Page 44 - Security Today, March 2021

The Growth of Technology Biometrics solutions have recently become more cost effective
By Mohammed Murad
How enterprise organizations provide access con- trol, identity authentication – even keep employee time and attendance – is rapidly moving away from traditional systems and favoring contactless biometric solutions. This is mainly due to biomet- rics’ greater security and unparalleled accuracy and is further fu- eled by the current COVID-19 pandemic that favors the contact- less devices biometrics can offer.
Also, biometric solutions have recently become cost-competi- tive, making them more applicable to various industries. Let’s take a look at how these technologies are being used around the world.
ACCESS CONTROL
In the access control market, electronic card-based systems re- placed locks and keys about 50 years ago. That was a huge secu- rity improvement; however, there are still potential problems with many systems used daily. Employees can lose their cards or lend them to another unauthorized person. That’s virtually impossible to do with a biometric, which is a measurement of a person’s physi- cal characteristics such as iris or facial patterns or fingerprints. Built-in liveness detection in biometric readers virtually eliminates false ID authentication by using photographs or prosthetics.
An aging Weigand card access control protocol, still widely deployed after four decades, is a hacker’s dream. Weigand-based systems lack encryption, making it easy to intercept data signals between cards and readers and produce a working credential. That is not a problem with biometrics. Now biometrics integrat- ed with systems over OSDP takes event security to higher level.
It is not unusual for large enterprise organizations to acquire fa- cilities using multiple card technologies. A card enabling an employee to enter a corporate building in New York may not work in an Oma- ha office. After a one-time enrollment in a biometric database, an em- ployee is recognized in any building on the corporate network. And, biometric offers an access control system’s expected performance, such as limiting which door, days and times an employee may enter.
Biometric access control provides a front door to workstation solution that bridges physical and logical security. For example, biometric readers enable entry into the building, elevators and offices. Integrating the system with workstation software ensures only an authorized person can access the computer’s data.
Convenience is also a factor with biometrics. Biometric sys- tems don’t require an employee to carry a card or remember a PIN – although card and biometric readers are often used to- gether to provide two-factor authentication at mission-critical locations. Enrollment in a biometric system requires less than a minute and authentication takes only a second.
USES OF BIOMETRICS
Identity authentication is another area where biometric tech- nologies shine. Healthcare facilities use biometrics to ensure pa- tients receive proper treatments. Mistaken identity is a common problem within the industry. Surprisingly, one extensive regional
“As security professionals look to respond to growing threats worldwide, mobility and connectivity are at the heart of improved security efforts.”
healthcare system reported having more than 130,000 patients sharing the same name and birthdate.
Biometric systems provide quick and accurate identification of employees, vendors and visitors seeking entry into restricted areas such as pharmacies, nurseries and memory-care units. En- hanced patient privacy comes from limiting access to records only to authorized medical providers identified by a biometric.
Mistaken identity also plagues law enforcement. It is not un- common for correctional facilities to inadvertently release the wrong person based on a shared name or similar appearance. Enrolling suspects into a biometric system during the booking process can eliminate the problem. Biometrics help officials ac- curately identify freed prisoners as part of their terms of bail or probation. Border patrol agents use mounted and handheld bio- metric readers to identify people entering the country.
Many major airports worldwide offer biometric stations for preferred passengers, saving them time clearing security. Larger stadiums and other entertainment venues offer similar systems.
College and university campuses are replacing plastic card credentials at dormitories, recreational centers, food commons, health clinics and other locations with biometric identification readers. Imagine the time and cost savings at a large university that must procure and store supplies and equipment to print thousands of new credentials for incoming students each fall.
TIME AND ATTENDANCE
Biometric time and attendance systems provide major benefits compared to punch-card systems and readers linked to an access control system. An employee’s unique biometric data points can’t be shared, eliminating a costly payroll fraud known as buddy punch- ing in which an employee clocks in or out for a friend not at work.
The quick and accurate systems integrate with hundreds of ex- isting time and attendance applications or custom apps explicitly designed for an end-user. The biometric software may automatical- ly calculate employment payments, speeding up the payroll process while removing the element of human error as staff enters the data.
Once enrolled, an employee may clock in and out at other com- pany networked readers. The system will imme-
diately recognize them when they return days or
weeks later. And a contactless system using iris
recognition is not impacted by grease or dirt cov- ering workers’ fingerprints.
Mohammed Murad is vice president of global sales and business development at Iris ID.
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MARCH 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
BIOMETRICS