Safety & Security Biometric versus multi-format
access control systems John Davies, Managing Director of TDSi , discusses maintaining security and protecting student information within schools
T
he forthcoming Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (which comes into force from September 2013) adds new legislation to the Data Protection Act 1998 on holding personal data and is especially relevant to the installation of biometric systems. Under the provisions in the new act, schools and colleges must notify and gain consent from the parents of pupils under 18 where they intend to use their child's biometric data as part of an automated biometric recognition system. The provisions also provide that a pupil of any age may refuse to participate in an automated biometric recognition system, even where their parents have given their consent and the school must provide reasonable alternative arrangements in these circumstances. It’s worth pointing out that this new legislation specifically controls the storing of biometric information (fingerprints, facial recognition, etc.) and therefore other methods are largely unaffected by this. Whilst biometric systems are an obvious choice for schools, offering high levels of security and usability, other methods, such as MIFARE cards or PIN codes, offer similar benefits but are not bound by such complex legislation regarding consent.
As an alternative, multi-format access control readers have become a convenient reality and offer real choice for installers and clients. Convenience will mean many users will be happy to enroll biometric records and by using a multi-format reader the school can offer an alternative (such as a MIFARE card, access tokens and PIN codes) for those that want to opt out.
Equally, offering multi-format access control gives the school or college a flexible, highly future- proof access control solution. The school may also want to continue running several methods of access, or may revert to one method in the future (assuming user consent allows) – making sure there is real choice.
On the face of it, further legislation can often be seen as ‘red tape’, but when it comes to personal information people are rightly wary, and as an industry we have to be sympathetic to this. This is an excellent opportunity for installers, specifiers and manufacturers to prove the value they can offer the education sector, meeting its ever- changing needs.
uwww.tdsi.co.uk
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March 2013
www.education-today.co.uk 23
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