You don't have to be a security professional to understand the importance of keeping an organization's people and property safe and secure. And you don't have to be an IT specialist to understand that protecting your networks and intellectual property is critical to the success of any business. But there's a growing awareness that converging the two security functions into one can help an organization become more secure, more efficient, and more profitable.
Most organizations have addressed security threats against their facilities and people. But a holistic approach to controlling access also means looking at preventing unauthorized access to computer systems, preventing the introduction of unauthorized software, and preventing unauthorized access to company servers. Breaches of security in these areas can be just as devastating to an organization as physical security threats. A unifying element of both logical and physical access is the photo ID card.
The technology component of this trend is the movement away from mag stripe cards to smart cards. When employees walk away from their desks for a meeting or lunch, all their "authorized" data becomes available to anyone who sits down at their workstation. With the introduction of smart card technology and workstation card readers, when those employees move away from their computers, they can remove their ID cards to shut down access to networks and hard drives. This option doesn't disrupt the workflow by causing them to log-off or shut down.
With technology of card printer/encoders now more secure and user friendly, the option for smart-card-based access programs is becoming a reality for more and more organizations. The HDP600 card printer/encoder, introduced this summer by Fargo Electronics, launched a new generation of ease-of-use and security features.
Market Demands Created Need for Convergence
In the past, physical security was paramount. The previous trends shaping the industry were evolutions in how to maintain security of facilities and people. Now, logical security changes the equation. The proliferation of viruses and activity by hackers is pushing companies to secure their data. It's easy to spot someone walking out the door with the company's physical assets, but the covert nature of stealing an organization's logical assets can be difficult to track, even as it becomes easier to do.
This presents opportunities to not only secure information-based assets, but to add efficiencies in how business is done. For example, by adding a single sign-on function to the card reader application at an employee's workstation, you can eliminate the need for that employee to remember multiple passwords for various servers and networks. That can not only add security, but also make the employee more productive, and reduce the number of password-related helpdesk calls.
Another example of increased efficiencies is using a smart card on a corporate campus the same way colleges and universities do -- as a "one-card." In addition to providing access to physical and logical facilities, it becomes a stored value card for vending and cafeterias, works as a punch card for time and attendance, becomes a parking pass, etc.
What's In Store for Access Control
The market for access control systems will continue to grow. Large corporations and government agencies that address the convergence of physical and logical security will need to upgrade their programs. But even greater growth could come on the lower end of the market. Currently, organizations with fewer than 500 employees may find it cost-prohibitive to implement a complete access control system. But new technologies such as inkjet ID card printers, such as the CardJet™ 410 have brought the cost of implementing a card-based program down to a more reachable level for these organizations.
ID cards will remain the most basic line of defense -- if the person walking around in your research lab doesn't have a company photo ID card on her lapel, call security: it could be a competitor, a disgruntled ex-employee, or even a terrorist. That person may have gained access by "tailgating" in with another employee, but if he or she isn't donning an ID badge, it's easy to recognize the security breach.
Biometrics will play a greater role as the technology becomes more easily integrated into access control programs. The concept of layered security will become even more important. By layering card technologies with biometric applications, CCTV surveillance products, and other access control products, security professionals can assemble solutions that will keep them two steps ahead of forgers and hackers.
(Article previously published in Security Products magazine.)
