Now, an even bigger breakthrough in access control technology is ushering in a new era of development where virtual identity credentials can be securely configured and securely embedded into smartphones and other mobile devices.

With the evolution of the times, access control cards have become more and more advanced and intelligent. Today's 13.56MHz contactless smart card is a typical example. Such cards include a tamper-resistant RFID element attached to a multi-coil antenna and can be personalized to the cardholder, performing a mutual authentication process when the card is read with a card reader.Additionally, they can be used in a variety of applications, such as biometric authentication, micro-payments, computer desktop logins, and more. Such access cards not only securely store our identities, but also allow or deny access between the reader and the central control panel (or server) by storing access rules and deciding whether a particular person can open the door.

Just like any other IT process, virtually our identity information, as well as the encrypted communication and data processing event program chain that occurs between a card reader and a server or control panel, can be virtualized and migrated to new platform.In other words, the information in today's smart cards, as well as user identity information, can be stored in any electronic device with appropriate security measures in place. For this type of virtualized system to seamlessly integrate into an existing access control system, two prerequisites must be met:

1) The way to transmit data to the access control card reader (equivalent to swiping a card);

2) A mechanism to securely manage the identity and authentication information in the device (ie, from configuration to the entire operational process).
Traditional access control technology can be embedded into smartphones and other mobile devices as long as both of the above prerequisites are met.

Enter the era of NFC

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a technology suitable for access control systems. This near field wireless communication standard enables data exchange between devices within a distance of a few centimeters.NFC is also fully compliant with ISO standards governing contactless smart cards, which makes it an ideal platform. By using a mobile phone equipped with NFC technology to carry a portable identification card, which is then wirelessly read by the card reader, the user can open the door simply by showing the mobile phone in front of the card reader.In 2015, manufacturers will ship about 550 million NFC-enabled phones, according to research firm IHSiSuppli.

NFC application in access control

The simplest mode of an NFC virtual credential is to replicate the access control principles in the existing card. The phone passes the identity information to the card reader, which in turn transmits it to the existing access control system, which opens the door.This provides a more secure and portable way to configure, monitor, and modify credential security parameters without the use of keys or smart cards, not only eliminating the risk of credential duplication, but also temporarily distributing credentials when necessary, Credentials can also be cancelled if lost or stolen.

Sweden's ClarionHotelStockholm participated in an initial test of the virtual access control application, which ended in June 2011.The hotel has partnered with HIDGlobal's parent company AssaAbloy, ChoiceHotels Scandinavia, TeliaSonera, VingCardElsafe and Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) to replace room keys with digital keys that can be sent to guests' NFC mobile phones.

During the Clarion Hotel trial, guests can use their phones to enter rooms. Guests participating in the test were given a Samsung NFC phone with the AssaAbloyMobileKeys (mobile key) software installed.Before arriving at the hotel, guests receive a text message on their mobile phone with a link to the check-in location and an electronic room key. In this way, guests can skip the queuing for check-in, go straight to the room, and at the door of the room, just show their mobile phone in front of the door lock to open the door. When checking out, guests only need to tap the self-service terminal in the lobby with their mobile phones, which saves the time for manual processing at the front desk.

A follow-up survey conducted after the Clarion Hotel trial showed that 60% of respondents said using the digital key solution saved more than 10 minutes, while 80% said they would use the solution if it was currently available.In addition to eliminating the card fee, the hotel has benefited in a number of other ways, such as reducing human resources for check-in and deploying more staff to address other customer service issues. In addition, the problem of replacing lost keys has also become easier to solve.

future development

There are many opportunities to leverage the power of smartphones to significantly reduce the cost of deploying access control applications. Modern smartphones have embedded smart chip features comparable to typical access control systems today, and can be used to perform most tasks that would otherwise be performed by a card reader and a server or control panel.

Readers and locks can be manufactured without significant smart features or connectivity. The NFC phone verifies the personally identifiable information and any other relevant rules (such as whether the access request is in the allowed time period, or whether the visitor is allowed to stand at the door to use the mobile phone GPS function), and then uses encrypted secure communication to send a trusted message to the appropriate door , to achieve controlled access.All the reader has to do is interpret the encrypted command used to open the door—the reader or lock becomes an encrypted door switch not connected to the control panel or server, significantly reducing the cost of the reader or lock.

In addition, an NFC smartphone can store the necessary access rules and processing functions and send trusted commands to a lower cost, connectionless NFC reader to unlock the door. We believe that in the future, affordable but equally powerful access systems can be deployed in interior doors, filing cabinets, and storage cabinets for valuable or managed items such as painkillers.

In addition to reducing access control costs and creating new market opportunities, virtual credentials are also becoming more secure. Users lose their phone with a virtual credential less often than if they lose an access control card. In addition, security parameters can be modified more easily and efficiently using an NFC mobile phone with an embedded credential.

In traditional applications, to enter a US government building, two-factor authentication is required to verify identity. The same is true for bank ATMs. The card is the first authentication, and the PIN code is the second authentication. With NFC phones, two-factor authentication can be activated when necessary, such as when there is an elevated threat level.With an NFC phone carrying a virtual credential, it is easy to send a request to the phone (such as asking the user to enter a 4-digit PIN on the phone before sending the door opening message), making multi-factor authentication a real-time managed service.

future applications

NFC mobile phones carrying embedded virtual credentials will also have widespread use in the future. While airlines still use QR barcode technology, travelers have shown great interest in using their mobile phones as mobile boarding passes, further confirming that the use of mobile phones for a variety of transactions is becoming more and more popular these days.

In Japan, NFC payment systems have been installed in fast food restaurants, subways, taxis and vending machines. The technology is also ideal for college campuses, where students can use NFC phones for a variety of applications, including entering buildings, paying for parking, shopping, using the campus bus system, borrowing library materials, and determining personally identifiable information before taking exams , and access to computer resources, etc.

Virtual credentials will also provide an ideal platform for emerging applications such as electric vehicle charging stations. The driver can park the car in front of the charging meter and use the NFC phone to access and pay for services. Personal health records can also be accessed using an NFC phone. Instead of filling out a form, patients can present their mobile phone at the hospital to provide personal information, and the same information can be provided to caregivers through an access credential during an emergency.Another emerging application is the use of smart posters for micro-marketing. Consumers can use an NFC phone to read the tag on the poster, after which the phone navigates to a specific web page with more information.

In today's world, where a large amount of electronic data is constantly attracting our attention, the concept of access screening is becoming more and more important. In fact, access control techniques can also be used in reverse based on certain rules and authentication factors to block access to a user's personal mobile phone.

Now, with access decisions and records kept on the NFC phone rather than on every lock, it's easy to secure places and items with disconnected locks, obtain new keys, send keys to others remotely, and target every available digital The rules for who and when the keys are used are changed.