To prevent physical access to facilities, companies should follow these ten fundamental practices:

Adopt Mobile or Biometric Authentication

Switch from traditional metal badges and plastic ones to digital credentials, or biometric data to ensure secured access. Biometrics are especially suitable for areas with high security, such as government data centres or facilities. Mobile credentials are flexible in cost and efficiency, and they are able to be issued or removed quickly. They also minimize the risks that are associated with lost badges because of the extra security features on smartphones.

Cybersecurity Assessment of Security Systems

Conduct a thorough cybersecurity assessment of the security control program, whether in-house or with an external third party. The audit should include an exhaustive review of your systems and infrastructure to ensure they are secure against cyber-attacks. It should also include a review of peripheral devices, applications as well as network infrastructure. activating all necessary security features, including monitoring and encryption.

Utilize AI to assist in Security Monitoring

Implement AI to perform various security tasks that include detecting anomalies of access card use, anticipating hardware failures, observing the tailgating process, and making sure that it is in the compliance of. AI detects discrepancies such as a mismatch in the employee’s job and their access privileges.

Automatic Access Control

Eliminate human mistakes by automating the granting and revocation the access right. Integration with IT or HR systems can make this process easier. For instance, LenelS2’s “use it or lose it’ feature will disable cards if they haven’t been used during a predetermined period of time, which can address issues like lost or returned cards.

Implement Role-Based Access Control

Utilize access control based on roles to limit access to areas that are sensitive according to the role of an individual within the company. This method helps to prevent internal security breach.

Increase Inter-Team Communication

Standardize security processes across your business to ensure the sameness and manage threats effectively. Use integrated business systems to ensure smooth employee onboarding and offboarding.

Deploy Videos for Analytics and Surveillance

Make use of the surveillance of video and other analytics in order to spot unauthorised entry and track the physical attempts to gain access. Video surveillance systems also detect overcrowding in restricted areas.

Regular Compliance Reviews

Conduct regular audits of your systems to make sure of compliance and the correct the alignment of access rights. Regular audits allow you to find active badges of former employees and allow access for employees who have switched roles.

Focus on Education for Employees

Educate employees on the importance of registering lost badges and managing guests and strangers who want to gain access to the premises. A regular training program and specific rules should be a part of the initial process of onboarding.

Opt for Minimalist Badges

Issue badges with only the most basic information to limit the security risk when they fall into improper hands. Avoid displaying logos of companies address, addresses, or personal information on badges. Lost badges should be accompanied by the return address, which is usually an address in a PO box, rather than the physical address of the company.