Why You Need Biometric Access Control: The Benefits and Uses

As technology advances, so do criminals’ tactics. Staying ahead of these threats is vitally important, if you want to improve security and protect your people and property.

Access control solutions let you limit who can enter your site, and where they are allowed to go. You can use them to protect your assets from unauthorised staff or members of the public, and integrate them with other security systems for more comprehensive protection. 

Older access control systems still use access cards or even PIN codes to decide if a user can enter an area. Unfortunately, these credentials are far from perfect. Criminals know how to exploit these systems to gain unauthorised access, and there’s little you can do to stop them.

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4. Considerations

Switching to biometrics is a huge step towards protecting your business from both internal and external threats. 

We’ve got you covered. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of installing biometric access control solutions and how they can take your building’s security to the next level.

What Is Biometric Access Control?

A biometric access control system is a digital entry system that uses methods like facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint readers, palm recognition, and others, to control physical access to a room. 

The main benefit of biometric access control is that it makes unauthorised access almost impossible. Unlike keycards or keyfobs, which can be lost, stolen or cloned, biometrics are completely unique to the user and exceptionally hard to duplicate..

Nowadays, many people access their phone, or even their car, with biometric technology like FaceID and fingerprint scans. So why would you not use this powerful everyday technology to protect your business? 

By combining biometrics with your security technology, you can greatly increase your business’s level of protection. This makes it far easier to secure the location where you work.

As biometric access credentials can’t be duplicated and are completely unique to the user, they ensure the movements recorded by your access control system are accurate. There’s no way for anyone to hide their movements by using someone else’s credentials. 

This means when you see “John Smith entered the server room at 13:16”, you can be sure it was John. Biometrics give you high security around restricted spaces with the convenience of your users not needing to carry around a card, key or fob.

How Do Biometric Access Control Systems Work?

Biometric access control uses a physical attribute of a user (e.g. their fingerprint, iris or face) as a credential to verify their identity. The reader will scan your “credential”, and cross-reference it against its database to assess whether you have the permissions to access the area it protects.

Once a biometric control system is installed, you will need to collect the biometric data of all users. It’s important to choose a system that will encrypt this data, as this personal information needs to be protected to preserve data security.

This biometric data will become a database of all the people you wish to give access permissions to. You can then customise each person’s permissions, giving certain people access to specific areas at certain times. 

For instance, if this technology was used in a bank, general staff would get access to the main areas but only senior staff would have access to the room with the cash safe.

The most common type of biometrics is fingerprint scanning, which is convenient, reliable and almost impenetrable. A fingerprint scanner will analyse one of your fingerprints and store it in a data file as a biometric template. Then, to access a specific location, you place your finger on a reader. The system will then analyse this new print to see if it matches one stored in the database. Once it has confirmed the two match, the access control system will record your entry and let you in.

A similar process is used for facial recognition systems and iris scans. The user’s facial features or eye are scanned with infrared light, and their appearance recorded. To access an area, they will be scanned again, and their biometric cross-checked against the one on file. 

When biometric identification was added to Smartphone technology, this concept became much more accessible and widely-used. Biometrics can now be used to unlock mobile credentials on your phone. A mobile credential that’s unlocked in this way can only work if a user has both the right phone AND the right biometrics. This is in-built two factor authentication, and perfect for businesses with high levels of security.

What Are the Benefits of Biometric Access Control Systems?

Impossible to Fake, Steal, Clone or Forget Credentials

Key card, password or PIN based access control systems use information that can be easily forgotten or credentials that can be lost. Biometrics can’t be cloned, stolen or used by another individual. There’s no way to share your biometric credentials with someone else, and you’re much less likely to lose a finger or eye than key/fob. Even identical twins have different fingerprints and irises. 

Ultra Secure Access Control

The market for biometric access control has grown in recent years, as it is much more secure than PIN codes, key cards or fobs. These other credentials can be shared, lost or stolen. Numbers on a keypad can also wear after frequent use, revealing the digits used and exposing the business to a potential breach.

Biometric security is also less well understood. Most people recognise a keypad as a sign of a locked door. This draws attention and hints that there may be something behind the door worth protecting. Biometric scanners are less noticeable and make it more difficult for a criminal to guess where your valuable assets are kept.

Detailed and Accurate Audit Trails

When biological characteristics are used as credentials, you can be sure your access records are completely accurate. In the past, colleagues could share key cards, often out of convenience. This would lead to poor audit trails of who has accessed where in the building, and at what times. Biometric access control solves this flaw, adding an extra layer of security. With this added certainty, you can have the system alert you if an unauthorised user tries to access a certain door, and be certain that it wasn’t just a credential mix-up. 

Easy to Use

Once your biometric devices are installed and database set up, the system runs smoothly and is time-efficient for everyone involved. No more fumbling with credentials and holding up the line! It takes just as long to scan a fingerprint or iris as a key card or to enter a simple pin code.

Biometrics are actually more user-friendly than key cards and fobs, because human error is taken out of the equation. You can’t forget parts of your body, or leave them at home, after all! 

Simple to Manage Access Credentials 

With biometric access control, it’s incredibly simple to manage who can access where on your premises, and at what time. Once registered, every person can be managed from a centralised system. You can quickly grant or deny access to certain doors and areas based on the individual or their role. Plus, since credentials can’t be lost, there is no need to recall, re-issue or reprint anything.

Considerations

Since facial recognition was introduced as standard with the iPhone X in 2018, people have become increasingly less reluctant to use biometrics in their everyday lives. This is great news for businesses looking to implement more effective security measures like biometric door access control. 

Unfortunately, this new-found acceptance has had some drawbacks. There are now a wide variety of biometric access solutions available to buy on platforms like Amazon. Be extremely wary about these. These “off-the-shelf” solutions are often far less reliable than the manufacturers would have you believe. A simple glance at the reviews reveals the many issues people have had, especially with installation. It’s not worth gambling the security of your business on budget security solutions and DIY installations.

The best use of your time and money would be to go directly to a professional security provider to design and build you a bespoke access control system. Remember: perfecting your set-up takes time and consideration. There are many things to consider that will make or break the durability and reliability of your biometric access control system.

To ensure your system meets its full potential, it’s always worth having a professional installation. An expert installer can specify, design and install a state of the art biometric system that integrates with the other security technologies in your building. The result is a network of integrated security solutions that keeps your people and property protected.

Don't get caught out... Talk to one of our security experts today.

Ready to make the switch to biometrics? Get in touch with our team today. 

At The Chris Lewis Group, we use the security industry’s leading technology solutions to protect your building around the clock, whether you’re inside or on-the-go.

Already have a system in place? No problem. We offer comprehensive takeover and support services for people with existing door access control systems, including maintenance packages, upgrades, restorations, and even integration. Simply fill in the form below, and we will be in touch.