Mobile Access Trends: What You Need to Know

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In This Paper • Using a smart device to manage physical access is a logical step for both employees and enterprises

• Extending physical access security to mobile devices increases efficiency by automating and eliminating manual tasks

• Mobile access is more convenient for end users, easier for administrators to manage, and more secure than legacy solutions Executive Brief

Introduction: Why consider mobile access?

Despite the well-deserved attention paid to cybercrime and electronic data breaches, physical access security —restricting who can enter office space, data centers, and more — remains a critical front-line defense for organizations across industries and company sizes. Smart cards, key fobs, and numerous other access technologies are commonplace in many office environments, and have been for some time.

Mobile devices are also ever present in today’s office environment. These devices often fit in pockets and serve world, help readers understand the companies sold more than 500 million a number of purposes to their users: technologies that are available, and smartphones in 2014.ii Google’s enabling communications in several discuss what organizations need to Android is currently the most widely forms, providing access to data and consider when implementing a mobile adopted operating system, followed applications that previously required access control solution. by Apple’s iOS. Lagging far behind, more cumbersome devices, aiding in with less than 5 percent market share, navigation, controlling other devices Smart devices are everywhere is the Windows operating system. like televisions, and even allowing people to board airplanes. Apple started the smartphone boom A new class of devices called “smart — the use of a mobile device as a wearables” will increase the number In light of these developments, connected computer — with the of mobile devices in the market even using a smart device to manage introduction of the iPhone in 2007. further. These new additions to the physical access (what the industry The number of smartphones users is smart device universe include glasses, calls “mobile access control”) is a expected to reach 6.1 billion in 2020, watches, and fitness and healthcare logical step for both employees and when it will represent 70 percent of devices. IDC predicts the worldwide enterprises. This Executive Brief the population, according to Ericsson.i wearable device market will reach a will focus on the benefits of mobile Today, Samsung and Apple lead total of 111.1 million units shipped in access control in the new mobile-first the market. Combined, these two 2016 and total shipments will reach

Physical access security—restricting who can enter office space, data centers, and more—remains a critical front-line defense.

214.6 million units by 2019.iii These truly mobile, “always-on” devices are even more natural candidates for access control applications because of the ready-to-use convenience of a wearable device.

What does mobile access consist of?

Mobile access enables a smartphone or other smart device to securely access doors, gates, and areas that should not be open to the general public. Mobile access solutions allow for the secure creation, issuance, and management of digital credentials into smart devices. In today’s more progressive solutions, digital creden- communications standards. Most embedded intelligence) that can be tials or Mobile IDs can be securely mobile operating systems, including delivered to any smart device. managed and revoked remotely from Android, iOS, and Windows, natively a central management portal. support Bluetooth Smart, enabling The technology exists today to enable mobile devices to act as mobile mobile devices to add physical access Mobile access makes mobile devices servers, hubs in the Internet of Things security to their ever-growing list of more powerful, personal, and useful. (IoT), and “personal-area-networks.” applications. Why should enterprises Unique, intuitive, and easy-to-use embrace such a change? apps create a completely new user As mobile devices proliferate, their experience, thanks largely to the users are almost always connected Enterprises expect a mobile-first rapid pace of innovation in the to networks — a trend that Gartner world mobile technology industry. New refers to as “computing everywhere.” innovations unveiled in recent years Another emerging trend in the mobile Driven by convenience and include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE space is the convergence of cloud and operational efficiency, enterprises or Bluetooth Smart) and Near Field mobile computing, which is expected are increasingly seeking to leverage Communication (NFC) technologies, to promote the growth of centrally the potential of a mobile-first world. which have emerged as the prevailing coordinated applications (powered by Harnessing the mobile revolution for

The technology exists today to enable mobile devices to add physical access security to their ever-growing list of applications.

physical access control will eventually merge the network and other secure access needs, creating a more connected environment.

Enterprise mobility is not without its challenges, however. The “bring your own device” (BYOD) trend developed quickly and caught some enterprises by surprise. But BYOD challenges are gradually being met by more manageable methods of deploying mobile devices in the organization. Instead of an unknown, potentially unsupported population of employee-owned devices, organizations are granting select personal devices permission to access corporate systems.iv Several options, Prior to arriving, the employee the employee to seamlessly move including the “choose your own informs the location of the date they through their work day. device” (CYOD) strategy — where the would be arriving and duration of organization offers a list of permitted their visit. The administrator of the Once the duration of the visit is devices and applications for specific local access control system at the complete, the employee’s temporary roles — are overcoming these facility enables activation of the PACS additional access rights to the challenges.v ID and what rights the employee facility they were visiting, expire should have via the mobile access automatically. Extending physical access security to portal, integrated into the access mobile devices increases enterprise control system. The benefits of mobile access efficiency by automating and eliminating a number of manual tasks. Upon arriving the employee uses his The above scenario is just one Consider how it changes a scenario mobile device to open the parking example of how mobile access can that plays out in buildings all over the gate. After parking, the employee benefit enterprises leveraging the world each day. uses their mobile device to access mobile-first world in which they the facility. The same device is used operate. Advantages that result from An employee is travelling to another to access the conference room where these scenarios include: company-owned facility for a meeting. the meeting will take place, allowing

Harnessing the mobile revolution for physical access control will eventually merge the network and other secure access needs.

