Digital identity has consolidated as a critical pillar of operations in the Spanish Public Administration, but its management still shows structural gaps. This is revealed by Redtrust’s report, “The Role of the Digital Certificate in Public Administration,” which highlights the growing reliance on the digital certificate and the urgent need to strengthen its governance.
According to the study, based on a survey of more than 450 public-sector professionals, 88% of daily actions and processes depend directly or indirectly on the digital certificate, positioning it as a critical infrastructure for administrative activity. However, the report reveals a significant gap: 47% of public bodies still manage these digital certificates manually, which implies operational risks, a lack of traceability, and dependence on human factors.
High risk perception, low investment
The research also reveals growing concern about the risks associated with digital identity. The level of worry about a compromised certificate reaches 4.1 out of 5, while 59% of respondents view investment in this area as insufficient.
A security incident involving digital certificates could translate into the paralysis of procedures, the loss of legitimacy in electronic signatures, and serious legal and reputational risks for public institutions.
Another major challenge identified in the report is preparation for the cryptographic future. Eighty-two percent of surveyed professionals believe the Administration is not prepared to face post-quantum scenarios, underscoring the need to anticipate technological changes that could compromise current authentication and signing systems.
Advanced digitization, but not fully mature
The analysis places the Public Administration’s level of digitization at 3.4 out of 5, reflecting a mid-stage: significant progress has been made in deploying digital services, but there is still a journey ahead in terms of resilience, security, and governance.
In this context, the report emphasizes that digital maturity no longer depends solely on the deployment of tools, but on the institutions’ ability to manage, protect, and sustain their digital identity in a structured way.
Digital identity, key to institutional resilience
The report concludes that the Public Administration stands at a turning point. The next phase of digital transformation will be driven not only by the adoption of new technologies, but by the ability to centralize, automate, and govern digital identity as a strategic asset.
“There is a critical dependence on the digital certificate, but without a governance model commensurate with its importance. Today, nearly half of public administrations still manage it manually, which shows a structural gap between criticality and control. In this context, having specialized technology partners is key to moving toward centralized, automated models with real visibility over digital identity. Only then will it be possible to strengthen operational resilience and ensure the validity of administrative processes,” says Daniel Rodríguez, CEO of Redtrust.
