Exclusive: Entrust discusses future of digital identity and security

Entrust, a longstanding name in the field of digital security, has been quietly shaping the global digital infrastructure for over five decades.

Despite its widespread influence, many may not recognize the name. As Marc Airo-Farulla, Entrust’s Sales Director for Oceania, puts it, “If you open up your wallet or use your mobile phone, you’ve likely interacted with something from Entrust.”

Founded in the late 1960s, Entrust has consistently adapted to the ever-evolving landscape of digital threats. Airo-Farulla explains that the company’s unique position comes from its deep understanding of both legacy systems and future challenges. "We’ve seen what we’ve had in the past. We understand what legacy is. We look at supporting customers today and what that means, but we’ve also got a clear direction of the future."

This balance allows Entrust to offer robust support to its clients, including major and minor banks, as well as state and federal governments, helping them navigate a world where cyber breaches are increasingly common.

In his role as Sales Director for Oceania, Airo-Farulla is responsible for engaging with customers across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. His work involves much more than just sales; it includes providing leadership and sharing knowledge through events like the recent digital identity conference in Wellington, New Zealand.

"Whilst it’s a sales role, it is very much a guiding leadership role," Airo-Farulla said.

He emphasized the importance of positioning Entrust as a leader in digital security, ensuring that the services they provide are not only best in class but also reliable and forward-looking.

Although Entrust has a global footprint, the company is making a concerted effort to strengthen its presence in New Zealand. Airo-Farulla is particularly enthusiastic about the recent hiring of a sales executive in the country, a move he believes is crucial for maintaining close connections with local customers.

"It’s really good to have people on the ground to guide us as an organization as to what’s really important," he said, highlighting the need to tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of New Zealand’s citizens.

Entrust’s involvement in the digital identity sector is evident through its participation in events like the annual Digital Trust event in New Zealand. Airo-Farulla describes it as a "safe environment to talk about some of the realities that are going on at the moment," with over 200 participants engaging in discussions about the current state and future of digital identity.

Feedback from these events has been overwhelmingly positive, with Airo-Farulla noting that New Zealand is well-positioned to advance in the digital space. He praises the country’s early adoption of technologies like live identification verification, which has been in use for over a decade.

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, the concept of zero trust has become increasingly important in the modern digital age. "We’ve seen a massive increase in cyber threats," Airo-Farulla warned, pointing to the rise of phishing attacks, deep fakes, and synthetic identities as significant concerns.

Entrust’s commitment to zero trust involves providing a strong foundation of security to protect against these ever-present threats.

Airo-Farulla stresses the importance of educating executives, engineers, and customer-facing staff about these challenges, emphasizing the need to build a framework like zero trust to defend against them.

Success at Entrust isn’t just about the company’s in-house capabilities; it’s also about collaboration with local providers and partners. Airo-Farulla explains, "We need to work with a collaborative view in terms of the end customer as well as partner."

This approach was highlighted at a recent event in Thailand, where Entrust brought together hundreds of partners from across the Asia-Pacific region to share experiences and discuss challenges.

These partnerships are critical to Entrust’s ability to provide world-class technology and IoT solutions.

Looking ahead, Entrust’s future seems bright, particularly with recent acquisitions like Onfido, a leader in live identification verification. This technology, which allows users to authenticate themselves using their mobile phone, is a natural extension of Entrust’s existing services. Airo-Farulla sees this as a crucial step in building and maintaining trust with consumers, an essential element in the company’s continued success.

"We need to be seen as a beacon of advancement."