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RFID Authentication Technology: Changing the Landscape of the Connected Workplace?

RFID authentication is not changing, but rather enabling the creation of secure connected environments and workplaces to ensure users can easily access everything they need — and nothing they don’t — with a single, simple credential that supports all relevant card standards. 

Not only is this technology intuitive, but people are already accustomed to using it: we often flash our phones to access or pay for various things today. Now, we are bringing that familiar and efficient manner of authentication and verification to a number of industries and dozens of use cases. Many of these use cases are the foundation of the connected workplace. 

One of the success factors of RFID authentication is the flexibility of product interfaces offered to integrators. This guarantees swift time-to-market and easy maintenance of the integrated solution throughout its entire life cycle. 

Mobile and Multi-Use Credentials to Improve User Experience

HID introduced the first mobile credential more than a decade ago. Mobile access was innovative at that time, and while some organizations immediately adopted the idea of mobile access, others had to be convinced of its value. However, fast-forward to today and leading mobile authentication solutions are continually evolving to provide value well beyond simply access to a “thing” or “place.” Proven portfolios now deliver exceptional flexibility, universality, security and support for compliance. 

This is a tremendous part of the transformation. There are multi-usage credentials covering various business cases. The rule of choice is: “form follows function,” meaning a trusted identity serves many needs — and it can be stored within many form factors to address multiple requirements. 

This is where HID’s OMNIKEY® readers and modules come into play. In addition to desktop readers, embedded modules can be integrated into numerous devices to allow for limitless applications, including parking garages, EV charging stations, smart lockers, elevators, secure printing, vending machines and more — with use cases being added all the time as we find ways to broaden secure connections among the digital things around us.

One of the important trends we’re seeing in the ecosystem of embedded authentication solutions is the move to “passwordless” authentication. Businesses are shifting away from passwords and tapping into more powerful verification tools that remove this risky practice. Passwords can be stolen, shared, forgotten and too often are reused. Organizations are elevating defense strategies to combat cybercrimes, and a significant move is to literally wave away passwords with RFID-enabled identity authentication technology across the connected workplace like passkeys.

Mitigating the Risk of Lost Credentials 

Introducing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to activate the credential is the best way to protect against unauthorized access. MFA is a method we are familiar with these days. It requires more than one factor to grant access to a website, system or location. For example, a user will be asked to present two or more pieces of “evidence” proving they are who they say they are (e.g., a smart card, PIN or a one-time code that is texted or sent via email). Done right, MFA balances protection, encryption and ease-of-use while delivering an efficient and simple sign-on experience for everyone. 

Another line of defense is using face or fingerprint recognition as one of these factors, like smart cards that are activated by a fingerprint sensor integrated into the card. 

In addition, central management is another barrier when credentials are lost. The ability to quickly and remotely add/delete rights and permissions, as well as proactively manage access, allows organizations a simple yet agile method of controlling privileges in real time.

Access Control Security: An Evolving Market

The trend of “mobilization” continues, and the ultimate access experience is having your phone — which we always have on us — as our corporate badge. The use of a mobile wallet in the workplace for this particular purpose is a global movement. It’s not just about elevating the employee experience, because credentials in a mobile wallet also bring significant benefits to administrators, help support compliance efforts and impact the bottom line. 

What About Sustainability?

The most sustainable approach is to progress to a mobile credential. It doesn’t consume ANY materials and leverages the existing digital devices we always have in hand as an extension of our being. The HID embedded authentication ecosystem supports sustainability and is purposefully designed to empower access everywhere.

One Connected Ecosystem of Access

Incorporating RFID technology into settings where users are repeatedly required to authenticate to gain access not only brings convenience and a better experience to users — it also delivers big benefits to the organization, including: 

  • Optimized Access to Physical Spaces and Places — Identify individuals and grant/manage access to doors, floors, supplies, etc. 
  • Enabled Frictionless People Flow — Create smooth transitions for employees and visitors with just one credential — from the parking garage to the elevator and from the workstation to the conference room
  • Seamless User Authentication — Ensure authenticated individuals have access to the network and secure cloud applications with the same identity they use to enter the facility
  • Flexibility for the Agile Workforce — Allow temporary or ongoing access to hot desks and smart lockers with a single credential
  • Time and Attendance — Generate automated time reports for simplified HR administration (e.g., the same ID that opened the door also records that individual’s entry and exit time)
  • Secure Print — Ensure documents are not leaking because the printer starts only when the appropriate user is in front of the printer
  • Service Benefits — Enable convenience across eateries and vending machines by creating a secure closed-loop payment system that eliminates the need for cash

Download the executive brief to know more about how embedded RFID can transform access to the workplace and improve user experience.

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