A lot of travellers, on landing, exit the airport and have plans of either catching up with friends, meeting their families or having a work meeting scheduled. However, there was an instance in Chicago, where a man, didn’t exit the airport for about three months. Only on getting caught by the authorities, did he exit the airport! His stay in the airport was possible because he had stolen the credentials of an operation manager at the airport, which gave him high-level access!
What is Access Control?
Access control is an important element of security solutions for places like retail stores, airports, schools, and manufacturing enterprises (large global firms to small businesses).
Access control gives the security team important information about an individual – their details, their location, and the timings as well. An access control system that is effective can enable an individual to either enter or exit the facility, in addition to when this can happen. There is a wide range of options available in this system, and any business must choose the solution that will help their security team mitigate risks effectively.
Access Control Solutions
The most basic solution includes mechanical locks, and keys and also has security officers involved. This system is used widely across many businesses. However, if there isn’t a key management system in place, getting records of keys used on any door, won’t be possible. Additionally, there is a risk of keys getting transferred or even copied without permission. Also, once any key gets lost, the specific lock needs re-keying.
Another popular solution is the “electronic” access control, wherein access is granted based on credentials presented. By the use of criteria such as biometrics, the issue of identification cards, and authentication by way of passwords, a certain extent of control over people’s movement is possible.
When access control merges with biometric technology, access is granted based on some parameters. This system is more secure as it involves an individual’s fingerprint and this a unique in every person. Additionally, since no ID cards or keys are required, the cost of maintenance is low.
A higher level of access control is “facial recognition”. Losing ID cards is a common scenario for any user, however, one cannot lose their face. Due to this feature, facial recognition is amongst the precise access control solutions that we have today. These days, where Covid-19 is a never-fading issue, thermal cameras along with facial recognition are used to quickly detect the virus and slow down its spread.
The article has been published by the editorial board of the Identity Herald. For more
information please visit www.identityherald.com
