Biometric access control systems — sometimes referred to as biometric scanners or readers — provide cutting edge security and control over your office’s entrances and exits. As a standalone solution, they ensure the user must be present to gain access. As part of a larger security system, including video surveillance, they offer higher levels of identification and responsiveness than ever before.

As the term access control system suggests, office security these days goes way beyond having locks on your doors. Digital technologies allow you to think in holistic terms, identifying vulnerabilities, finding solutions, and monitoring who is coming into your building so you can keep your people and property safe. 

Your access control system is your first line of defense.

At Anderson Lock, we believe biometric systems will play an increasingly important role in the future of building security. Our expert consultants can help you develop the best solution for your business, but in the following, we hope you’ll learn enough to feel confident about what biometric access systems are, why you should use them, and how to go about choosing the best system for you.

A Comprehensive Overview of Biometric Access Control System Technologies

Understanding How Biometric Access Control Systems Work

Biometric door locks and entry systems are an evolution of smart locks. The key difference is that while smart locks may use a PIN or access card, biometric scanners use physical, or biological, features of the individual to verify their identity and grant them access. 

While the underlying technology is incredibly sophisticated, you can think of a biometric access control system as consisting of three main parts:

  1. Hardware  The latch, handle, lock, and sensors required to secure and operate the door
  2. Credentials  The card or biometric data, like a fingerprint, that an individual uses to gain access
  3. Software  The underlying program that registers the credentials, approves the user, and operates the lock. This is also what allows you to manage your system remotely.

We can also talk about the basic steps the system uses, that is, the fundamental workflow:

  1. Registration  A user provides the necessary biometric data, which is associated with them in the form of a template and stored in a secure, encrypted database.
  2. Authentication  A user presents their biometric trait to a sensor at the point of entry.
  3. Verification  The system takes a live scan, then compares that data to the stored template and determines whether there is a match.
  4. Access granting  If the match succeeds, the system grants the user access — that is, unlocks the door.

Main Types of Biometric Entry Systems for Businesses

Three types of biometric scanner are most common:

  • Fingerprint recognition  Uses one or more of an individual’s fingerprints, each of which is unique to them
  • Facial recognition  Creates a template of a user’s unique facial construction
  • Iris recognition  Scans a user’s eye for the unique features of their iris such as furrows, crypts, and rings

In addition, there are several other kinds of biometric readers you can explore:

  • Voice access  Relies on unique qualities of an individual’s voice
  • Retina recognition  Similar to iris recognition but with the retina
  • Access cards  A step up from proximity cards that you wave in front of a receiver. These cards have fingerprint scanners built into them. The user holds their finger to the scanner as they wave the card in front of the receiver. Thus, these cards combine biometrics and physical security.
  • Palm vein  Takes an infrared scan of the veins in your palm
  • Hand geometry  Measures the length, width, surface area, etc. of your hand, which will be unique enough within your working group

Advantages of Biometric Access Control Systems

Biometric door locks provide all the same advantages of smart locks, including:

  • Easy user management  Using a cloud-based app or login, system administrators can manage users’ access privileges with a few clicks.
  • Real-time usage data  Each use of a biometric or smart lock is logged and timestamped so you know who is coming in and out of your business and when. This also means faster alert triggering if something fishy occurs.
  • No stress over lost keys  Most biometric systems require no physical item to keep track of, so there is literally nothing to lose. Systems like biometric access cards do require a card, but the card cannot be used by anyone else and you can deactivate it remotely.
  • Break-in resistant design  The newest biometric door locks can resist common forms of bypassing mechanical locks such as bumping and torque attacks.
  • Anti-theft features  Biometric locks often have built-in alarms that trigger when someone tampers with them or otherwise attempts to gain illicit access.
  • Scalability  These systems easily grow with your business. All you need to do is add new people or connect new locks to the system.

