By Jody Tracy, InCommon Academy Program Manager
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
On Oct, 22, 2025, InCommon hosted an Identity Proofing Thread Meetup to discuss the growing challenges of identity verification and fraud prevention across research and higher education institutions. The conversation underscored both the urgent need for standardized identity proofing solutions and the complex landscape institutions must navigate.
Survey Highlights
Prior to the meetup, InCommon conducted an identity verification and fraud prevention survey, which drew substantial participation, primarily from senior IT leadership including CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs across various institution types, with notable representation from R1 universities and community colleges.
The survey identified several critical areas where institutions face identity fraud risks:
- Student financial aid topped the list.
- Physical access to buildings and ID card issuance emerged as closely related concerns.
- Credential recovery and help desk support showed high demand as frequent targets for social engineering attacks,
- Employee onboarding (I-9 processes) and external service provider requirements (like NIH’s controlled access data repositories) were also identified as areas of concern.
Additional challenges included business partner and vendor verification, international student verification, and quality data assurance when establishing new identities, particularly for contractors and non-traditional affiliates.
Most institutions reported relying on government-issued identity documents, synchronous interaction (in-person or video), and increasingly considering commercial identity proofing services. When targeting specific standards, respondents most commonly aimed for National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) IAL2 or the Research and Education FEDerations (REFEDS) Identity Assurance Profile (IAP) High.
Key Challenges
Adding to the insights gained through the survey, the thread meetup discussion highlighted several persistent obstacles institutions face:
- Vendor options: Institutions are exploring numerous vendor options but facing frustration with pricing structures that don’t align with higher education’s needs. Many vendors require minimum transaction volumes that far exceed what most institutions need for their incoming student cohorts.
- Fragmented approaches: Identity proofing happens in disconnected pockets across campuses. HR, registrars, ID card offices, and advancement all use different processes. This creates date quality issues, prevents reuse of the proofing event across contexts, and increases costs through duplication.
- The one-size-fits-all dilemma: While standardization offers efficiency, institutions struggle with varying departmental data access, different risk levels across use cases, and cost constraints that make one ID proofing approach prohibitive.
- Edge cases: Populations like alumni and international students present unique verification challenges. Current knowledge-based authentication methods are particularly vulnerable.
- Reactive funding: A frustrating pattern emerged where funding becomes available only after incidents occur, leaving institutions unprepared despite recognizing their needs beforehand.
- Emerging threats: While help desk training and strict verification policies are important, new challenges like deepfake videos threaten current manual verification methods.
Looking Forward
The meeting showed both the complexity of identity proofing in research and higher education and the strong appetite for community collaboration. Institutions face similar challenges with siloed processes, cost constraints, and the need to balance security with usability, making collective problem-solving particularly valuable.
As InCommon and NET+ at Internet2 develop programming based on this feedback, the focus will be on providing practical guidance, identifying community-scale vendor solutions, and helping institutions move from reactive to proactive identity assurance strategies. The goal is to help institutions understand their options, assess their needs, and implement solutions on their own timeline.
For more detailed information, check out the report from the Thread Meetup, including links to slides with survey results and the recording. Watch for upcoming announcements about cohort groups, webinars, NET+ service developments, and other learning opportunities such as a workshop at the Internet2 Community Exchange in April 2026.
About InCommon Academy Thread Meet Ups
Unravel complexities. Stitch in what matters. Together. Join fellow IAM professionals in our focused, community-driven discussions designed to spark meaningful dialogue on the topics that matter most to you. Thread Meetups are offered as the need arises. No matter the topic of the day, you’ll join a collaborative dialogue with peers who share your professional interests and experience. Thread Meetups are a space to talk through what’s timely and relevant — whether you’re wrestling with implementation challenges, exploring emerging trends, or seeking new perspectives. These meetups provide just the right environment where you can walk away with a new idea, a connection, or a clearer path forward.
