Business is done by people: biometric technologies in physical security
Providing physical security is a task that any enterprise faces, regardless of its field of activity. Over the decades, classical security systems have been continuously improved. But even today, there are still many flaws in their work. The development of biometric technologies has made it possible to fill these “white spots” and bring the efficiency of VMS and ACS to a fundamentally new level.
- Video surveillance systems
- The human factor
- What was not prevented must be investigated
- Implementation of the face recognition function in the video surveillance system
- ACS
- Violations of the access regulations
- Speed and convenience
- Control at any point
- Expanding the capabilities of the ACS through the introduction of biometric identification
Table of Contents:
Video surveillance systems
The human factor
A man peering intently at dozens of monitors. Most people imagine that when they hear “security service”. The same image is actively replicated by the cinema. But here's the paradox: in the movies, the work of the security services is rarely highly appreciated. And, if the film is about a robbery, we expect in advance that the main character will deceive the security cameras or take advantage of the negligence of the guards. Unfortunately, such “scenarios” happen in real life.
Even the most highly qualified security officer is always a human being. Looking at the monitors for hours without losing vigilance and remaining extremely focused is an impossible task. And this is an irrefutable fact. At the same time, even the slightest inattention of an employee carries the risks of serious, and sometimes catastrophic consequences.
Companies often try to improve the effectiveness of the security service by using “stop lists”. In reality, this method is no more than a half-measure. Even with a detailed list of unwanted persons with photos, a security guard or operator can still easily miss their appearance in a particular surveillance area.
Solving the problem with facial biometrics
Today, biometrics is the most effective way to eliminate the influence of the human factor on the work of video surveillance. Face recognition technologies allow you to instantly identify an unwanted visitor and notify security officers of his presence. As a result, the security service is able to quickly prevent possible incidents.
What was not prevented must be investigated
Investigating incidents that have already occurred is an important part of the work of any security service. Classic video surveillance systems allow you to conduct an investigation exclusively “manually” — by methodically viewing the entire video archive. But this method is effective only if we know for sure when and where the emergency occurred. For example, when a guest left the restaurant without paying the bill, or in cases of shoplifting. If there is no source data, viewing the video archive turns into a real torture with a very low chance of a high-quality result. The successful outcome of the investigation becomes largely a matter of chance. Often, the human factor again becomes a stumbling block: the operator simply will not be able to adequately perceive many hours of recording.
Solving the problem with facial biometrics
The facial recognition system automates the process of searching for the right person by photo. Data about people passing through identification areas is stored in a long-term archive, and can be ranked by date, time, location, or specific camera. As a result, the operator instantly sees when and in which zone the unwanted person appeared. This allows you to significantly save time and resources spent on the investigation.
Implementation of the face recognition function in the video surveillance system
The advantages of using biometric technologies in video surveillance systems are difficult to overestimate. However, some security companies and managers of organizations still perceive facial recognition systems as something too complicated, expensive and requiring the installation of new equipment. In reality, you can switch video surveillance to biometric identification, providing the correct placement of cameras, in just 20 minutes. This is how long it takes to install the built-in Id-Guard solution from RecFaces, integrated with most popular VMS: Milestone XProtect, Pelco VideoXpert, Bosch VMS.
The key advantage of Id-Guard is high efficiency. There is less than 1 second between a person being caught in the camera lens and sending a notification to a security officer. Flexible configuration allows you to personalize notifications for each camera or each employee individually. As notification channels, you can use SMS messages, popular messengers, e-mail newsletters, or the Id-Guard mobile app running on Android.
To investigate incidents, Id-Guard provides a long-term archive with the function of intelligent search for a stranger by photo. With it, you can easily eliminate the problem of data storage. So, 50 million data passes take up only 1 TB of disk space. By comparison, accessing a relevant number of passes in a clothing store will require storing videos for three years of its operation.
ACS
Violations of the access regulations
The key purpose of ACS is to increase the level of security at the enterprise. However, the successful implementation of this goal can be hindered by a number of factors that companies face everywhere.
First of all, this is the transfer of RFID cards to other people. In the best case, it will be the transfer of the card by one employee to another. In a less favorable scenario, the result will be the invasion of third parties into the enterprise. And here we can already talk about serious risks, both for the physical and informational security of the company. Another common phenomenon is the passage of several faces on the same card. This problem is especially relevant in enterprises that use doors with electromagnetic locks in ACS.
Solving the problem with facial biometrics
To prevent such incidents, manufacturers of ACS try to regularly expand their functionality. Here you can mention the functions of prohibiting repeated passage or prohibiting passage to the interior without first crossing the passage. But, unfortunately, these measures still do not provide an absolute guarantee.
Unlike an RFID card, a person's face can become their unique, inalienable pass. Biometric data cannot be lost or transferred to another person. Therefore, the use of facial biometrics in the work of the ACS completely eliminates the possibility of strangers or unwanted persons entering the enterprise.
Speed and convenience
“Traffic jams” at the turnstiles during rush hours are a typical problem of large business centers and offices. Any failure in the algorithm of actions “get a card-swipe a card — pass” can turn into a collapse. And an employee who searches endlessly for a pass in his bag risks bringing upon himself the serious wrath of colleagues languishing in the queue.
Solving the problem with facial biometrics
Expanding the functionality of access terminals through face recognition technology helps not only to prevent possible violations, but also to make the process of passing employees faster and more comfortable. The absence of unnecessary manipulations with RFID cards allows you to relieve the access zone during peak hours and avoid queues.
Visitors of the enterprise can also save time with the help of facial biometrics. Instead of tedious registration of one-time passes, they can get a temporary biometric pass once, which will be valid for further visits.
Control at any point
Tracking the passage and movement of employees can sometimes be difficult due to the characteristics of the room itself. The actuators of the ACS can not be installed everywhere. So, open areas of business centers, or open-space areas of offices that require special attention, may fall out of control.
Solving the problem with facial biometrics
An effective solution is to use virtual access control points. Video cameras equipped with face recognition function track non-contact how the access regulations are observed, and automatically notify authorized employees of violations.
Expanding the capabilities of the ACS through the introduction of biometric identification
As with the integration of facial biometrics into video surveillance systems, its implementation in the ACS does not require the replacement of access devices. Thus, the Id-Gate software product from RecFaces allows you to manage the rules of biometric access control based on the existing enterprise ACS with their familiar interface.
With this software solution, you can not only increase security and speed up the passage of employees, but also customize the control depending on the needs of the company. For example, you can add a function to check whether an employee is using a mask. Or integrate it with a temperature sensor to measure the temperature.