🛡️ 5 reasons why your access control system may not be protecting you as well as you think

Topic:

Digitisation of company processes

If you came here from our Secure ID newsletter, welcome 👋 Why is an encrypted access control system a key step towards true security for your business? Cards beep, doors open - but is it really secure? In most companies, the access control system works reliably. Until something goes wrong. All it takes is a single copied card, a forgotten authorization or an unattended visitor - and security becomes an illusion. In this article, we look at five common weaknesses in corporate access control systems and one solution that makes them a thing of the past: Secure ID technology.

22. 7. 2025

Adam Vrana

"Beep. The door opened. But do we even know who just entered?"

Sounds like a routine moment. In most companies, it's repeated hundreds of times a day. But it's these routine moments that can carry a security risk.

In this article we will look at 5 reasons why even a modern access control system may not really protect your company. And why it's important that the "beep" is not just a sound, but a signal that you have things under control.

Reason #1: 🤖 Cards can be easily copied

"He looks the same. It works the same. But someone else is holding it."

RFID chips with a publicly readable serial number are commonly used in companies. What does that mean? All you need is a small portable cloning tool - and you can make a copy of any card in a minute.

This happens more often than companies admit. For example, a fraudster "loads" a card on the first visit under a false identity. The second time, he comes back with a copy - and gets everywhere he's not supposed to. And the system doesn't recognize it.

🧠 Note: On the Internet today you can find tutorials and tools to copy common RFID chips in a minute. Unless your system has encrypted protection, it won't know the difference between the original and the copy.

🔒 Secure ID changes this

Each card contains a unique encrypted key that cannot be read or copied. If someone duplicates the card, the Aktion reader will reject it.

Reason 2: ❌ You don't know who has what permissions - and whether the card is still valid

"The man hasn't worked here for a month. And yet he would have gotten in."

Employees are leaving. Sometimes the card is not handed in. Sometimes they forget to deactivate it. Or you have so many branches that no one just knows who has access where.

It is not easy to keep track with a normal system. And when there's a problem, it's too late.

🟢 Aktion brings instant permission management

Cards can be blocked, validity restricted, accesses can be reconfigured at any time.
In addition, the encrypted key makes it impossible to bypass copy security.

Reason #3: 📋 Visitors are not under control

"The visitor forgot to return the card from the reception. Do you know what happened to it next?"

Many companies lend access cards to visitors - technicians, salespeople, suppliers. And that's where the risk comes in.

One does not return a card

A card that is not surrendered by a visitor - intentionally or by mistake - is a stolen card. It can be misused.

Unlimited card validity

If the card does not have a one-time validity or the system does not track it in real time, it can be misused later.

Copying a card

And if the card uses a regular RFID chip with no encryption, it is not technically difficult to read and copy the card during a visit - although it is not common, misuse is possible and happens mainly where companies think it "can't happen".

📍 The Aktion system is clear on this

The visitor regime is separate from the employee regime. Each visitor card has limited validity, access rights and is registered to a specific person.

Secure ID will ensure that the copied card will no longer go through.

Reason #4:🧍‍♂️ People borrow cards

"Hey, page me so I don't have to go back in there to get my card."

Employees sometimes make life easier for themselves - for example, when someone forgets their card on their desk or has it in the cloakroom. In such a situation, they ask a colleague to "beep" the reader for them.

At first glance, this is an innocent gesture, but it violates internal rules and disrupts access logging.

This then means that someone other than the person who actually entered the space is recorded in the attendance or security log system.

And that can be a problem - not only during an inspection, but especially in the event of an accident or incident where you need to prove who was where.

🟢 Solution? A unique link between the card and the person

Secure ID creates an encrypted identifier that cannot be duplicated or copied. This makes it possible to prevent someone from using a copy of a card issued to another employee without authorisation.

In addition, if the company has integrated biometric or other forms of identity verification, the entry can also be linked to a specific person. Secure ID thus forms a basic layer of protection against technical misuse of the card - for example, by copying or emulation.

The possibility of adding random checks or biometrics makes this system even stronger.

Reason #5: 🕵️ You don't have a real-time overview

"I don't know who's here. And that's the problem."

Whether it's an evacuation, an audit, or a sudden safety check - you need to know exactly, who's in the building.

Many older systems technically allow this, but often with limitations - for example, no online overview, complicated data export or no immediate response.

In practice, this means that the person in charge often does not have up-to-date information at the time when they need it most.

✅ Aktion records the presence of each person

Employee and visitor - in real time.

The system also works offline, the data is backed up and available in both mobile and desktop applications.

Secure ID as a natural solution

All of the situations described above have a common denominator: an access card alone is not a sufficient guarantee of security. If it can be easily copied, extend its validity or tamper with it, the system is vulnerable.

Technology Secure ID addresses this part - is provided by the identity carrier itself. It replaces the publicly readable code with an encrypted, non-transcribable key that meets the most stringent requirements of ISO 27001 and the European NIS2 directive.

This protects the company against misuse of access cards - whether intentional or technical.

Combined with the other modules of the Aktion system, this creates an access solution that is not only functional, but also resilient to today's threats.

Secure ID solves this basic problem:

Replaces the publicly readable code with an encrypted key

Prevents the possibility of copying cards

It allows you to consistently control who has access, from where and when,

Works in accordance with cybersecurity requirements (e.g. NIS2)

It was developed in cooperation with CTU as an open, auditable solution.

From a company's perspective, this is simply a sensible step - especially at a time when access security is not just a matter of physical doors, but also of a company's reputation and responsibility.

Need to pass on information?

If the article makes sense to you, but your colleague is in charge of deciding on access systems, you can give it all to him simply - as a PDF flyer. Either by email or printed directly on your desk.

The leaflet clearly summarises the main benefits of Secure ID technology, including its technical basis and security advantages confirmed by CTU tests. Learn how the technology works - and why it is currently the most secure solution on the market.