What s the Near Future Hold for ID Cards & Credentials? Jeremy Earles, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies Portfolio Marketing Manager-Credentials & Readers Today, there are three major initiatives for cards and credentials. Every security professional, integrator and user, needs to be aware of them. They include Smart cards are becoming the credential of choice. If you presently use magnetic stripe or proximity cards, start planning for the switchover now. It s going to be a hybrid world. Although smart cards may be the credential of choice, multiple types of credentials, such as key systems, PINs, various types of cards and biometrics, will still be necessary for certain operations. Adding special credentials to such areas is possible. And, even though you may be using multiple credentials, you still will want one system to manage all of them. Get ready for new technologies such as NFC (near field communications). With NFCenabled smart phones, you will be able to employ your employees /customers own smart phones as access credentials, just like they would use smart cards. Start preparing now. Let s Get into More Detail Starting with Smart Cards While125 khz proximity technology and magnetic stripe cards are the common technology in today s access systems, 13.56 MHz smart card technology is the technology of tomorrow. Bottom line it provides more security and storage for access control systems plus the cost of a smart card is comparable to that of the standard, traditional proximity card. Not only does a smart card provide much higher security than a proximity card, it handles a wide variety of applications from holding biometric templates to being used for cashless vending. It is very important that all facilities be prepared for smart credential deployment, even if that facility only wants to install proximity at present. Besides making access control more convenient, smart cards can be used for time and attendance, logical access, cashless vending and cafeteria payments, and checking out scrubs and medical equipment just to name a few. Right now, it s likely that
a different credential type is being used with each system. And different departments are managing those credentials. Smart cards make it possible to consolidate all of those functions onto one credential, creating an efficient environment where staff would have only one credential to use throughout their day. Issuing one smart credential also impacts administrative costs. Not only is the cost of a single credential lower than purchasing multiple forms of ID, but the reduced management and distribution time for one credential will have a significant impact on productivity. Smart credentials also increase the security of information kept on the card and stored in the facility. In comparison to door keys, magnetic stripe cards or proximity cards, the encrypted security of smart credentials ensures that they are far harder to counterfeit. It is not possible to put a dollar amount on the potential damage that an organization could suffer by unauthorized individuals gaining access to restricted areas of the facility. By issuing your staff credentials with strong authentication mechanisms, you are effectively investing in their well being and demonstrating that you take security seriously. IT-approved. When presenting a smart card solution, be prepared for representatives from the IT department to take notice. More and more security system decisions are being made with input from the IT department. And we re seeing increased desire for the convergence of physical and logical security access control. IT professionals want strong authentication credentials, the level of security provided by smart cards. Contrary to proximity and magnetic stripe cards and their readers, smart cards go through a challenge and response sequence to initiate conversations with the network. Communications are encrypted using industry standard encryption techniques. By welcoming their involvement and showing ability to speak their language and answer their questions, you will gain additional layers of approval within the IT organization. Multi-credential readers are perfect for these locales. Besides aiding
implementation, multi-technology readers are available to create flexibility in the transition while allowing your users to leverage the benefits of smart cards now or in the near future. Installing a multi-credential reader at every new door means you are able to flexibly plan for the future. Since multi-technology readers work on both the proximity frequency and the smart card frequency, they can still use your current proximity credentials while migrating to smart credentials at their own pace. Likewise, multitechnology readers can read both magnetic stripe and smart cards. During the transition, you can use both your old credential and the new smart credential. You can upgrade on your preferred timelines, not due to the whim of technology that forces a "now or never" alternative. When you switch to smart cards, you will not have to tear out and re-install all of your facilities readers. The multi-technology readers are ready to go. Lastly, choosing the right smart card credential can make all the difference when trying to use them with applications other than access control. Look for platforms that are open format rather than those designed for proprietary systems. Open formats allow easy integration into other applications with minimal programming, speeding up the time of deployment, reducing the cost of implementation, and giving you more freedom to get the most out of your investment. In Many Cases, There will be Other Credentials For higher-security applications that require multiple forms of verification, the smart card also has an advantage as it securely stores other credential types such as biometric templates, PIN codes and photos right on the smart card. This provides an extra level of security at the access point, protecting the information behind closed doors or on the secure network without added inconvenience to the user. For instance, more and more data rooms, laboratories and other high asset value rooms are protected with biometrics to assure that the person attempting entry is the person who is authorized to enter, not a person carrying the card of who is
authorized to enter. Of course, not all access points such as the broom closet are high security locales. For these doors, keys may remain in service for some time. So might some of the other credentials, including the PIN. With multiple types of credentials, it is imperative that you select an open architecture for more flexibility, scalability and a growth path. Remember, security applications frequently are installed in stages. Too often, over the years, different brands with various operating mechanisms can get installed. The products operate independently, without integration into one system. Oftentimes, the hardware and software systems are proprietary and not compatible with other components. Security directors today need to choose access control systems that can be upgraded to create an enterprise security system. You need systems that can meet current safety and security issues, as well as accommodate emerging technologies that allow your system to expand and adapt as needed. Such solutions should be able to operate current technologies, as well as those under development, without compromising or risking investments in their present systems. For Many of Us, Our Smartphone will be our Credential NFC is one of the key technologies on the horizon. Near Field Communications (NFC) technology is now being added to a growing number of mobile handsets to enable access control as well as many other applications. Over 285 million NFC-enabled smart phones are expected to be sold in 2013 and over half the phones sold in 2015 will be NFC-capable. Existing aptiq 13.56 MHz smart card/multi-technology readers are already compatible with the new NFC technology which allows your users to deploy their own smartphones as their credentials to enable secure access into their facilities. When NFC-enabled phones are available, you won t have to replace your present smartcard/ multi-technology readers. When transitioning and planning for future expansion, spanning the various technologies of the past, present and future with a multi-technology reader only makes sense.
-30- ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeremy Earles is Allegion s Portfolio Manager for Credentials and Readers. He can be contacted at Jeremy.Earles@allegion.com.