Page 18 - Campus Security & Life Safety, March/April 2019

biometrics
By Larry Reed
Upgrading Your Campus Security with Smart Card Readers? Think Again
Understanding multi-factor authentication and how it can work for your campus
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campuslifesecurity.com | March/April 2019
Today, schools’ doors are primarily secured by traditional metal lock ‘n keys and low frequency (aka 125 kHz) card-based access con- trol systems. With the recent media hype about low frequency card read- ers being easily hacked, schools are now being encouraged to upgrade their low-fre- quency card readers to higher frequency 13.56 MHz (also known as smart card tech- nology) which are far more difficult to hack. But will smart card technology really improve a school’s security? Are there “smarter” alternatives?
This article discusses the security flaws of smart card technology and how layering security achieves a far safer school environ- ment and better ROI.
Evolution of Access Control Technology
Where did it all begin and where are we today?
Traditional metal lock ‘n key systems.
Still today, most doors in schools are secured
with a metal lock ‘n key door handle. The pri- mary reason is because metal keys are very cheap and light weight which makes them easy to carry. However, metal keys are also very easy to copy and share with unauthor- ized parties. It’s also near impossible to know who exactly is in possession of the keys.
If discovered there was an impropriety in the school, lock ‘n key systems don’t provide a door-entry audit trail. So, its near impos- sible to determine who is guilty of the impro- priety (unless you have a surveillance camera pointed at every door in the school and don’t mind searching through hours of recorded video). So how do you address the problem of unauthorized parties copying keys and not having a door-entry audit trail?
Barcode and Magnetic stripe badge readers. These type credentials are cheap while being more difficult to copy than metal keys. Since barcode and magnetic stripe readers work with electronic access control systems, an audit trail is produced which
allows security personnel to identify who accessed a door and when. However, just like metal keys, barcode and mag stripe badges can still be shared with unauthorized parties.
Another drawback is that barcode and mag stripe technology is a “friction” technol- ogy. The barcode and mag stripe are physi- cally in contact with a reader head each time the badges are read. This leads to the bar- codes and stripe becoming worn and unable to be read. The badges become a terrific con- sumable for the badge supplier but a major headache and recurring expense for the school. So, what comes next?
Low-frequency radio frequency identifi- cation (RFID) badges. These type creden- tials are friction-less and therefore far more durable than the barcode and mag stripe badges. RFID badges have an embedded antenna which emits a radio frequency con- taining the badge’s unique number. The school’s access control system maintains a database which associates each badge with a user. If the user has door access permission, the door will unlock when the user’s badge is recognized. Due to its low cost and audit trail capability, low-frequency RFID is the most prevalent access control technology used by schools today. However, recently low fre- quency RFID duplicators have popped up on e-commerce websites. For just $10, anyone can purchase an RFID badge duplicator and make copies of low frequency 125 kHz badg- es. So, what comes next?
High frequency radio frequency identi- fication (RFID) badges. High-frequency RFID (aka smart card) technology transmits at 13.56 MHz and is extremely difficult to copy/hack. An undeniable advantage of the new smart card technology is the cards (badges) contain a computer chip with stor- age. Instead of only having a badge number, additional user information can be stored on the badge (i.e. employee name, photo, department, etc.). But is the availability of a low frequency card duplicator truly a secu-