They also boast benefits beyond the traditional smart lock:

  • Efficiency  Biometric lock systems tend to be faster than mechanical locks or pin pads because there are no keys or cards to find and no codes to remember and enter.
  • Hygiene  Many biometric control systems are contact free
  • User experience  Let’s face it: A biometric lock is just cool! It grants an air of modern sophistication to your office and impresses visitors.
  • Hack resistant  And as we have already mentioned, the crucial advantage of a biometric lock system is that only registered individuals can use them because their unique biometric data is required to activate them. They are incredibly difficult to hack.

Reliability of Biometric Access Systems

No single security solution is perfect, and biometric locks do have some vulnerabilities to be aware of. These vulnerabilities, however, are still not as great as with mechanical locks or even standard smart locks.

  • Spoofing  Spoofing involves using a high-definition image of someone’s biometric data to fool the reader. 
  • Deep fakes  A picture or video altered or created to appear real. This is a form of spoofing that may involve voice imitation or video, and they have sometimes fooled biometric systems.
  • Privacy and data security  Storing someone’s personal biometric information entails serious responsibilities for your business in how you manage and secure it, not to mention the risks and costs to you and your employees should that data be stolen.

Biometric Locks as Part of a Layered Security Approach

For most businesses, biometric systems will be part of a larger security strategy. This likely includes device passwords and keys, physical storage spaces, and cybersecurity software.

Putting multiple security tools into place is called a layered or comprehensive security approach. It means you are considering the different kinds and locations of vulnerabilities in your business and finding security solutions that work together seamlessly and intuitively.

Multi-factor Authentication

At points of entry, biometric scanners can be used on their own or as part of a multi-factored authentication protocol. Multi-factor authentication traditionally involves at least two of the following:

  • Something the user knows, such as a PIN or passcode
  • Something the user has, such as an access card or security key
  • Something the user is, such as their fingerprint or iris

For example, you may require both an access card and a fingerprint scan, or a PIN and an iris scan. Because biometric data is unique to the user and so difficult to hack, you might opt for two forms of biometric scan such as both a fingerprint and iris.

Biometric and Video Integration

Biometric locks, like most smart locks, can also be integrated with your video surveillance system. This allows you to pair biometric access data with the visual record for greater detail and accuracy.

It also affords you:

  • Another layer of verification  Biometrics plus video increases the accuracy of verification by biometric information alone. It can be used as a form of multi-factor authentication.
  • An aid in investigations  Video and biometric access data can be synchronized to aid in security investigations.
  • Real-time responsivity  Video works hand in hand with alerts sent by biometric access systems to give your security team more information.

Barriers to Adopting a Biometric Door Lock System

For all the many benefits of biometric access control systems for your business, you should consider some common obstacles you may face in the process.

Infrastructure Requirements

You’ll need to take stock of just what hardware and software you will need. Just as importantly, you’ll need to ensure your network is powerful enough to support the extra traffic. Every biometric scanner is in effect another device on your network.

Compatibility

Different doors will require different kinds of biometric readers and locks, which means you may be combining hardware from two or more manufacturers. Or maybe you have a smart lock system and want to add biometrics to some entrances — the same thing may apply. You want to make sure all those devices can work together as part of one system.

An access control system specialist can help you navigate this issue, as it can become complicated quickly. This is definitely a situation where you want to trust an expert.

Life Safety and ADA Compliance

Any biometric readers you install will still have to comply with National Fire Protection Association and ADA codes. Fortunately, most smart locks have built-in safety features that can be triggered to automatically lock or unlock them, which you can manage from your access control software. 

Consider what implications adopting a given biometric scanner may have for accessibility. An iris scanner, perhaps, may be impossible to use for someone in a wheelchair if it requires them to stand at a certain height. And some blind people do not actually have irises. Think about who may be using your doors and how to accommodate everyone.

Privacy and Employee Adoption

While digital technologies have become very familiar to most of us, there’s a difference between signing an agreement to join a social media network and agreeing to let your company collect and store your biometric data. You need to bring your team along with you when adopting a biometric entry system by educating them and being transparent. Take genuine steps toward protecting their personal information and let them know what those steps are.

