The State of Physical Access Control: Impact on the Enterprise

The global market for card-based electronic access control (EAC) is projected to reach $10.1 billion by 2020 according to Global Industry Analysts. Recent research by ASIS International, however, finds the technology deployed in the field to be relatively aged and insecure. Responses provided by nearly 2,000 members of ASIS who serve as security directors or consultants indicate the most common access control credential technology deployed today is 125 kHz low frequency proximity, which is relied on by 44 percent of respondents, while 33 percent use magnetic stripe, 21 percent barcode, and 10 percent MIFARE Classic. Just 45 percent of respondents indicated use of more secure technologies such as FIPS-201, iCLASS, MIFARE DESFire, Seos, and Sony FeliCa.