People need to be safe at work. It’s a prerequisite for productivity, collaboration, and creativity.
With personal safety fears at a three-decade high, many people are looking to their employers to provide more secure environments. Leaders are responding.
Three-quarters of businesses say that security is an increasing priority, and they are putting their money where their commitments are, increasing spending by more than 15% last year.
While upgrading infrastructure, hiring more security personnel, and implementing advanced security protocols can all play an essential role in keeping people safe at work, many leaders are investing in security technology, like facial authentication, to enhance security while streamlining access control and increasing convenience for their employees.
Facial authentication technology, which leverages unique facial features to authenticate individuals and grant entry to secured spaces, is part of a growing biometric boom, with a market expected to grow by nearly 10% by the end of the decade.
The technology isn’t entirely novel. After all, hundreds of millions of people use a similar technology every time they unlock their iPhones. However, when applied to facility security, some people have legitimate concerns: Will it actually improve security? Will it be reliable enough to protect sensitive areas? Will it compromise personal privacy in favor of convenience?
These are real (and valid) concerns, but they are not without answers. Here are five best practices for implementing facial authentication at your facility that address concerns and amplify security without compromise.
1. Implement Privacy-First Solutions
People are more aware of (and worried about) the privacy implications of novel technologies than ever before. In a world where data breaches and privacy violations are becoming increasingly common, they have a right to be concerned.
That’s why facilities managers should implement privacy-first facial authentication to ease privacy concerns while making campuses more secure. This includes:
- Transparent opt-in consent: Allow employees to control their data and know how it’s being used. This increases trust between employers and employees and helps ensure that people are not unknowingly tracked or profiled.
- Storage without image retention: Facial authentication solutions don’t have to store images that could identify an individual. Instead, create a biometric facial template unique to each user that can authenticate them when they present at an entrance.
- Strong encryption: Secure everyone’s data using AES-256, the highest level of encryption available today.
- Profile expiration: Automatically delete users and their data if they have not accessed a system during a defined timeframe.
Finally, don’t make your employees take your word for it. Test and certify your privacy-first access control solution with highly regarded independent, third-party regulatory bodies.
2. Actively Comply With Privacy Regulations
Privacy isn’t just a priority for employees. It’s top of mind for policymakers and regulators, who are increasingly considering data privacy alongside product features or security implications.
This is evidenced by the implementation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other state, national, and international privacy legislation.
Simply put, elevating security while violating privacy laws and regulations is a non-starter.
Fortunately, biometric privacy laws and regulations are easy to comply with if you have the right policy, process, and product. Therefore, facilities management leaders must ensure that biometric data is collected, stored, and processed in compliance with stringent data protection regulations.
3. Integrate Facial Authentication With Existing Systems
Facial authentication can’t just increase convenience and a general sense of security. It has to actually keep people safe when it matters most.
For a facial biometric system to be effective, it must integrate seamlessly with existing access control and security systems, including:
- Surveillance cameras;
- Alarms;
- Building management systems;
- Visitor management systems; and
- Emergency response systems.
A holistic, integrated approach to a facility ensures that technology serves its purpose without introducing new complexities or vulnerabilities.
4. Account for User Experience and Accessibility
Access control systems powered by facial authentication technology should combine security with accessibility so everyone can benefit from better solutions.
When transitioning from legacy access control systems to modern offerings with facial authentication capabilities, account for the:
- Placement of biometric readers;
- Speed of authentication; and
- System’s responsiveness to diverse age groups.
Utilize an inclusive design framework that promotes fairness and maximizes the technology’s utility across all demographics.
5. Enable Real-Time Alerts
Access control technologies offer significant security upgrades but can’t always operate autonomously. At times, human intervention is required.
Real-time alerts keep your facility safe by ensuring that the right people have the right information at the right time. With real-time alerts, security personnel will be notified if an unauthorized person enters a restricted space, if surveillance cameras detect suspicious activity, or if an access control system is tampered with.
In other words, modern access control systems are both a security and intelligence feature, making everyone safer while delivering critical intel that leads to better security-oriented decisions and protocols.
Modern Security Without Compromise
Modern security solutions like facial authentication offer powerful capabilities to enhance facility safety and access control.
Even though security is a top priority for employers and employees, change can be scary, too. Following best practices for facial authentication access control integration allows organizations to harness the technology’s benefits while mitigating concerns.
It’s an approach to security without compromise and one worth pursuing now.
Tina D’Agostin is CEO of Alcatraz AI, a provider of frictionless, AI-powered biometric access control solutions to improve security through facial authentication.