Identity attacks today are increasingly not exploiting technical vulnerabilities, but people and processes. One of the most overlooked areas is the IT help desk, where password resets, access changes, and critical user requests are handled. This is where the so‑called “identity verification gap” emerges — a gap between how well systems are secured and how identity is actually verified in practice.
Even organizations with MFA or passwordless access in place remain vulnerable if an attacker can impersonate a legitimate user and convince a help desk operator. Attacks based on social engineering, deepfake audio, or impersonation are now common and often successful because they target processes, not technology.
RSA highlights this issue very clearly: today’s attackers are no longer “breaking in” — they simply call. In practice, this means that even strong authentication can be bypassed if reliable identity verification is missing during the interaction itself. The solution is to move beyond traditional authentication toward consistent identity verification at every critical step. RSA addresses this with an approach based on bi-directional identity verification, where both the user and the help desk are verified. Users no longer need to share passwords or one-time codes and can be confident they are interacting with a legitimate representative.
An important aspect is that this verification works for all types of users — not only employees with authenticators, but also partners, contractors, and temporary workers, who have traditionally represented a security gap.
From a practical perspective, the trend is clear: identity security is no longer limited to logging into systems, but extends to every interaction where misuse can occur. Help desks, financial approvals, and access recovery processes are becoming just as critical as the login itself.
Learn more about the approach and RSA Help Desk Live Verify solution
Detailed overview of the RSA solution
