The basics of biometric door access control systems

Biometric technology in form of Fingerprints and Face ID is fast bringing in massive changes into the everyday life of people. The majority of them now prefer accessing their phone and even use their cars through biometric technology. Even businesses are not much left behind in using this technology in their day to day operations. But here is a word of caution! As technology becomes increasingly improved with time so does the tactic of criminals. Therefore it is important to keep looking at ways to take up the security benchmark higher to stay ahead of new threats.

Access control solutions are meant to empower you with the ability to limit entry into your premise. It also helps protecting your assets from unauthorised users. As far as businesses are concerned including biometrics like fingerprints and palm scanning, etc. as an access control feature ensures an additional level of protection from both internal and external threats.

But what exactly biometric access control is all about? What can it do for you and why should you invest in it? These are few of the obvious questions that come up in the context. Let us try exploring all the important aspects related to it so that all your queries get automatically answered.

Biometric access control – understanding the basics

In most simple words you can say biometric access control is an electronic entry system. It makes use of biometrics to control physical access into a designated premise, building or room. Biometric door access control system possesses the efficiency to identify authorised individuals to provide them with access to a building or zone that is restricted for the members of public or unauthorised users. It identifies authorised or registered users through a number of methods including fingerprint recognition, palm recognition, facial recognition and much more. To cut a long story short the system identifies an authorised individual through a method that is completely unique to the user. 

What is the most important advantage the system offers? Biometric access control makes it practically impossible to gain access into a restricted space for unauthorised users. In other words unauthorised users simply cannot duplicate your thumbprint, fingerprint or any other biometric data and gain access. It is possible to use this type of features in security technology to ensure higher levels of protection related to the assets and employees of any business. This way it is even possible to secure the location where your employees work or your assets are located.    

The main purpose of this type of systems is to control, regulate or restrict who has access to what in a commercial organisation. Biometric data even provides you certainty that the movements recorded both in and around your premise are true as per the information provided by the system. It excludes the chances of misleading through genetic makeup as a way of securing access into restricted space. There is simply no way to deny that biometrics provide high levels of security around restricted zones or spaces along with the ease of not carrying a key, fob or card for the authorised individuals.

The way biometric access control systems work

Biometric access control systems make use of biological data of an individual which is used as a credential to permit entry to the restricted place. The restricted place could be a building itself or a particular area of a building. The reader which is an integral component of these systems first scans the biometric data of an individual and then it cross references that data against the access control database. A professional experienced in commercial key fob door entry systems explains this is how biometric access control systems verify whether an individual is authorised to get access to the restricted building or area.

Once a biometric control system gets installed it is important to collect biometric data of all the registered or authorised users. At this stage there is the need of a system that encrypts this information. This personal information of the authorised users must be kept very securely for obvious reasons.   

In the next stage a database is created which contains the biological data of every member who is authorised to get access to the restricted zone. These systems also allow customising access, for example suppose the system is installed in a bank where general staffs are allowed access to the main areas but only a senior staff member is allowed access into the room that contains the cash safe.  

Apparently biometric access control may sound something difficult but in reality it offers simplicity along with accuracy. In other words it ensures peace of mind for everyone alike both in homes and commercial places. 

Fingerprint scanning is one of the commonest forms of biometrics. This proves easy for everyone and moreover it is a highly reliable and safe means of security. A professional who deals with door entry system installation in London explains in biometric access control systems a fingerprint scanner is used to analyse the fingerprint (or fingerprints) of an authorised user and then the file is saved in a database. This is how an access control database builds up from scratch. At the time of accessing tat restricted space the user places his or her finger on a reader which is also a typical component of these systems. The system then analyses that fingerprint to see whether it matches with a template that is already stored in the access control database. When a match is found the system records the entrance activity of the user and allows entry to the individual. 

In biometric systems that rely on facial recognition the same approach is followed; infrared (IR) light is used to scan the biometrics of the face of an authorised individual. Based on this data entry is granted to every authorised users inside a restricted space.   

Biometrics are now widely used in smartphones and as a result this concept has now become more easily accessible and popular. Biometric access control can be easily paired with smartphones and thus the app itself can trigger the door that controls access. 

Trained and qualified tradesmen working at the renowned Commercial Electrician London explain although biometric access control is an advanced technology its concept is pretty simple. It is already much tried and tested and has been found to be safe and reliable.