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Biometric Access Control
A tree with many branches
Biometric Access Control – A tree with many branches
"I handle more clients now, my day goes more productive with maximum queries resolved for the right customers and most importantly my workplace is more secure", this is a review given by one of our client's employee after the installation of Access Control System in their office which restricted entry of unwanted people without proving their identity, eliminating the risk of any accident or fraud.
Access Control-an overview:
Many employees and employers are not fully aware about access control and relate it to a mere attendance punching machines. To enter somewhere means to access, to control the access is known as Access Control. In simple terms it can be understood as "A method to control the in and outs at a place by using manpower, manual or electronic barriers or by any other kind of devices".
Access control system works on a security principle of:
Fundamental Principles.
Identification.
Authentication.
Authorization.
Rejection or non – rejection.
Access Control – One Name Numerous Ways:
In general access control systems are operated by 2 ways:
Finger Operated – biometric details of a worker's finger is registered in a biometric access control machine. Now the doors of his office floor will be only opened by his/her finger print when it will be punched on the machine. The ones who are not registered with the access control system, their access will be denied. Finger-based access completely ensures the entry of authorized candidates only.
Card Operated – a card is issued to an employee which holds a unique alphanumeric code. A unique code is assigned to every card which may match an employee's company registration code and is strictly different for every card. this card is punched on the machine and due to its unique code the door gets opened as the code is on the name of that employee which has been entered into the machine. Without this card entry would be restricted.
But in actual practice there are several other ways as well to operate access control and the unique part about it is that we don't need to carry anything to make ourselves eligible for access but our hands, eyes, fingers are unique enough to mark our access. Various access control options are as follows:
Finger scan.
Card Scan.
Pin protection.
Password protection.
Card with pin protection.
Card with password protection.
Pin with password protection.
Slave reader.
Apart from this there are several principles, criteria & categories followed by there sub types which makes access control a more wider topic to discover and preferably a safer option from security point of view.
There can be many ways on how we want to characterize the access control, on the other end it also depends upon how many doors you want to operate:
Door controller with Slave reader for card based access only.
Standalone biometric machine with pin based access only.
A comparison chart will be helpful in understanding the features and importance of each option in Multi door operation Access Control Systems:-
Moving further, another features which plays an influential role towards safety are:
1. Time Zone – there are different shifts in the offices, some follow fixed, some rotational and some work on 24×7 principles. With these kind of flexible timings, it becomes tricky to administer every employee's access. Access control systems linked with biometric machines can also be installed with pre defined shift timing access for employees. For example, if work timings of an office is from 09:00 AM to 05:30 PM, taking half to one hour as buffer time, the access control system will provide access to employees in this given shift timings and as soon as the time crosses the set limit, access will be denied by the system.
In factories, manufacturing units and other big setups which work on 24-hour shifts, a worker who is assigned to the day shift won't be able to enter the premises once his/her shift gets over as there 12 hours shift time gets over, and this time limit can be set with the access controls.
In a similar way, the week offs and listed holidays can be assigned for maintenance in companies and as per client's requirement only maintenance engineers can be allowed in the premises, so the access control system will grant entry to only selected maintenance staff only.
2. Anti Pass Back – this refers to a process of blocking unauthorized access of unregistered person through a registered employee.
It has been experienced in the offices that unauthorized people access a particular floor with the help of an authorized person with only one access card. In this once an employee who has marked IN by punching the card on access system will need to mark OUT as well to complete one cycle on IN and OUT from the floor, other wise the system won't allow the employee to enter or leave the floor, this feature in turn can block the exit of the person who has entered the floor illegally as he/she won't be able to move out from the floor now.
3. Feedback Locks – Following the list of various modes of security breach thru access control systems, another one in the list can be a physical barrier which can obstruct a gate from closing, lets suppose an authorized employee opened the door with the access card and placed a chair, rod or any other object before the door creating a barrier and not letting it to meet the armature plate to get closed. This act can make the doors open for everyone. What is particular about feedback locks is the siren or beep sound which gets installed with the doors so that if any object restricts the door in getting closed, the siren or beep sound starts ringing informing everyone about the suspicious act.
Access control – A modern name for safety:
Now here a question arises,
Why I need an access control in my office when we have security agents?
Ans: lets quote a simple example, we have a smart phone and a normal swipe lock is OK to protect our data, but why we opt for fingerprint scan or face scanner lock? A clear answer, for personal data protection from everyone and only we can access the data of our phone.
So when we are concerned about our phone, why not office?
A single security agent wont be enough to give complete protection at every floor, every department, every section and every locker in the office, moreover an unwanted attack by a group of suspicious people can be difficult to be handled by a security agent.
We hope for the best and prepare for the worst and there can be many other ways which can effect the integrity and environment of a workplace as modernization gives birth to various Phishing activities, and to understand it in a good way, someone said, "Modern problems require modern solutions".
"It is somewhere responsible for my employees to be more happy and energetic in office, they work, play and share their light moments together with a sense of security and a personalized space with no unwanted interference and this is all because of access control security systems", says one of our client as he feels that installing access control system in his office was one of his perfect decision taken.
Access control – Changing Corporate Environment:
"This not only gives security but also a modernized & big corporate office feel", with these kinds of reviews from employees and their collegues makes us believe that Access Controls is ahead in adding convenience and features in corporate world.
It is the business environment which is demanding a new and advanced level of professionalism and originality in the offices. These are now a days considered as an employee's right or employee's rules in the offices to have personalized access control and somewhere can be counted as a personal identity at the work space.
All the big enterprises have entered the world of Access control system and are working towards making the whole office space access control enabled and all the small, medium and moderate organizations and start ups have started following the same trend and we hope to see globally secured work places in future with employee and data protection at the topmost level.
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