Smart Mobile Access Opens New Doors For Campus Security

ISJ hears exclusively from Michael Chaftari, Partner at Kindoo about the use of mobile access in campus security.

Sending your kids off to college entails a completely different experience for parents these days. Higher education campuses have always been considered safe havens that encourage freedom of speech, progressive thinking, personal growth, introspection, thought leadership and the development of future business and government leaders. Much, if not all, remains true for the vast majority of higher education institutions around the world. But unfortunately, there are new and emerging challenges higher education institutions are facing that demand more stringent measures to ensure the security and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors. Unfortunately, crime is on the rise at colleges and universities across the US, showing a 13% increase in reported crime in 2023 with the top three offenses involving motor vehicle theft, burglary and sexual assault according to the Association of American Universities. Other areas of growing concern with campus administrators and police include physical assaults, weapons, drug and alcohol abuse, hazing and mental health issues. It’s important to note that a large percentage of these issues come from external sources – individuals taking advantage of the open environments higher education institutions have traditionally embraced. This presents campus admins and police with a conundrum: how to maintain free-flowing environments while closely monitoring, controlling and managing daily access to campus grounds and facilities.

The Need For Modern Access Control

Access control on campuses is crucial for enhancing security and safety to better manage student populations, resident and guest faculty, support staff and contracted workers and a steady stream of visitors. Yet, the implementation and management of conventional access control solutions present operational challenges as well. Physical access credentials like cards and fobs are easily lost, stolen, shared and replicated, requiring robust management and supervision to ensure that missing credentials are voided and replaced, adding another layer of expense for time, labour and materials to users’ total cost of ownership. The processes of issuing, replacing and/or modifying privileges for physical credentials is incongruous with prevalent expectations for immediate gratification. These processes take time and sometimes patience, which can lead to an unsatisfying user experience. But the benefits of modern access control for campus applications are many, especially when users’ smartphones become their credential. Enhanced overall security by controlling access to student dormitories, admin offices, classrooms, food preparation and service facilities, sports facilities, as well as maintenance, storage and inventory areas. That’s a lot of ground to cover requiring a scalable, enterprise level solution. Simplified visitor management allowing admins and campus police to always know who is on campus – including visitors and contracted workers – based on scheduled permissions to specific areas on campus. Protection of high-risk areas such as power and reactor facilities, fleet garages, server rooms, research laboratories and environmental systems. Emergency lockdown capabilities enabling the ability to instantaneously and remotely lockdown or open any specific facility, any combination of facilities, or the entire campus on a moment’s notice. Cost reductions and future savings by eliminating physical keys and expensive rekeying costs. Detailed record-keeping and compliance with electronic logs of all access activity across campus for compliance audits, policy reviews and forensic investigations. Campus expansion and scalability to accommodate ongoing renovations to existing facilities and new building construction. Greater inclusivity and ADA accessibility for students and staff with disabilities through hands-free, smartphone-based credentials that eliminate the need to grasp, swipe, or manipulate traditional physical cards and fobs. And the reduced risk of misplaced credentials. The one thing that students and staff alike always have within reach is their smartphone – greatly reducing the chances of being lost or stolen. Plus, most smartphones automatically lock, which means that they pose little to no risk for unauthorised access.

Smartphones Provide A Smarter Access Alternative

For example, Kindoo’s modern access control solution leverages smartphones as a credential, improving overall security and safety, reducing shrinkage and simplifying daily operations. It also puts modern access control at the fingertips of higher education admins and police without the cost and complexity of traditional access control platforms. Additionally, this innovative access solution also combines smartphone credentialing with Cloud-based access management, eliminating the need for expensive physical credentials and on-site network IT expertise. It is also compatible with any electronic lock, gate, turnstile or security entrance, making it easier than ever for higher education campuses to implement cost-efficient, advanced access control. Simplifying electronic access with mobile credentials managed in the Cloud supports better security and safety practices and daily operations. It allows system admins to instantly and remotely create or revoke access permissions, granting entry to select campus locations and/or multiple facilities by role-level permissions. If a student leaves the school, or a specific worker quits or is terminated, their access privileges can be terminated in seconds from any remote location by an authorised admin. This removes the time and expense of chasing down physical credentials, which is a real game changer for businesses with high turnover rates. The same ease of termination and enrolment applies to onboarding new students, employees and visitors. Using mobile credentials addresses many longstanding pain points and barriers to entry of modern electronic access control. In addition to eliminating the common pitfalls associated with physical credentials, mobile credentials on smartphones can integrate with HR and scheduling software, enabling access rights to match staff shifts dynamically. This ensures that only the employees who are scheduled to work can enter restricted areas at the appropriate times. This is particularly valuable for campuses with flexible work scheduling. Mobile access also allows campuses to provide granular access permissions based on users’ roles. Only those who are allowed access to a specific area can enter. This reduces opportunities for theft and creates a digital audit trail. With real-time logs that show who entered sensitive areas and when, it improves accountability and security, without adding complexity.

A Cost-Effective Solution For Campus Security And Safety

Campus security needs to extend beyond exterior access points. It also needs to protect back rooms, loading docks, refrigeration areas, lounges and gated parking areas. New modern access solutions also work with almost any preexisting electronic lock and entry device including electronic locks, sliding doors, turnstiles, gates and elevators, enabling rapid deployment without the need for expensive cabling or hardware replacement. This allows higher education campuses to cost-effectively secure all parts of their operation with a single, unified solution. For campuses with satellite locations, a centralised dashboard makes permission management rapid and simple across all locations. System admins can grant or revoke access across multiple locations without traveling onsite, bringing simplicity and virtually unlimited scalability to mobile access management.

A Mobile Also Means Wireless

Conventional access systems require expensive controllers, hardwiring and dedicated IT support, which make these solutions out of reach for many campus facilities. With battery-powered, wireless surface mounted locks that do not require internet connectivity, hardwired connection or local power at each door make access installation and implementation fast, easy and much more affordable. The lower cost of entry also results in lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by eliminating future expenses related to future system expansion, credentialing and system management.

Maintaining Privacy And Trust

Maintaining personal privacy is also a critical consideration. Collecting excess personal data or facial images can result in both non-compliance and hefty fines, especially with new and emerging regulations like the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). For example, Kindoo’s mobile access control platform requires minimal personal data and provides built-in encryption to enhance security without compromising campus data or individuals’ privacy.

Breaking Down Barriers For Modern Campus Access Control

College and University campuses have long relied on physical devices to control access, but traditional access control systems present too many barriers to entry. They’re expensive to install, implement and sustain, require expendable credentials that are difficult to manage and ultimately do not provide adequate protections against unauthorised entry to what should be secured areas. Modern mobile access control solutions overcome these challenges by combining ease of deployment with robust security, extreme flexibility and affordability. High-performance yet cost-effective solutions like Kindoo’s mobile Cloud-based platform pave the way for higher education facilities to better protect themselves.