The Biometric Card - Next Evolution for ID Cards

The Biometric Card - Next Evolution for ID Cards

First there were bar code cards. They evolved to magnetic stripe cards which evolved into proximity cards. As proximity became the predominant credential technology over the last decade, it’s evident that contactless smart cards will replace proximity and the other legacy credential technologies over the next three to five years. That’s because the multi-application flexibility of contactless smart cards lets an organization use them for logical/information access control, time and attendance and other applications in addition to physical access control. Each application gets its own memory space on the card or tag and security keys prevent one application from accessing another. For those considering biometrics at some of their access points, the card can even hold the biometric template.

Nonetheless, there still remains a problem with the smart card. Who is presenting the smart card to the reader? The system doesn’t know. All it can understand is that an authorized card has been presented to the reader. Thus, the door should open, respective of who is holding the card.

The Biometric Card - Next Evolution for ID CardsA biometric template carried within the card could help solve that problem, but at what expense? To do so, it needs a biometric reader and an additional piece of hardware, which raises the infrastructure cost to do what the card should be doing in the first place, verifying who is trying to enter. So, why not put biometrics directly onto the smart card? There would be no additional hardware to buy and the smart card wouldn’t work unless verified by the authorized person’s thumbprint on the card. With a biometric card, the organization would reap all of the security and access control advantages of the smart card plus biometrics.

How Did We Get from Then to Now?

Let’s review the most commonly used types of card technologies used today.

Bar codes.  Some facilities still use bar code badges, the least secure of all credentials. They are what they sound like. A bar code reader scans the bar code to allow access. However, since the bar code is visible, it can be reproduced very easily. There is a solution, though. By covering the bar code with an opaque film, the badge is only read by a UV bar code reader. Of course, this raises the cost.

Magnetic stripe.  No different than the common, ordinary credit card; information on a magnetic stripe card is held on a strip of coated magnetic recording tape. Since the stripe must come in contact with the reader, there is ultimate wear-and-tear on the card.

There’s a reason that they’re the de facto credential for credit companies. They’re less costly and easier to produce than other badges, but this also means that they are easy to forge, making their security questionable. Nonetheless, they are successfully used by thousands of companies who require only simple access.

Proximity badges and tokens. This is today’s most widely used access control technology for two main reasons: There is no contact between cards and the reader, which eliminates the wear-and-tear factor, and proximity readers can be made very durable or even hidden into another structure to make them relatively vandal-resistant. Badges contain an antenna with microchip. As the badge enters a “wake-up” field, the electronics inside the badge power up and send the encoded information to the reader. 

There are three types of proximity badges:

  • The read only, true to its name, can only be read and the number cannot be changed;
  • Read/write badges can have their numbers re-programmed; and
  • Multi-technology badges are proximity badges that also employ another technology. For instance, leading vendors provide such badges in combinations such as proximity/magnetic stripe.

These are typically employed where a company has an older legacy access control credential technology and wants to migrate without eliminating access to buildings. This is especially important for companies with multiple facilities. In other cases, the company cafeteria or some other application may only take magnetic stripe or the other technology credentials.

Contact smart cards. These cards contain a microchip that holds and processes large amounts of information. Metal pads on the card make contact with the reader to power up the circuitry and communication with the microprocessor. As a contact technology, though, they suffer the effects of wear-and-tear.

Contactless smart cards. This technology is ideal for physical access control and other applications. It is more secure than the proximity card and provides greatly increased flexibilities. With their lower reader costs, reduced costs of system ownership and increased applications opportunities, every security professional needs to more closely appraise contactless smart cards as they review their present systems.

The Newest Evolution – The Biometric Card

A contactless smart card credential with on-card fingerprint reading provides all the assets of the smart card and eliminates its most glaring deficiency, knowing who is holding it. Moving the biometric technology from the reader to the card, this innovative, on-card authentication gives organizations the ability to upgrade their access control systems to biometric practically overnight. Eliminating the need to swap out traditional card readers for biometric readers, the biometric card provides a simple and cost-effective solution for biometric access control.

The biometric card quickly reads the user’s fingerprint in less than a second. Eliminating the problems of solely deploying PINs and standard cards, the wirelessly powered biometric card lets users authenticate themselves directly on the card through something they are, a fingerprint or thumbprint. Only then will the card system activate the lock. This is much more secure than simply using a standard card, which verifies only something the user carries and eliminates the risk of lost or stolen cards being used for unauthorized access as well as strengthens the audit trail of accountability. 

An on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the contactless smart card that has universal compatibility with all ISO 14443 readers from the leading brands. The biometric card is DESFIRE EV1 and MIFARE Classic compatible. Without having to change out an organization’s existing card readers, the biometric card provides an easy, low-cost way for organizations to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using smart card readers or multi-technology readers that also read smart cards.

Thus, the biometric card is more secure to use than other available ID and authentication solutions on the market today. The fingerprint data is captured by the on-card fingerprint scanner and is thereafter encrypted and stored only inside the card. No exchange of data is conducted with external systems. This provides secure template management since the fingerprint never leaves the card.

It also eliminates user concerns with privacy issues. The card is unique to the user and only the authorized card holder can activate card communication with the reader. When a positive match occurs, the biometric card activates encrypted communication with the lock or reader in the same way as other ISO 14443 contactless smart cards.

No longer do organizations need to worry if someone not authorized to enter is using another person’s ID card. With the biometric directly on the card, they can be assured that the only people getting in are those authorized to do so.

About the Author

Kim Humborstad is the CEO of Zwipe.

Featured

  • Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Top Five Action Items to Elevate Your Data Security Posture Management and Secure Your Data

    October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and every year most tips for security hygiene and staying safe have not changed. We’ve seen them all – use strong passwords, deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA), be vigilant to spot phishing attacks, regularly update software and patch your systems. These are great recommended ongoing tips and are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But times have changed and these best practices can no longer be the bare minimum. Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • XS4 Original+

    XS4 Original+

    The SALTO XS4 Original+ design is based on the same proven housing and mechanical mechanisms of the XS4 Original. The XS4 Original+, however, is embedded with SALTO’s BLUEnet real-time functionality and SVN-Flex capability that enables SALTO stand-alone smart XS4 Original+ locks to update user credentials directly at the door. Compatible with the array of SALTO platform solutions including SALTO Space data-on-card, SALTO KS Keys as a Service cloud-based access solution, and SALTO’s JustIn Mobile technology for digital keys. The XS4 Original+ also includes RFID Mifare DESFire, Bluetooth LE and NFC technology functionality. 3

  • ComNet CNGE6FX2TX4PoE

    The ComNet cost-efficient CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is a six-port switch that offers four Gbps TX ports that support the IEEE802.3at standard and provide up to 30 watts of PoE to PDs. It also has a dedicated FX/TX combination port as well as a single FX SFP to act as an additional port or an uplink port, giving the user additional options in managing network traffic. The CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is designed for use in unconditioned environments and typically used in perimeter surveillance. 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3