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Ask any security manager what the biggest vulnerability in a business is, and it won’t be a complex cyber-attack or equipment failure. It’ll be an employee who holds the door open for the wrong person because they didn’t check their ID. And while these physical security breaches cost companies trillions, they can easily be prevented with a lanyard card holder.
This article will explore the magic of lanyard ID card holders and why they’ve survived decades of advancements in security tech. We’ll also look at how they continue to serve a crucial role in workplace security and how to implement them in your organisation.
How lanyard card holders prevent unauthorised access
Security cameras are one of the main pieces of security equipment that businesses rely on. However, the footage they record is usually reviewed after an incident has happened. By this point, it’s too late.
A lanyard and card holder with proper identification, on the other hand, provides real-time verification. Employees can see if someone is out of place by simply glancing at their chest, and outsiders stand out to security personnel in seconds.
More often than not, this stops wrongdoers in their tracks and prevents potentially expensive and dangerous security breaches.
5 security incidents that visible ID prevents
1. Tailgating
Tailgating is when someone follows an authorised employee through a door and takes advantage of their natural reaction to hold it open. Sounds harmless, but tailgating accounts for a significant portion of physical security breaches.
With lanyard card holders, an employee can see whether the person behind them has proper identification. They can then react accordingly, without the need for any formal security training or being confrontational.
They simply let the door close behind them.
2. Equipment theft
Theft decreases when everyone in the building wears visible identification. Why? Because potential thieves know that witnesses can identify them when they’ve left. It’s simple, but it does a fantastic job as a deterrent.
3. Social engineering attacks
While it might sound like something from Hollywood, many attackers do in fact pose as maintenance workers, delivery drivers, and contractors to gain entry to a business. This is made easier if there’s no physical ID card system in place.
With identification required at all times, however, you’ve all but eliminated this potential blind spot. This is especially true if people have to wear an ID on their chest in a lanyard card holder.
4. Data breach prevention
Data breaches don’t generally happen remotely. Instead, they happen when unauthorised individuals walk into a building and simply read sensitive information on screens or access unlocked computers in an empty office.
Again, if you need physical identification to gain entry to your business premises, these people can’t get inside and do anything nefarious.
5. Unauthorised use of restricted areas
Colour-coded lanyard card holders provide instant recognition of who should be where. This is particularly useful in healthcare, where doctors, nurses, other staff, and contractors can be identified at a glance. Those in the wrong areas can also be identified and reported to security with ease.
Operational benefits of lanyard card holders
It’s not just security that can benefit from ID card holders. Here are some of the operational purposes of these physical ID systems for businesses:
Emergencies
During evacuations, emergency services can categorise employees and visitors if they have ID visible. They can then make quicker decisions and respond more effectively to emergencies.
Time wasting
Staff waste considerable time searching for ID cards when they need to enter secure areas, and cards left in desk drawers and bags create delays in the working day. A retractable lanyard keeps credentials within reach at all times, which reduces time inefficiencies.
Recognition in large businesses
Employees in large organisations can recognise colleagues from other departments with visible identification, and visitors can find the right person to ask for help. Managers can also verify that team members are where they should be throughout the day.
This not only reduces potential security threats but also improves communication because more people get to know each other personally.
Trust boosting
Clients and visitors feel more comfortable when they know that whoever they see actually works for the organisation. This is important in hospitals, schools, and other places where vulnerable people need assurance about who has access to them.
Unique features of modern lanyards
Older workplace ID lanyards resulted in safety hazards around certain machinery and equipment. Neck cords, for example, could catch on moving machinery parts or door handles, creating a risk of strangulation. Modern breakaway lanyards, however, include clips that release under pressure, which prevents accidents that used to be fairly common.
Retractable badge reels also add convenience for staff who need to scan their card frequently. Healthcare workers, lab personnel, and facilities managers, for example, can all extend their cards to swipe quickly, then release them to retract automatically.
Visitor management systems can also issue temporary ID cards that visitors wear on lanyards on-site. This distinguishes guests from permanent staff, so employees can verify who is who and escort visitors if needed.
Modern workplace ID cards also serve multiple functions beyond visual identification. RFID chips can grant access to different areas based on job roles and clearance levels, and attendance systems can log when employees arrive and depart. All with the right ID card.
Getting lanyard card holders and ID systems right
If you’re ready to implement a physical identification system in your business, here are a few important pointers for the lanyards and IDs.
Prioritise consistency
The key to ID card implementation is that everyone understands the system is in place. A clear policy stating that all staff must display ID cards during work hours is a great place to start, and communication is key.
Get ID card design right
Employee ID card design should balance security with privacy and include current, clear photos to help with faster identification. Job titles help people understand roles and departments, too, and company logos can help security teams spot fakes quickly.
However, cards shouldn’t display personal information like home addresses or national insurance numbers. It’s also important to protect the data of vulnerable people, too, like school students who are still minors.
Don’t ignore comfort
High-quality lanyards with soft materials are comfortable, and they encourage staff to wear them all day. Cheap, scratchy options, on the other hand, get removed and stuffed away into a drawer.
Offering alternatives like badge reels or magnetic ID card holders also accommodates employees who have concerns about wearing items around their necks.
How to deal with lost ID cards
Employees should report missing ID immediately so access can be deactivated if needed. To discourage the potential of losing them, some organisations charge for replacements, but this won’t work for every business and could lead to staff complaints.
Are lanyard ID card holders cost-effective?
Yes, a lanyard ID card holder can last for years and save a company millions of pounds in breach prevention. In fact, one avoided security breach can cover the cost of an entire organisation’s lanyard and ID programme multiple times over.
They also have no operational costs as opposed to surveillance systems and electronic hardware, and they can be printed in-house or in bulk for a relatively low cost.
Also, once they’re established, the physical ID system needs very little maintenance beyond replacing cards every so often.
Physical cards in an increasingly digital world
Mobile credentials and smartphone-based systems are becoming commonplace security measures in workplaces, but they all share the same weakness of visibility.
Security teams can’t see if someone has the right app open on their phone from across a corridor, for example, and digital credentials grant access but don’t provide the visual verification that physical ID cards do.
Organisations with digital access control should therefore encourage visible photo ID on their premises. Not only do they grant permission to enter the building, but they also help security staff identify who’s walking through the doors of the workplace. This is best achieved with a lanyard card holder, where the required information is instantly visible.
Lanyard card holders: made to last and here to stay
By preventing physical breaches and providing real-time identification, the simplicity of wearing ID on a lanyard has endured for decades. And they show no sign of losing popularity.
The lanyard is crucial to the picture, however, because an ID card in a pocket or bag can’t prevent tailgating or unauthorised access. Visible identification in a lanyard card holder, on the other hand, can save businesses a lot of money.
Also read: Workplace Security Tips to Protect Employees
Image source: elements.envato.com
