Security: The latest in access controls

Open Sesame

Keeping company assets and information in and keeping the uninvited out continues to be a concern for us all. So what’s new in access control?

by Maureen Moody

Automatic ID technology is changing. With radio frequency identification (RFID), the emphasis is no longer on gaining a longer reading range. Today, RFID systems are using smart card integration not only to increase security, but also to save money says Mike Sussman, access control section chairman at the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).

Of course, what everyone wants from access control is quick, hassle-free access for large numbers of people. And not only in the workplace. The use of smart cards is becoming popular at sports stadia too. Online ticketing system Stadiacard is currently being used at Liverpool Football Club. The system combines contactless Mifare smart cards and access control software from Fortress GB.

At the start of the season we issue season ticket holders with Stadiacard smart cards for speedy access through the turnstiles says club stadium manager, Ged Poynton. The cards contain each person’s name, ID number, their stand, row and seat number, and how much they have paid.

Automatic access means the club can reduce staffing levels. And if a season ticket holder cannot attend a match, instead of their ticket bolstering the black market, the card is credited and the seat made available for sale, which means extra revenue for the club. Lost or stolen stadium smart cards are blocked and the balances transferred to a new card. If holders are identified as troublemakers, access can also be blocked. And if queries arise, stewards with PDAs can access a cards full history.

No wires

Today’s RFID systems are wireless but also intuitive, giving both cost and convenience benefits. At the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, East Sussex, TCP/IP Ethernet interfaces rather than hard wiring between floors enables the system to link to remote sites as well.

The hospital is a big one: 6,500 staff, 83 doors, with a range of security challenges. Hundreds of people come through the premises daily, staff need access to a mix of buildings and areas and opportunist theft is a problem. Emergency lockdown is sometimes necessary due to chemical spills or the creation of a temporary mortuary, and there is also a blood bank which must comply with strict EU guidelines. In addition, the baby unit and mental health wing need secure access. But the system, Net2 from Paxton Access, installed by Vistec Systems, is simple. It’s even controlled from one PC. Steve Edwards, security team leader, says, despite the huge number of staff, Net2 is simple and user-friendly because the software is intuitive. It’s easy to set up individual groups with different access levels, and the Windows interface means training other staff takes less than an hour

Biometrics

Biometrics, the means by which each person can be uniquely biologically identified, has been evolving alongside RFID and smart cards. Rather than replacing RFID and smart cards, developers have simply refined the most popular technologies. Sussman at the BSIA says, Fingerprinting is still the main biometric, partly because of its ease of use and lower cost. That said, the right sensor must be used in the right environment. The main problems are associated with poor fingerprint ridges on certain people when used with optical sensors. Capacitative and sub-thermal sensors overcome these problems

Siemens Building Technologies Security Solutions has been working on facial recognition. As the firm’s Peter Fletcher points out, Facial recognition is often preferred because it is less intrusive than fingerprinting or iris reading, and its non-contact so ideal for hazardous areas where gloves may be worn

He explains that today’s facial recognition works by detecting the subject either by digitally scanning a photograph (two-dimensional) or from a live camera image (three-dimensional). The usual method is to map the angles, direction and distances between key areas such as eyes, nose, mouth and jaw edges. Fletcher advocates a 3D image as this also allows the measurement of facial contours. A concern with 2D is that a photo could be presented and accepted, whereas a 3D image provides additional ways of ensuring the system isn’t fooled.

Another provider, Simply Biometrics, says a strong positive aspect of facial recognition is that verification or identification can be accomplished quickly and easily from more than two feet away.

Like many providers, Simply Biometrics offers a combination of technologies including hand geometry with PINs or fingerprinting. Its hand reader, popular in the construction industry, simultaneously analyses more than 31,000 points and 90 measurements. Hands are not as easily distinguishable as fingerprints or faces, so current systems are used for verification not identification. However, the company says that hand geometry is relatively easier to collect compared to other technologies; fingerprinting needs good frictional skin.

The other popular technology is recognition of iris patterns. Simply Biometrics say an iris offers more than 200 comparison points including rings, furrows and freckles. It’s a protected internal organ whose random texture is stable throughout life, so recognition decisions can be made confidently, rapidly and reliably.

Buddying and tailgating

A big advantage of biometrics over traditional access control is that it puts an end to buddying especially common on university campuses and halls of residence where students allow swipe cards, proximity fobs, keys or PINs to be used by unauthorised people. UKB International says that a typical university may have 5,000 students and staff, so this can become extremely expensive in terms of time and materials to be continually reprogramming and replacing misused or lost cards, keys or tags.

Tailgating is also a problem, where two people go through an access point together with the system only reading one person. Portals are the newest idea for preventing this. A portal such as those supplied by Simply Biometrics requires each individual to enter a small steel and glass cabin featuring integrated biometric readers. The individual has their biometric details read and accepted before they step through another door into the secure area, leaving the portal free for the next person to enter.

Access control is witnessing a steady evolution of reliable, easy-to-use technology combinations. And importantly, says Mike Sussman, the costs are coming down.

Maureen Moody is a freelance journalist