What You Need to Know About Access Control in 2020
Mobile credentials, adoption have been anticipated for more than a decade
- By Laura Fradette
- Nov 18, 2019
It is hard to believe that 2019 is coming
to a close. As we look ahead to the
New Year, sitting with colleagues, we
reflected on the trends that impacted
our industry in 2019, and predict what we
can look forward to in 2020 and beyond.
2019 Reflections
This past year proved to be a significant
one in the world of access control. “As an
industry, we’ve been anticipating mobile
credentials for over a decade,” says Peter
Boriskin, chief technology officer, ASSA
ABLOY Opening Solutions Americas.
“Mobile adoption has been increasing
steadily over time, but 2019 was the tipping
point. Growing capabilities in the residential
space continued to drive customer
expectations in the commercial space, and
Apple’s launch of mobile student IDs also
played a significant role in this shift. The
mere fact that it is now proven to be possible
put people’s minds at ease and removed
a lot of the fear factor.”
Jim Primovic, director of Campus EAC
Sales, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions
Americas, has the unique vantage point of
seeing access control trends as they happen
on university campuses, which must
meet the demands of students who expect
the latest technology while also providing
a safe and secure learning environment.
“In 2019, we saw many campuses getting
their infrastructure up to speed to
support mobile credentials,” Primovic
said. “There are thousands of use cases
across any given campus that are currently
set up to support magnetic stripe or smartcard
credentials. Campuses that had the
foresight to install future-proof solutions
that enable a seamless transition to mobile
were prepared, but many other campuses
had a significant undertaking in upgrading
their infrastructure. In 2020, we will
start to see broader deployment of mobile
across all points of campuses.”
Another important trend was the use
of analytics and intelligence to manage
security.
“Today, we are able to take a more proactive
approach to security threats, which
enables us to prevent tragedies from occurring,”
said David Corbin, director of
product management – Access Control
Accessories, ASSA ABLOY Electromechanical
Specialties Group. “The ability
to converge building information systems
with other systems provides a more holistic
look at the entirety of a property.
With limited budgets, a curb-to-core strategy
with multiple layers of security is the
most effective way to predict what could
go wrong in your facility and eliminate
threats before they become viable.”
The Future is
Already Here
While it may not seem as futuristic as
it once did, we are getting closer to the
high-tech capabilities that previously only
seemed possible on television. For example,
new applications for existing technologies
such as ultra wideband (UWB) will enable
hands-free access to entry and exit points.
“Using ultra-wideband technology,
we can tell if a credential holder is just
walking by a door or is actually walking
toward the door, with intent to enter,”
Boriskin said. “This provides the security
needed to enable access from a credential
in your pocket.”
This will also impact energy efficiency.
“If the door to a retail store opens every
time someone walks by, you are not
only wasting the energy required to open
and close the door, but also the heating
or cooling that is escaping from the building,”
Corbin said.
Ultimately, the biggest changes in the
coming years require a different mindset
when it comes to security. Gone are the
days when access control was used only to
increase security.
“Access control has shifted focus from
solely security to a comprehensive, seamless
user experience,” Primovic said. “What
was once a battle of convenience versus
security has shifted to a balance of convenience
and security. I believe that mobile
bridges the gap to move both forward.”
Similarly, access control can now be
used to support new ways of working, such
as co-working and hoteling, a more mobile
workforce and unattended delivery.
“We’ve started seeing different industries
leveraging our smart locker technology
to assist in their access control needs,” said Arik Levy, CEO, Luxer One. “Corporate
offices have started adopting smart
lockers to securely store and hand off assets
– think laptops and cell phones, or
peer-to-peer deliveries of legal documents.
The concept of a heavy-duty locker compartment
with one-time access codes has
changed the game when it comes to the
asynchronous hand off of goods.”
Access control can also be used to increase
efficiency for an organization. For
example, in healthcare, many facilities are
now using access control to streamline the
process of delivering medication to patients,
tracking critical supplies and providing
an audit of who accessed medication
and supplies. This allows staff to focus
on the more important task of patient care.
Planning for Success
In such a dynamic industry, it can be difficult
to balance budget with multiple competing
priorities, including the need for
professional training to get educated on the
latest trends. Here are a few key takeaways
to help you prioritize in 2020 and beyond.
Focus on cybersecurity. Conduct security
assessments to ensure all components
of the systems within your building are
protected from cyberattacks. Find out if
the products you are using have already
undergone penetration testing by the manufacturer.
And, with existing expertise in
physical security, additional IT security
training will expand your knowledge and
give you a more comprehensive skill set
as a security professional. Organizations
such as the SANS Institute are a good resource
for this type of training.
Leverage the ability to connect systems. It
is a good time to evaluate access control systems
that have been operating independently
because they may be able to interoperate
with other facility systems for a fraction of
the cost. Issues often lie in the vulnerabilities
between multiple systems, so connecting
them can address these problems.
Shift to a proactive mindset. As we move
into 2020, rethink how you approach security
and access control. Consider using
data to make real-time decisions and help
prevent problems before they happen.
Prepare for mobile. Customer expectations
are changing because people want
the seamless experience they enjoy at
home to translate to public spaces. Mobile
credentials perfectly address this growing
demand for convenience and security, and
organizations need to be prepared. In the
campus environment, that includes the
card office business model and determining
what additional services can be provided
to enhance the student experience.
This is an exciting time in the security
industry. As capabilities continue to grow
in 2020 and beyond, we will further our
ability to leverage access control systems
and their associated data to develop a
seamless user experience, optimize efficiency,
and create safe and secure environments
in which people live and work.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Security Today.