Focus on the Future: Precise Access Control with Biometrics
Secured access to your business or home helps you avoid potential security risks; biometric secured access control virtually eliminates those risks. Biometric access control cannot be hacked by simply transferring the traditional types of access control mechanisms–physical smart cards or proximity access cards. In short, biometric technology is for those businesses or individuals that absolutely must know when their property is accessed, and by whom.
Types of Biometric Access Control
Because of rapid advances in technology, there are now numerous biometric access controls available, from fingerprint scanning to eye or facial recognition, faking these systems out is much more difficult; the person absolutely must be present to activate the system. This makes protecting valuable resources more certain and gives the owners peace of mind. Like other access control systems, these can still be controlled remotely to make any needed changes. [bctt tweet=”If you have to fire an employee this morning, you will want to ensure they are unable to access restricted areas, or possibly your entire building. Access control gives you this level of control. “]
Fingerprint recognition systems require the user to input their finger on the pad, where it can be matched up to the stored image fingerprint. Similarly, iris and retinal scans store an image of your eye and match it up to the scan at the time of admission to verify identity. It is also possible to use other biometrics such as facial recognition software or hand geometry to prove identity.
Adding Biometric Access Control
In the not too distant past, biometric access control was cost-prohibitive for most individuals and organizations. That has changed with the advent of newer devices that allow biometric technology to be added to systems you already use. Via this latest technology, most installed access control systems can be retrofitted to work seamlessly with biometrics. Better still, biometrics can be used to work with computers, websites and networks as well for even greater security.
Biometric systems are an extremely fast-growing area of the security industry, with estimates showing the biometric access control segment at nearly $30 billion (with a B) by 2022, and more than 10 percent growth per year. Biometrics is no longer only science fiction — it is reality and the rapid growth of this aspect of the industry is due to the need for greater security and the fact that this technology is now more affordable than ever.
Other Uses for Biometric Access Control
When securing important assets (or your family) is crucial, think biometric access control. The sky truly is the limit— fast-growing areas for use of this technology are critical systems, like company databases, power plants, airlines and air traffic control, for starters. There is no end in sight to where the technology will be utilized in the future. Identify theft has become a huge problem, and biometrics can ease the pain in that regard. Already, we are seeing computers and laptops with biometrics installed upon build, making it nearly impossible for someone to get into your personal or business files. These biometric access controls are often used in combination with a password or PIN number for double the safety.
If you have been to the Magic Kingdom or any of the other Florida Disney parks recently, you likely underwent biometric screening to enter. Using these scans keeps dishonest visitors from selling passes to be used by someone else or sold– a problem the company had because people were doing just that to take advantage of the cheaper multi-day pass rates. Though this kind of use does not add physical security, it does safeguard Disney’s financial resources by allowing customers to use the passes in only the way intended.
Additionally, airports are adding biometric access control to thwart security problems and keep the most restricted areas safe. No loss of cards, no loss of passwords, and no transferability are all great benefits of utilizing biometrics.
Overall, biometric access controls are an excellent resource for reducing or eliminating security threats; expect to see this technology frequently as further technological advances are made.