A better, more convenient end- layer of authentication for added phone before leaving or upon user experience. The freedom to security. arrival. move access control to phones, tablets, wristbands, watches, and Mobile access is more efficient to Given the growing importance of other wearables offers choice and manage. Connected mobile devices cloud-based access control solutions, convenience to end users, along with introduce new ways to manage mobile access control portals will also new and more convenient ways to mobile identities in near real-time. provide great benefits to the Access open doors and gates. Control as a Service (ACaaS) business • Time savings: Using a cloud-based model. ACaaS provides basic access • The smart mobile device is always portal to centrally manage mobile control system functions to end users on hand. Users do not have to identities instead of managing for a monthly subscription fee. The maintain and carry multiple cards. physical badges frees up time for software usually resides on a server in staff. It is even possible to enroll the service provider’s data center and • Access with a mobile device can many users at once by importing can be accessed via a Web browser. offer a quicker and smoother a CSV or Excel file (batch upload). experience. In parking garages or Invitations and provisioning to Mobile access is more secure. at driveway gates, for example, end-users can also be managed via Mobile access complements existing the longer reach of the Bluetooth email. access control solutions by enabling Smart communications standard the use of a smart device as an makes it possible to drive up to the • Simple enrollment for end users: alternative to more traditional form gate without having to roll down An end-user receives the invitation factors. Smartphones or other smart the car window and reach out to via email, downloads the app, devices provide a number of security activate a reader. and enrolls. The Mobile ID is benefits over smart cards or fobs: provisioned right to the end-user´s • Smart device sensors, most no- smart device. • The PIN numbers used by keypad tably the gyroscope and acceler- systems are easily shared. Legacy ometer, enable gesture detection. • Management of multiple systems such as Magstripe and This offers an additional benefit locations: Many organizations low-frequency proximity cards are for access control: the ability to have offices around the globe with vulnerable to cloning (record and open doors from a distance by different access control systems. replay). In quality mobile access performing intuitive gestures. For Employees visiting a remote office solutions, digital credentials or example, HID Global’s patented are often required to get a visitor Mobile IDs are securely stored and “Twist and Go” technology allows badge. With a mobile access protected, utilizing the security users to unlock doors or open solution supporting multiple mobile features of the mobile operating gates by rotating their smartphone identities per mobile device, an system (e.g., sandbox or PIN) and in a way similar to turning a key. employee can simply receive an strong encryption. Communication This also provides an additional additional mobile identity on her HID Global’s patented “Twist and Go” technology allows users to unlock doors or open gates by rotating their smartphone.

between device and reader of maintaining multiple systems, access security supporting mobile transmits data over air, through improved security, and enhanced user access. secure communication protocols experience are driving this trend. and trusted back-end services Putting mobile devices to work independent of communication Smart devices can deliver additional as tools for secure access is more technologies such as NFC or security options for accessing data convenient for users; easier for Bluetooth Smart. networks by enabling multi-factor enterprises to manage; more authentication. They can generate secure than previous generation • Because smart devices can other security features, such as the technologies; and creates communicate with readers over one-time passwords required for opportunities for the convergence of longer distances, the readers can accessing the network or web-based network and physical security that are be mounted on the safe side of a applications. simply unavailable with legacy access door, minimizing the risk of theft, tools. physical attacks, or observation. Employees can conveniently use the same device for building access, VPN To learn more about mobile access • Cards and badges are much authentication, and wireless network and HID, please visit: hidglobal.com/ easier to lose than smartphones. access, as well as for logging into solutions/mobile-access Mobile phones are rarely shared or the corporate intranet, email server, stolen in a working environment, cloud-based applications, single-sign- something which happens more on clients, and other IT resources. easily with cards.

A shared mobile identity platform for ihttp://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ • In the event of a lost, stolen, or both physical and logical access has smartphone-users-number-6-1-billion-by-2020/ compromised mobile device, several benefits. It makes it easier for Mobile IDs can easily be revoked iiGartner, Gartner Says Smartphone Sales security administrators to manage Surpassed One Billion Units in 2014, March for all access rights remotely access rights, reduces errors resulting 3, 2015, http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/ through the management portal. id/2996817 from improper synchronization between two separate management iiiIDC Forecasts Worldwide Shipments of • Smart devices also support multi- Wearables to Surpass 200 Million in 2019, systems and offers greater factor authentication, biometric Driven by Strong Smartwatch Growth, convenience for employees to Dec. 2015, https://www.idc.com/getdoc. identification, and other advanced jsp?containerId=prUS40846515 authenticate to different services. security features that extend far ivCompTIA, Building digital organizations, beyond the capabilities of legacy Conclusion June 2015, http://www.comptia.org/resources/ cards. building-digital-organizations

Mobile devices are changing the way vForrester Research, Demystifying BYOD In Mobile access enables a more Europe, December 18, 2013, http://www. that workers work and enterprises connected environment. Today’s forrester.com/Demystifying+BYOD+In+Europe/ think about their operations, fulltext/-/E-RES104603 organizations are beginning to see networks, and security. The logical the benefit of merging physical next step for many organizations is and logical access. Simplified replacing legacy systems for physical management, reduced expenses