Access control systems are very useful for businesses trying to protect certain, specific resources. In its primitive form, these systems were what we called ‘fences or simply ‘doors’. However, as technology matures, so do these systems. Whether you are protecting a room full of servers or a full office building, access control systems work to limit and protect your assets from unauthorized access.
Here are some of the newest and most popular methods.
1. Door Keypads
Keypads are one of the least secure ways to protect an area, but they limit non premeditated theft. If an intruder doesn’t know the code they will not be granted access. Some businesses use keypads to secure areas that aren’t commonly accessed – say, for instance, a storage closet for computers and hardware. A keypad will limit theft, but will also be easy enough to access at any time.
2. Swipe Cards
These cards look and work similar to credit cards. The magnetic strip contains information about the cardholder, however this information isn’t bank account information, it is information to be read by your doorway card reader. The reader is setup on each doorway and grants permissible access to each individual card. This is a very simple solution for small to medium sized businesses in an office building with other companies.
3. Contactless Smart Cards
Not having to swipe a card is sometimes convenient, and is one of the least invasive ways to control access within your business. With contact smart cards, the user must find the card reader opening and place the card in the correct position for a certain amount of time. With contactless cards your employees will be granted access without even pulling out their cards. This technology is a popular form of business security and will slowly begin to overtake contact based cards as the technology improves.
4. Biometric Scanners
If your business is looking to protect it’s most secure access to a distinct grouping of people, biometrics is the best method of security. Biometrics is perhaps one of the most secure forms of business security systems, because it uses unique biological information to grant or deny access.
- Fingerprints – Fingerprint biometrics are more popular than retinal and other biometric scanners because are they are the least expensive and least invasive. This form of access control is a bit less less secure, offering a false rejection rate of around 3% and a false acceptance rate less than .01%.
- Eye Scanners – Eye and Retinal scanners work by scanning a user’s eyes and determining biologically unique features. Retina scanners aren’t as popular as fingerprint technology because business owners see them as invasive; however, they offer superior security to any other biometric. Retina scanners offer a false acceptance rate at around 1 in 1.5 million, making them one of the most secure forms of biometrics.
So whether your business is looking to secure a room full of servers or a commons area, doors just won’t cut it anymore. Before speaking with vendors, determine your project scope, budget and specific requirements are that fits your exact business needs.
