| By :
William Gabriel
The use of HID access cards has been prevalent nowadays, as more companies realized the benefits they could get out of it. Sized like a credit card, the access card works not just as an identification tool but it can also validate and store data. The HID card can also be use for different application processes. Also referred to as smart cards, the HID cards can also bear a photo of the wearer for added security and any other information typically seen in an ID card. Aside from that, this small plastic card has embedded electronics like a microchip, barcode or magnetic stripe. This feature is what makes it different from your typical company ID. Encoded in the card is a unique sequence of numbers or code, which is crucial for validation purposes. Swiping the card thru a reader will enable the extraction of the code. The reader transmits the code to the computer system where processing takes place. If the code matches the authorization information stored in the system, it signals the approval to the control panel and the door opens. With no access approval, the door remains locked denying access to the holder of the HID card. With this system in place, there is no need for a security officer to stand guard at entry points to restricted areas. The access card does the work of the security officer in keeping unauthorized personnel out of these areas. The use of HID access cards certainly improves security and makes it more convenient for management to monitor employees entering the restricted areas. Reports on those who gained access as well as those who tried but were denied can be extracted from the system including date and time. While management can control access to restricted areas to a select few, they can also limit authorization for certain days of the week and for specific hours only. With this system, management can easily adjust the database if there is a need to change authorization codes and the like. Computer security is also one area where HID access cards can effectively work. Before you can log on in the network, you need to swipe the card thru the reader installed near your computer. Swiping the card will also allow the computer to validate your authorization before you can make changes in crucial programs installed within the network. The computer system may also demand confirmation of your authorization to copy or print certain files. This is certainly helpful for companies engaged in the information technology, as they need to protect their products from being copied or sabotaged. It is also of great use in the health care industry in order to safeguard the privacy of patients as well as keep accurate medical records. While large companies have easily availed of smart cards in monitoring their business activities for decades now, small and medium-sized companies are just starting to do so. With portable printers like the Evolis Printer now available, it made in-house printing of HID cards much more accessible and affordable for these smaller companies. Doing so enabled these companies full control over the production of access cards. Likewise, in-house printing gave them the opportunity to safeguard employee information as well as made the cards more resistant to tampering and counterfeiting.
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