Mobile phones have become an important aspect of our lives in the last decade. From something that you’d occasionally glance at when you heard a ringtone to taking pictures, face-timing friends and even managing money via banking apps, your phone holds a significant amount of data about you today. Where once you’d carry out the old “three-pocket pat” to check for your phone, wallet, and keys, your phone’s ability to use RFID chips to pay for products has almost removed the need for a wallet entirely. Now, with the ability to open doors, it’s coming for your keys too! Here’s how, and why it might work for you.
How Does It Work?
The RFID chip in your phone can be changed and programmed for a wide variety of purposes. When you’re looking to pay for something contactless, it will send a signal to a scanner, and it does the same when trying to unlock a door. You can set your central security system up to allow users in specific groups to access a set amount of doors, giving you complete control alongside a greater level of assurance that users can only enter select areas.
What Are The Benefits?
Firstly, this system is far more convenient for all of your users. Everyone has a phone on them which they are far less likely to forget than something like a keycard. After all, they need to use a phone for personal reasons as well as in relation to work, so they’ll be much more likely to keep it on their person consistently than something that’s used exclusively for work.
Additionally, this can be a great cost-saving method. Instead of having to print keycards en masse to make sure that all of your staff can get in, you’re able to simply administrate access levels from one centralized system, meaning that you can save both money and effort by making use of this simple but effective system.
What Are The Vulnerabilities?
Using a phone-based access system has the exact same vulnerabilities as using a keycard, but these are minimized. Of course, the user’s phone could get stolen, but you can configure your access control system to require an application to be active. This ensures that the person stealing the phone can only get access if they know the user’s passwords.
And don’t forget you also have the ability to rescind the access rights of your users. If a phone or device is stolen, you can simply stop the new owner from getting in with the phone by revoking access privileges, eliminating any risk.
The Verdict
Using phones to unlock doors on your premises is a reliable and effective way of ensuring security. It can give your management team complete control over access permissions and comes with the increased security of every single user having a “keycard” of their own that is always with them. If you’re looking for an affordable and reliable replacement for your current keycard system, phones may be the way to go.
You can set up phone access with the Sophia Consulting team, who always look to help clients to make wise decisions in technology and security.