A Quick Guide to Integrating Biometric Access Control in Your Office

Due to the cost and complexity of a quality biometric lock system, you cannot plan too much for how to implement it. Invariably, something unexpected will happen, but you can minimize surprises and recover more quickly from the unexpected if you enter the process thoughtfully.

1. Conduct a Security Risk Assessment 

A security risk assessment should be part of your regular practice anyway, but this time you will look especially for places where the extra security of biometrics will be a worthwhile investment and advantage. This will likely entail exterior doors and doors leading to areas with sensitive information or valuable property.

2. Partner with a Reliable Company

Research the different companies in your area that would serve a business like yours. Interview them before hiring them to learn how they approach a project, how they handle estimating costs, the type and number of products they offer, and their past successes.

At Anderson Lock, for example, we take a partnership approach. We’re not just trying to sell you so many locks and an installation package so we can cash your check and move on to the next customer. We want to impress you with our level of service and earn your trust to maintain and upgrade your access control system in the years to come.

3. Develop a Data Storage Strategy

In partnership with your vendor, decide how you will store data. Will it be in a secure location on site, or will you hire an outside party? What encryption and security protocols will be in place to ensure personal information is protected from theft?

4. Communicate with Your Employees

Communicating what changes you’re planning comes before you’ve got an install date scheduled. It may even come before you’ve chosen a vendor. Because biometric systems involve personal information, it’s important that employees feel informed and heard. Give people a chance to express their concerns, then take those concerns seriously and tell them how you plan to address them.

5. Install and Configure Your System

Work with your vendor to find a time when installing your new biometric locks will be the least disruptive to normal operations. Your vendor should also help you understand how the system is configured and be present for testing it.

6. Train Your Team

Educate your team on how to use the new biometric system, how to ensure its longevity, and how they fit into your overall security protocols. Be sure to cover what to do should a problem arise. Organize a way to efficiently register each user’s biometric data and set up their credentials.

7. Maintain and Keep Up to Date

You’re spending good money on your biometric access system, so take maintenance seriously. Train maintenance staff in keeping sensors clean and use of proper materials. Be sure your system administrator knows how to check for and install software updates. 

What to Expect for the Future of Biometrics

Biometric access control systems are a fast-growing sector of the lock and security industry because of their high level of reliability and control.

Given current trends and the kinds of conversations happening within the industry and society at large, we can anticipate some likely developments in biometric control systems in the next decade-plus:

  • More data points  As we get better at identifying unique patterns while also looking for more layers of authentication, we’ll see new forms of biometric identification emerge. One area already seeing growth is behavioral biometrics, which monitors movements like signing your name, typing, using your mouse, etc.
  • More industries  Fintech is very interested in biometrics as a tool to prevent fraud. Banks are exploring behavioral biometrics to help confirm an individual’s identity, and your debit card may one day have biometric readers to ensure an authorized person is using it. Hospitals are exploring biometrics for patient identification and remote monitoring.
  • Continuous authentication  Currently, biometric authentication happens once at the point of entry or logging in to a computer. Continuous authentication would constantly monitor a user to make sure no one else gains access they shouldn’t have.
  • AI and machine learning  We’re already seeing companies integrate AI into their access control systems. AI can be very useful in combing through large datasets and looking for anything unusual. It can also be trained to monitor video feeds to assist human security guards.
  • 5G and faster networks  5G technology provides faster, more reliable connectivity. As it becomes more widely adopted, biometric smart locks will perform even better. 

Closing Thoughts on Biometric Security in Your Office

Biometric access control systems are revolutionizing office security with their unparalleled levels of safety and accuracy. Thoughtful implementation can address any obstacles to widespread adoption in your business, and once people become used to it, everyone will feel greater peace of mind and have a more satisfying overall experience of the workplace.

Making the move to biometrics is as simple as calling an access control expert like Anderson Lock. We will partner with you from the initial security risk assessment all the way to installation and maintenance years down the road.

Contact us today to get started!