Four Physical Security Challenges and Solutions to Secure Your Business

In 2020 we faced one of the greatest challenges in human history and we’re still recovering from it. While the last 12 months have been a time of fear, uncertainty, and isolation, it has also been a time where we as people, and even our industry as a whole, have learned a lot. Perhaps the thing we’ve learned the most, however, is that we should always try to be prepared for the worst. While this may sound pretty grim, the intention here is to actually drive ourselves and our industry toward a path of resiliency-one that is prepared to take on any security challenge. Below we discuss some of the greatest challenges our industry is currently facing, and the solutions you need to effectively secure your business.

1) Tailgating

In our past couple of posts, we’ve highlighted the very common threat of tailgating. 

While holding the door for the person behind you as you enter a secured building may seem to be the polite and less awkward thing to do, it’s also one of the most seamless ways tailgaters enter a building. Because of this, we can’t simply rely on employees to make sure they don’t let unauthorized users in. Instead, one of the most efficient ways of mitigating tailgating risks is to install intelligent access control systems that can be “the bouncer”, so to speak, at the entryway of secured buildings. 

Additionally, encouraging employees to be compliant with credentialed entries or exits by maintaining a one credentialed person entering or leaving at a time rule can also help deter tailgaters from attempting to enter your building. This also leads to our next security challenge many businesses face.

2) Identification Verification

Similar to tailgating, there’s also ID fraud, or the act of employees using or sharing each other’s ID cards. Without proper training, employees may do this and not even give it a second thought; making the installation and use of any access control system an ineffectual measure. 

To offset this challenge, the use of biometrics may be the best solution. Biometrics, such as facial authentication, can be the perfect answer here. It provides an added layer of security in verifying that the employee attempting to enter the building or secured room is who they claim to be. Without an additional means of authentication, you’re leaving your business exposed to theft of invaluable data and other important assets.

3) Theft of data & assets

If you’re using any form of access control that allows tailgating, or the enablement of employee ID sharing, then you’re opening your establishment up to theft. With employees leaving documents with privileged information on their desks, or keeping their computers unlocked, it’s far too easy for malicious actors to come in and take info or work devices and appropriate them for their own needs. 

Last year, this kind of physical breach accounted for 4% of data theft, in which “the theft of paperwork or devices such as laptops, phones and storage devices occurred.” Any of the listed stolen items can lead to disastrous outcomes.Between access control and informing your employees on the importance of safeguarding sensitive information, you can ensure better safety for your business.

4) Aging infrastructure

Finally, one of the most challenging physical security vulnerabilities to overcome is a building that has no ability to implement new access control technology - the aging infrastructure of our buildings. Aging infrastructure affects both security and performance of our buildings. However, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there are many rehabilitation techniques that can both reduce the rate of aging for a structure and in turn, improve the security of a network.

Two of these techniques are detection and defense. Detection senses an act of aggression, assesses the validity of the detection, and communicates the appropriate information to a response force. Defensive measures protect an asset from aggression by delaying or preventing an aggressor’s movement toward the protected asset. 

Artificial intelligence is something that can act as the first line of defense in older buildings, as it can detect, assess, and notify security professionals about threats based on aggregated data. Moreover, a robust access control system can readily be the complementary line of defense in cases where the AI picks up on a threat.

Alcatraz AI: The Perfect Solution

The simple, yet sophisticated solution to all the above challenges, Alcatraz AI leverages artificial intelligence and powerful analytics to make your building more secure. Alcatraz’s facial authentication technology and intelligent tailgating detection enable enterprises to innovate and future-proof their security strategy without having to install or integrate new hardware. This means that even if you’re working with older infrastructure or legacy access control systems, our solution is still one that can be easy-to-implement and use.

Contact us now to schedule a demo and see the power of our sophisticated facial authentication solution in action.