Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up in 2009? There would be no 4G, no 5G, no Netflix and Instagram. The Amazon Echo was still five years away, and Apple’s flagship product this year was the $ 599 iPhone 3GS! Technology continues to advance at an impressive rate, changing every aspect of people’s personal and professional lives. Safety was no exception to this rule.
Modern solutions for contactless access for offices, such as facial recognition and biometric readers, mobile access credentials and encrypted QR codes, have significantly increased the safety and comfort in both commercial and residential areas. The key word here is contactless. In our 2009 scenario, traditional keys were common, but access cards were a luxury. Today these access cards are somewhat outdated and attention has shifted to the next generation of access control solutions. This article discusses three key benefits of installing a contactless access control system.
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Hygiene
First, let’s look at hygiene, which is more important than ever due to the coronavirus pandemic. Research has shown that the COVID-19 virus can live on surfaces for up to seven days, making public spaces, as well as doorknobs or keypads, the main carriers of the virus. Many companies and government agencies are forced to resort to consistent cleaning of these and other surfaces to try to reduce the transmission of the virus. But what if contacts could be eliminated altogether? This is a significant advantage of contactless access for offices.
The non-contact alternatives ensure that people can easily minimize the risk of both spreading and contracting COVID-19 by eliminating unnecessary contact. In fact, even the most sophisticated technologies are still limited by the requirements for touch input – for example, some fingerprint readers. But many non-contacts access control solutions, such as palm recognition systems or check-in with selfies, are now available on the market. As prime candidates for hygienic access control, they have often been the key for many organizations keeping employees safe during a pandemic.
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Comfort
Proximity access control kits also offer increased comfort for end users. Most standard access control systems require an access key (smart card or remote key fob), which is presented to the reader. Not only is it annoying, but on average a company of 40,000 loses 10,378 access keys per year.
How many times have you worried about hotel access cards while on vacation? What if the front desk is open only during certain hours, if you suddenly lose it? These traditional methods bring disruption and anxiety that could have been avoided.
Contactless access control systems can work in accordance with the living conditions of their users, and not require them to perform specific steps or requirements. Biometric readers ensure they can eliminate the need for any additional hardware, while mobile credentials integrate security systems into smartphones, making it easier for users.
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Security
Let’s take another look at the statistics for 10,378 lost access keys per year. In terms of security, this means 10,378 supposed paths through which you can gain access to company property, where IT server rooms and expensive office equipment are located. In other words, security collapse. Access cards and remote controls can be deactivated and reissued, but this takes time, resources and money.
There is also the problem of duplication. Many legacy access control readers tend to work in a similar way – using 125 kHz contactless card technology, giving attackers the full opportunity to obtain a blank card, steal a legitimate one, and copy credentials. Readers – coded keypads are also susceptible to multiple vulnerabilities. It is very easy to observe or record someone entering the four-digit code that users often write down, further compromising security. Non-contact access control solutions will bypass these perceived dangers.
Biometric systems, like check-in with selfies, work with complex digital signatures that are nearly impossible to reproduce. Access cards can be duplicated, credentials can be copied, but fingerprints and facial structures are very unique. Likewise, QR codes are considered a viable alternative as they use encryption techniques that increase security and reduce risk. Whether it’s for security during the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep out criminals, or for comfort, contactless access control solutions offer many benefits.