access control - case ctudy

Critical Infrastructure Case Study

A Washington-based company is developing and constructing seaport gate control systems to be installed in Florida’s deepwater seaports. They are installing thousands of access control readers to manage physical access. These readers utilize identification badges and biometrics to handle access.

Access control to port facilities is a major problem. On a normal day, employees, truck drivers, and vendors all show up needing different levels of access. The current access control process is to check driver’s licenses against paperwork. Although this system is relatively secure, it is a time-consuming process subject to human error.

In the new system, the security policy requires that companies and individuals apply for access. The state will then perform background checks. When an individual is cleared, a smart card will be issued. The smart card will contain the individual’s credentials as well as a photograph and fingerprint. Each smart card is designed to work at all of the state’s seaports so that once a user is registered into the system, granting access to any, some, or all of the ports is an easy task. The smart cards grant users contactless access to the ports, greatly reducing the time it takes to pass through the security points. This is a major benefit and increases the efficiency of the ports. The smart card solution also brings the ports closer to compliance with HSPD 12.