RFID in the Security With all the talk of RFID revolutionizing the enterprise supply chain, there has been little mention it was the security industry that first put RFID into commercial acceptance. Although RFID was invented in the 1930’s, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) arrived on the scene in the late 1960’s and became a commonplace technology for thwarting retail theft. The industry followed with proximity-capable access control cards which now are commonplace RFID devices for personnel and vehicle access. Yes, EAS and proximity access cards are based on RFID.

The next wave of solutions being implemented today use “Active” RFID, battery-powered autonomous cards and tags in broad-based solutions where automatic control and tracking are needed to address the unique requirements we now face. And, active RFID tagging has more far reaching strategic implications for the role of security in the enterprise.

Security Access Control

The demand for improved access control is wide ranging. Increases in the use of access control are evidenced in downtown multi-tenant office buildings. Demand has increased for vehicle access control across multiple industries. The rise in laptop theft and the cost of lost intellectual property has driven up demand for asset protection. There is a common denominator. With the increase in demand, the limitations of passive RFID coverage and its impact on worker productivity are magnified. With passive systems, behavior has to be altered in some form to comply with the system. “Proximity” ID cards having to be presented to a reader during rush hour create entry and exit bottlenecks. The same is true for vehicles stopping at entrance gates. And, asset protection has to be automatic as it is tough to expect a would-be thief to present the asset to a reader for check-out.

The major appeal of active tagging is that security coverage is increased automatically through controlled, automatic tag activation, and vastly greater transmit range. All this occurs with little or no impact on employees, while still retaining the level of control offered by passive RFID. Hence, it offers the best of both worlds. The buzzword most often used to characterize Active RFID’s automatic nature is “hands-free”, meaning no manual presentation is required. Personnel are automatically identified at the turnstile with the active card in their purse or pocket, “hands-free”. Cars and trucks now have rolling access through gates. Assets are automatically identified and secured if necessary before leaving the building. So, in addition to productivity and convenience, the hands-free element of active RFID brings “automatic control” to 21st century access control solutions.

There are also new uses. The breadth of the technology and the degree of customization available to each user’s unique environment solves problems and makes the dealer/integrator look good in the eyes of the customer. Tags are easily linked to other tags and to other sensors. Personnel tags are linked to vehicle tags and to payload tags for greater integrity. Asset tags automatically linked to personnel tags mean authorized personnel can remove assets non-intrusively. And the implementation is straight forward. This is all done today.

Personnel Access Control & Tracking

Active RFID ID cards now come in ISO standard I.D. card print sizes. They have a distance selectable activation capability. So, active cards can act like proximity cards at the low end. For hands free access, the card will activate the door as you approach it. Long range transmissions are typically tracking beacons for location determination.

High speed access is also more easily addressed using active RFID cards as the presentation requirement is eliminated. Typical read speeds are 10+ cards or tags per second through a doorway. “Anti-tailgating” (or preventing someone from walking in behind you), if required, is accomplished via turnstiles. The activator antennas are installed at the entrance to each lane. The activator electronics are embedded in the turnstile housing and the receiver has the flexibility to share multiple activators and can be placed at the most advantageous (and architecturally correct) position. Tag reads are discriminated per lane thereby individually authenticating entry by person, by lane, “hands-free”.

An additional benefit to automatic identification is the ability to set up control zones within the facility. Actual or virtual access control within the facility can be easily implemented. In the enterprise, computer rooms, inventory rooms, and trading floors are good examples. Visitor tracking is also easy to accomplish even without locked internal doors. A virtual control zone threshold can be set up, even in the middle of the hallway to identify visitors wandering out of position. This becomes very cost effective as escort costs are eliminated.

Today, nurses are tracked as a way to ensure the proper personnel can be located for any emergency. Searches can be done by group, thereby identifying all appropriately trained nurses in the proximate area. Also in healthcare, infants are tagged in the nursery for protection. Seniors are tagged in assisted living centers to identify wandering. And, using active tag wristbands, patients can be automatically identified without disturbing them and for more accurate procedures and medications.

Prisoners have electronic wrist bands permanently affixed (some with tamper-proof bands) to provide access control and location determination thereby reducing the guard load. While the priority of the system is to reduce guard load and prevent escapes, the tags also identify situations where potential violence may erupt such as when two inmates from opposing gangs are located too close together.

Automatic identification and tracking identifies daytime intruders in the enterprise. A simple passive infrared detector (PIR) can be linked to personnel cards/tags to check to see if they are present or alternatively if an intruder is there. By connecting an active RFID tag to the PIR device output, the device will alert the system when a person is present and the system can be programmed to check for a match. An intruder without a card or tag trips a PIR walking through the facility. Since the PIR’s tag reports a “hit” without the intruder having a tag activated at the same spot, the mismatch creates an alarm condition. Security personnel know the exact location based upon the location of the PIR.

For homeland defense and hazardous material concerns, the personnel tags offer a way to inventory personnel at “mustering” locations in the event of a facility catastrophe. Personnel go to a pre-defined location away from the building where they can be automatically counted and inventoried to provide better data for rescue operations.

Finally, many added value solutions can be created when Active RFID personnel cards are linked to other cards and tags. The most frequent links are to vehicles and corporate assets such as laptops.

Vehicle Access Control and Automatic Payload Tracking

Active RFID tags for vehicles provide a great deal of flexibility and performance. Active tags in the UHF frequency band from 315 MHz to 433 MHz use omni-directional antennas so that varying heights of vehicles, from sports cars to heavy duty trucks, can economically and reliably use the same antenna. There is very little infrastructure to install making the installation aesthetically pleasing and economical. Since the tags have batteries to provide a stronger signal for long range transmission, the tag can be placed in many areas of the cab, offering more flexibility than passive-based toll tagging. Reliability is also greater as the metallic elements in windshields don’t disturb the tag signals.

Clearly, hands-free access means greater convenience and safety. Arms don’t get wet as the driver’s window stays up. But perhaps the greatest advantage is “rolling” access. As the vehicle approaches the gate the tag is activated, transmitting in time for authentication to occur as the vehicle passes through at up to 35 miles per hour. Rolling access reduces carjacking and is now gaining widespread popularity in residential gated communities, country clubs, and universities, among others.

For homeland defense, cities and counties find the automated, intelligent gate access for their fleets less costly than using manned guards while still providing an increased measure of security by linking driver to vehicle. New car dealers automatically know where every car is while maintaining the security of the vehicle through gated lots. The car inventory automatically feeds into the dealer “floor plan” software to provide an accurate financial picture.

In commercial fleet operations, the entire truck/driver/payload system is linked to eliminate the guard at the gate and automate the operation. Quarries, municipal dumps, and airport re-fueling stations have implemented systems where the driver is linked to the truck and only when the amount of payload is accounted for does the gate open. The transaction is fully automated and when considering payload inventorying and accountability we see a powerful new economic force being considered; the security system also benefits supply chain efficiencies.