{"id":29524,"date":"2026-05-27T14:31:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T18:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/?p=29524"},"modified":"2026-05-27T15:01:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T19:01:43","slug":"marshall-launches-digital-identity-microcredential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/marshall-launches-digital-identity-microcredential\/","title":{"rendered":"Marshall launches digital identity microcredential"},"content":{"rendered":"
Marshall University has announced the launch of a new microcredential, Mastering Your Digital Identity, designed to help professionals and everyday digital citizens build the skills needed to protect and manage their identities in an increasingly complex online world.<\/p>\n

Developed by Marshall Online and funded through a grant from the Marshall University Research Corporation in partnership with the West Virginia Digital Identity Tech Hub, the course brings together leading industry experts to deliver practical, forward-looking training in identity security.<\/p>\n

\u201cBusiness has entered the digitized era where systems across industry sectors are interconnected, and digital identity is fast becoming core to the operating systems of modern industry,\u201d said Sarah Biller, cofounder of Vantage Ventures, West Virginia Digital Identity Hub, FinTech Sandbox and Capital Market Exchange (CMX).\u00a0\u201cMarshall University\u2019s foresight to design curriculum that equips the next generation of industry leaders with a clear understanding of how identity systems work and where the risks lie is an extraordinary step toward improving online security while enabling innovation at scale. U.S. businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to improve productivity and personalize customer service through technology, but also an obligation to lower the possibility of fraud. With Marshall\u2019s leadership, they will now have the native talent to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

The microcredential was shaped during a collaborative planning session hosted at Marshall\u2019s iCenter, where regional subject matter experts worked alongside Marshall\u2019s instructional design team to define learning objectives and real-world applications. The team later filmed interviews and developed course content using insights from these industry leaders.<\/p>\n

Contributors to the course include:
\n\u2022 Sarah Biller \u2013 Vantage Ventures, West Virginia Digital Identity Hub, FinTech Sandbox and Capital Market Exchange (CMX)
\n\u2022 Tricia Ball \u2013 Marshall University iCenter
\n\u2022 Alex Donathan \u2013 Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security
\n\u2022 Julie Dawson \u2013 YOTI
\n\u2022 Jeremy Haynes \u2013 ID.me
\n\u2022 Ariana Shives \u2013 TechConnect West Virginia
\n\u2022 Jessica Sell \u2013 Rank One Computing
\n\u2022 Scott Swann \u2013 Rank One Computing<\/p>\n

In an era shaped by AI-driven fraud, biometric authentication and emerging quantum threats, the microcredential equips learners with both technical knowledge and strategic insight.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigital identity is no longer just a technical construct; it is the front line of cybersecurity,\u201d said Alex Donathan, director of Marshall\u2019s Institute for Cyber Security. \u201cProtecting identity means protecting access, systems and ultimately the resilience of mission-critical systems and the defense of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Course participants will explore topics including multi-factor authentication, biometrics and passwordless security; industry tools such as Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and Amazon Web Services Identity and Access Management; blockchain and self-sovereign identity; and real-world breach analysis with strategies to mitigate AI-driven fraud.<\/p>\n

The self-paced course is designed for IT professionals, business leaders and anyone seeking to better protect their personal or organizational digital identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has a digital identity, whether they know it or not,\u201d said Ariana Shives, executive director of TechConnect West Virginia.\u00a0\u201cEvery time you log into an account, apply for a job online or share information on your phone, your digital identity is at work. This microcredential was designed to help everyday people understand what that means, take control of it and protect themselves in an increasingly digital world. I\u2019m proud that West Virginia is leading the way in making this education accessible to everyone, at any age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about this course and enroll through the Marshall Skills Exchange at https:\/\/marshalluniversity2.my.site.com\/skills\/s\/skillsexchange?pId=a2zV400000MBbSbIAL<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marshall University has announced the launch of a new microcredential, Mastering Your Digital Identity, designed to help professionals and everyday digital citizens build the skills needed to protect and manage their identities in an increasingly complex online world. Developed by Marshall Online and funded through a grant from the Marshall University Research Corporation in partnership […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-releases"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/239"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29524"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29525,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29524\/revisions\/29525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}