Decentralized Identity

What are Decentralized Identity?

Decentralized Identity (DID) is a digital identity model in which individuals, devices, or entities control their own identity credentials independently of a centralized authority. Enabled by blockchain or distributed ledger technologies (DLT), DIDs allow users to manage, store, and share their identity data across systems through cryptographic proofs rather than relying on a single identity provider. Each DID is unique, persistent, and verifiable, and can interact with verifiable credentials issued by trusted third parties. The decentralized model shifts control from identity providers to the identity holders themselves, reducing reliance on centralized directories like Active Directory or cloud-based identity brokers.

Why is Decentralized Identity Important?

Decentralized identity systems offer greater privacy, security, and portability than traditional centralized identity architectures. In centralized systems, a single breach can compromise the identities of thousands or millions of users. Decentralized identities reduce this risk by giving users sole control over their credentials, enabling selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs when interacting with services.

In the context of critical infrastructure, decentralized identities hold potential for enhancing secure access in multi-party ecosystems, such as third-party contractors, OEMs, or remote technicians, where no single identity provider is trusted by all participants. Decentralized identity also aligns with zero trust architecture, where no entity is inherently trusted, and every access request is subject to verification.

While adoption in OT and industrial sectors is still in early stages, decentralized identities are increasingly being explored for supply chain security, federated governance, and cross-border compliance scenarios, particularly in alignment with NIST’s evolving identity standards and W3C specifications.

How Does Xona Help with Decentralized Identity?

While Xona does not currently issue or manage decentralized identifiers directly, its identity-agnostic architecture is built to support future-ready integrations with decentralized identity systems. Xona’s platform already integrates with identity providers across Active Directory, LDAP, SAML, and federated identity ecosystems, making it well-positioned to support DID-based credentials once adopted in critical infrastructure workflows.

In environments where decentralized identity is introduced, for example, through third-party contractors or OEMs using verifiable credentials, Xona can enforce access control based on cryptographically validated assertions from trusted issuers. These identities can then be linked to Xona’s role- and time-based access policies, credential injection, and session oversight mechanisms, ensuring that even decentralized identities are governed with precision and accountability.

As decentralized identity continues to evolve, Xona’s flexible integration model and zero trust foundations make it a compatible platform for securely brokering access in distributed and trustless environments.

Frequently Asked Questions