technology, technology to trust technology, and even technology to trust humans as devices increasingly act on behalf of individuals."

In areas such as e-commerce and m-commerce, the report suggests new authentication methods requiring multifactor authentication are likely to proliferate in the future, although they will need to take account of user privacy and consent.

The report also looks at the potential problems surrounding the increasing interconnectedness of devices and the need to share information electronically beyond the firewall as well as within.

While hardly telling us anything we don't know already, the report may be significant for some in the industry, as the Technology Strategy Board said it will use its findings to guide future support for research and development.

It may also shape the TSB's work in other strategic areas, such as healthcare and sustainability, it said.