It is not unreasonable to compare the evolution of the access control industry with the development of the automotive market: imagine the best car in the seventies. Comfortable, convenient, superior to many, the best in its range.
By Gustavo Gassmann*
That classic today, in 2017, could continue to provide its basic services without any problem, carrying and bringing passengers. However, safety studies over the past forty years have led to raising awareness and awareness of the risks associated with driving. Consequently, car and auto parts manufacturers are constantly developing functionalities that minimize risks: disc brakes, airbags, seat belts, alarms, etc.
Now, if we transfer this example to the access control market, we could say that the technological evolution from the seventies to the present day is much greater and vertiginous thanks to computer development.
However, with technological development, the risks also grow. Along with technology, risks evolve, mutate, perfect, become "immune" to the "cures" of the moment. For this reason, large technology companies such as HID Global are one step ahead, not only facing current dangers, but also anticipating potential vulnerabilities. Hence, acquiring an awareness about migration and a culture of constant technological updating is highly recommended.
In the corporate world it is very common for companies to allocate high budgets for the update, every three or five years, of their technological equipment (computers, tablets, cell phones). However, when it comes to technology for security, access control and secure identification, it is often committed to maintaining obsolete systems that, although they continue to provide their basic services, are ineffective against the risks that are updated and renewed daily. Not to mention that upgrading the company's computer equipment can be significantly more expensive than migrating to current security and access control solutions.
These decisions are made even knowing that a crack in the company's security processes can trigger situations such as money leakage, theft of personal or corporate information, intrusion, fraud and major crimes, consequences even more serious than those that can occur if a computer is not updated. This is evidenced by a study published in 2012 by the Kroll agency in which it is assured that 61% of companies suffered financial fraud and 55% suffered information theft. The losses associated with this type of fraud are substantial.
Four generations in more than 25 years
The immediate advantage of technology migration is to be at the forefront, to keep pace with global advancement. But this is not the only benefit: being as protected as possible is the true value, and in that HID Global is a specialist. The quality of the solutions it offers is undeniable and this is demonstrated by the users who still continue to operate with equipment that corresponds to the first technology created and marketed by the company in 1991. But despite its quality and functionality, we must be clear: from that moment to the present day, a period that coincides with an explosive, accelerated and diverse technological growth, thousands of novel and complex ways of doing harm, of violating corporate systems and of committing crimes by going beyond security systems have been designed. At this point it is worth remembering the analogy of the automotive industry that was raised at the beginning.
During this time HID Global has developed several new technologies. In 2014 it launched HID Mobile Access, which works thanks to SEOS technology, and which represents a generational leap compared to other proposals of the company. HID Mobile Access is a digital identification solution that makes it possible to use smartphones and other devices to open doors safely, both up close (in "touch" mode) and remotely (in "twist and go" mode), or as a supplement to traditional card access. In addition, it allows you to manage secure identities.
Nowadays it is very common to forget or lose the wallet, the keys or the physical card to access somewhere, but without the cell phone we feel that we are missing a part of our body. With that single device we schedule appointments, communicate with others, work, receive and send information, and have fun. So what better tool to identify ourselves and access physical and digital spaces and services safely, comfortably and conveniently than the mobile phone?
HID Mobile Access is a solution compatible with iOS and Android based devices, operates via Bluetooth and opens doors without the need to launch the application. The issuance, management, and revocation of secure mobile identities is managed through the HID Mobile Access portal and identities can be protected by locking the device screen.
The update is the way for companies to take advantage of these new solutions: initially replacing the previous readers with multi-technology readers with integrated bluetooth. With these devices it is possible to read technologies without and with standard, technologies with proprietary encryption key and Mobile Access technology. The next step is, as the need arises, to replace old cards with state-of-the-art cards, whether physical or digital. In this process not a single day of operation is lost.
Today the world has its bets on the mobile universe and access control technology is no exception. The technological migration to that scenario is inevitable and necessary: it is much safer, more convenient, reliable, comfortable and the experience is unique.
*Gustavo Gassmann is the Director of the Access Control Business Unit for HID Global in Latin America.
