Access Control: Sticking to Safe Touch-less Methods

When navigating access control, security managers are looking at a method of guaranteeing that users are who they say they are. Based on that data, certain groups have access to particular pools of information. You wouldn’t want the wrong person peering into a case file for which they have no business being in.

Authentication is a tool IT teams use to verify better that someone is who they claim to be by adding additional layers of padding to one’s security structure. Without authentication or authorization, there is no protection for such sensitive data points, and the result can be catastrophic. Touch-less access control has been a popular additive for years, especially with proximity access cards and biometrics such as iris scanners, facial recognition, etc. 

If this past year has taught us anything, surfaces are dirty, and we’re all just a little more hesitant to touch things without almost immediately sanitizing or washing our hands. Touch-less entry and access control technology has become incredibly intelligent at recognizing and identifying individuals whose photos have been stored in a database so that a tilted head or blinking eye won’t confuse the technology. Adding to that, automatically opening doors is a possibility as well and can be programmed so they aren’t able to hurt anyone with their opening and closing swing. Careful measures can be taken to ensure safe precautions are followed for entry points that don't have this option.

Intelligent solutions in touchless access control, such as mobile access, cloud-based systems, video intercom, and even facial recognition ID for employees and visitor management systems, can change the game, helping security professionals everywhere to understand better how to maximize their potential. In today’s world, many retail stores and even employers require facial coverings to admit entrance.

Still, now, as additional coverage, many facilities are introducing fever-scanning technologies to gauge whether people would be permitted to enter the location without transmitting their illness to others around them. Sophisticated solutions could include a combination of thermal imaging cameras, facial recognition, and smart devices to make notes if a high temperature is detected.

Touch-less access control systems have been around for some time and have also been accelerated due to COVID-19. These solutions are likely bound to stick around for quite some time “after COVID-19,” there is so much potential for how they can be expected to grow. As employees start the cycle of returning to work after the year-long period of working from home, there will likely be a lot of concerns about how workplaces will work to keep the cubicle a safe place for employees to continue working efficiently and effectively. These technologies and strategies must be implemented per clear policies and supportive digital signage to reduce contact with shared surfaces to provide the necessary educational materials.