Identity 25 U.S. Public Sector honorees: Part 2, Bridging academic innovation and government implementation

The Identity 25 report celebrates individuals driving innovation in digital Identity. Following our spotlight on Ryan Galluzzo and Hanna Kim's contributions to the public sector, we turn to two leaders whose work impacts state, local, and education sectors: Teresa Wu of IDEMIA and Dan Boneh of Stanford University.

Wu and Boneh represent essential perspectives — practical implementation and foundational research. Their approaches show how industry expertise and academic innovation can create secure, user-friendly Identity solutions for government and education.

The mobile credentials era begins

The public sector is transforming how citizens prove their identities, with Teresa Wu leading this change. As VP of Smart Credentials at IDEMIA, Wu has observed 14-16 U.S. states adopt mobile driver's licenses, creating what she calls a "critical mass" in digital Identity.

"Government-issued digital Identity that is cryptographically secure and verifiable is going to be a big leap forward, empowering the entire Identity ecosystem," Wu explains. The power of this approach comes from built-in compatibility through common standards.

For state agencies, this offers a path to modern service delivery with enhanced security. Schools and universities can apply similar approaches to campus IDs, potentially replacing multiple cards with a single, secure digital credential that works across systems.

Cryptography as public infrastructure

While Wu focuses on implementation, Stanford's Dan Boneh builds the security foundations that make 

digital identities possible. His practice of putting work "in the public domain" creates tools that government entities can use to protect privacy.

Boneh's BBS signature scheme enables verification without identification, letting users prove they belong to a group (like being over 21) without revealing exactly who they are. For agencies managing benefits or schools handling student information, this offers a way to verify eligibility while maintaining privacy.

His Prio data collection system, used during COVID-19, allowed health authorities to gather statistics without compromising individual privacy. This approach could transform how data is collected to inform policies affecting minors. As pioneering regulations emerge — like New York's pending first-in-nation law targeting the impact of social media algorithms on children — the urgent need for better safeguards makes such privacy-preserving methods increasingly vital for protecting youth data online.

"We want to inform not just the tech world, but also policymakers in Washington," Boneh notes. "They need to know what’s possible." This bridge between research and policy helps government agencies adopt cutting-edge security approaches.

The convergence of government and enterprise Identity

Wu highlights a significant shift in how governments and businesses approach Identity. "For government, Identity is critical infrastructure," she explains, noting how these worlds were once separate.

The growing focus on security verification has pushed businesses to say: "Actually, we really do want to know whether we can trust those attributes and credentials." The result? "Now,” Wu explains, “government Identity has become an anchor for enterprise Identity."

This convergence creates a powerful opportunity to balance competing priorities: privacy and utility, security and accessibility, standardization and innovation. State and local governments can leverage their position as Identity providers to enhance services while maintaining privacy boundaries.

For educational institutions managing relationships with numerous stakeholders, this convergence offers a more coherent approach to Identity management. Schools can meet their verification needs without forcing impossible trade-offs between security and usability.

Okta's commitment: Bridging research and implementation

Okta's Secure Identity Commitment applies the groundbreaking work of innovators like Wu and Boneh to solve complex Identity challenges. The Auth0 platform supports mobile credentials like those championed by Wu, enabling seamless integration with government-issued digital IDs. Through our decentralized Identity initiatives, we leverage the cryptographic foundations pioneered by Boneh to create privacy-preserving verification options.

The future of digital Identity requires balancing competing priorities — exactly what Wu and Boneh's work helps achieve. At Okta, we enable public sector organizations to protect privacy while delivering secure digital experiences. We remain committed to helping our customers navigate digital Identity with solutions that put security and privacy at the center.

Wu and Boneh’s work shows how implementation and research can combine to solve today's Identity challenges. Their innovations help address the fundamental balancing acts that Identity professionals navigate daily: privacy versus utility, security versus accessibility, innovation versus standardization.

Boneh's cryptographic approaches demonstrate that these aren't inherent trade-offs. Well-designed systems can deliver security and usability. Wu's insights on government-enterprise convergence show how government Identity can serve as a trusted anchor while respecting privacy.

As we learn from these Identity 25 honorees, we're committed to turning their insights into practical solutions for state, local, and education customers. The future of digital Identity is taking shape today through the work of innovative leaders and organizations ready to embrace change without compromising core values.

See how others are solving tomorrow's identity challenges today in our Identity 25 report — because great ideas deserve to be shared.