Companies are always on the lookout for simple, effective ways to stay safe. Keeping their employees protected and their sensitive data closed to prying eyes are essential.
For years, many have embraced proximity cards, and when you read more about them, it’s not hard to understand why.
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Reliable Security
Proximity cards are just like the hotel key cards you may have used on your last vacation. While the technology has been around for decades, it has significantly improved in recent years. Leaders like Avon Security Products offer premium proximity cards that can be customized to work with whatever security system you already have.
That way, you get top-notch security that is also flexible and adaptable.
How Exactly Do Proximity Cards Work?
Proximity cards access a low frequency of 125 kHz to relay cardholder data to a door access reader. The data is stored on the proximity card inside an embedded metallic antenna coil. When the custom data stored on the card is a verified match with what’s in the access control panel, the door will unlock.
Every proximity card has a unique number, even within a company. That’s what makes the system so secure. The card reader on the door has a large database of numbers corresponding to all the cards it’s meant to grant access to.
Most proximity cards have an antenna made from a wire coil, integrated circuit, and a capacitator sealed inside the card, which explains why they’re usually thicker than ordinary ID cards.
Granular Control
Companies need to ensure only authorized people can enter the front door, but that’s not the only door they need control over. Large companies with many employees may have dozens of spaces open to some employees but not others, and the level of authorization can constantly change.
Proximity cards make it easy to adapt as a company grows without compromising security. The company can simply program or re-program a card so it allows or prevents authorization as needed. If an employee gets promoted and their level of authorization increases, their proximity card can be modified accordingly.
Saving Time Boosts Efficiency
Employees don’t want to walk around their workspace with a ring of keys, wondering which one opens which door. Proximity cards make it easy because one card opens every door they’re authorized to open.
They’ll save time and stress, which helps them stay on track during their day. This discreet, slick method has another upside, too. At a glance, all proximity cards look alike, so even if one employee has a higher level of authorization than another, it promotes an egalitarian sensibility rather than a sense of hierarchy.
It makes sense that companies and organizations are so alert to cybersecurity risks, as those are not just in the headlines but, sadly, all too common in real life. However, corporate espionage and other threats posed by people accessing spaces they aren’t supposed to be in are also real and pervasive. Many non-profits, hospitals, universities, and companies across sectors rely on proximity cards, and after reading more about them, it’s not hard to see why.
