It’s amazing to think that decades ago, the technology by which workplaces were secured was that of a key. A basic key and lock was all one needed to secure an area. Now, we are in a world where accessing one’s workplace and its areas is as easy as a fingerprint – and no one would have believed this in a world where science fiction reigns.
Moving from this very simple security access system to one extremely advanced makes a lot of sense through a historical trajectory. It’s almost logical that the need for new security solutions would arise when limited access became problematic for organizations as their needs expanded.
The Era of Physical Keys and Basic Locks
Picture a key with an associated lock. This primitive piece of technology has existed for as long as humanity has learned how to create locked spaces that need controlled access. Unless someone wanted to break into a space (which was always an option), if someone had a key, they could get into wherever they needed to be. For the longest time, this was the only method of access control (besides other similar physical locking mechanisms).
This was the most efficient way to accomplish security and peace of mind because it was personal. An organization could craft a sophisticated security policy based on who had keys and no one could duplicate what they had without permission from locksmith services. For instance, if an office had five employees, one employee would be tasked with receiving all of the keys for office access. If that employee got fired or quit, their own key could be cancelled out if the lock was changed. This methodology worked for a time when employees stayed with employers for long times (permanent key holders) and businesses had limited growth (limited key access points).
At the same time, even then, problems existed. If someone lost their key, they had to call a locksmith and pay for a rekeying of the office door. If employees turned over, companies constantly had to rekey or think about if someone kept their key after walking out the door. Duplication was easy, and unless suspicious activity occurred for surveillance, it would be almost impossible to know who was where.
The bigger an organization got, the more keys they had to worry about. Tracking keys from an administrative perspective meant maintaining a massive database of who had access to which parts of the organization and which keys were out where – and whether there were any master keys floating around in the wrong hands. For years this was the biggest concern for security.
The Rise of Electronic Access Control
Then came electronic access in the form of card access at which point the first step away from mechanical options made sense. An organization would have a reader that accepted a magnetic card and this would trigger lock access or access terminals/lights that would allow entry into certain areas depending on the time of the day and permissions granted.
This made it easier to bring electronic solutions into play. Lost cards were not as big of an issue if they could be deactivated on the spot with the push of an administrative button; cards could easily identify if people were where they weren’t supposed to be due to electronic logs; and one card might allow someone access everywhere or only certain places based on their permissions.
Of course, cards could still be stolen, forgotten and easily broken. Employees still had to carry them around like keys, which defeated the purpose, and organizations still had to pay for replacements if they were damaged or lost. There was still no guarantee that someone couldn’t find a way to know someone’s code and print out their access card for themselves.
The Biometric Revolution
Then came biometric systems where either your fingerprint or facial recognition would give you access based on unique identifiers that could not be duplicated – at least not easily! Biometric access systems became more sophisticated over time and proven reliability has increased modern systems’ trustworthiness enough that even private information is digitized daily with this easy access point.
Modern businesses have leaned towards biometric access that offers convenience since nothing extra is required but the person themselves! While these technologies do come with considerations such as privacy policies that need to be established and potential system downtime that requires backup procedures, most organizations find that the benefits significantly outweigh these manageable challenges.
Although biometrics require a higher initial investment, many companies discover that the long-term savings in reduced administrative costs, eliminated card replacements, and improved security make this technology a smart financial decision that pays for itself over time.
Integration with Modern Workplace Technology
Finally, in modern organizations, access control works in tandem with building management systems for cohesive integration across devices making everything more seamless for security and operational purposes without operating in silos. As we move toward heavy reliance on mobile applications, more commonly companies will learn that smartphone applications can be used to download accessibility apps while bluetooth functioning is always easier and less at-risk than lost cards/keys/fingerprints being scanned at the wrong terminals.
Cloud-operated systems provide access across devices from multiple locations giving administrators access from a security dashboard to grant accessibility decisions across multiple platforms while simultaneously monitoring pedestrian data to help organizations assess what works best where (a door that never opens might be created with superfluous permissions/resources).
Working in tandem with other devices within the workplace only proves how easy it is to upgrade systems to integrate existing resources easier than complicated dynamics will lead others astray down the line.
Looking Toward the Future
Access control has evolved from a simple key solution but it’s amazing that it started there in the first place; there exists so many complications with older systems (costly reaccess control methods but administrative burden for oversight before technology complicated solutions) that make it clear why such an automated approach exists today.
As we move forward in heavy reliance on futuristic devices and services, it’s hard not to imagine where we’ll be in another few decades compared to today – but rest assured those who need identification will have it!
