High-profile events have always been viewed as high-value targets for potentially malicious acts, making heightened security measures standard operating procedure at large venues around the world. This is particularly applicable for major sporting, entertainment and public events, which can put a huge strain on already tight security budgets.
Providing a safe environment for the large crowds attending presents a number of security and operational challenges. Among these is the need to issue multiple types of identities, each requiring different access privileges at different times before, during and after an event. For example, vendors and setup crews should be allowed to access very limited areas only at certain times, while players and performers require much broader access within a facility over larger timeframes. Similarly, different areas of the venue demand their own required levels of security. Additional challenges include managing mobile or remote perimeters, numerous terminal and gate entry points, as well as loading docks and storage areas.
Effective access control and identity management for events require organizations to have several things in motion simultaneously: verifying identity information to ensure safety; processing a high volume of visitors in a short period of time, and staying flexible to provide an easy check-in experience – all while controlling costs.
Unfortunately, many venues continue to employ the inefficient and error-prone processes associated with traditional access control and identity management solutions. This often includes paper lists, which are almost constantly updated and must be physically delivered to security personnel at various entry points throughout a venue. This creates delays, so people assume that the list they have is outdated and may make judgment calls – which may or may not be correct. Traditional methods also lead to a lack of knowledge about who, exactly, is authorized to enter a particular area and for how long – introducing unknown threats and identities.
A perfect example of this occurred at a concert held in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2015. Determined to get backstage at a concert, a fan edited a band’s Wikipedia page, inserting himself as a family member and inspiration for one of their biggest hit songs. Combined with a photo ID, this “proof” was enough to persuade a security guard to allow the man backstage, where he interacted with performers and VIPs approved to be there. While no harm resulted from the incident, it easily could have if the individual had intended to steal or vandalize property or harm someone.
This isolated incident underscores the main weaknesses of “business as usual” event security. Considering the unique requirements and logistics associated with events at large venues, these systems are incapable of providing the high level of security these applications require.
Advanced physical identity and access management (PIAM) solutions with mobile capabilities address these challenges and weaknesses that jeopardize security by enabling organizations to extend access control wherever and whenever it’s needed. PIAM solutions can quickly and easily be deployed for any event, offering extreme flexibility, reduced cost, and heightened security.
Mobile PIAM is a natural extension of the proliferation of mobile devices and their impact on nearly every aspect of our everyday lives. Smartphones have changed our habits and expectations both in our personal and professional lives, creating an opportunity to transform security by extending physical security policies and procedures well beyond the immediate task of access control and bringing PIAM beyond traditional perimeters and entrances to wherever there is a need.
With mobile PIAM, the primary security risk loopholes are closed, as PIAM solutions can ensure identities are properly vetted and authenticated before issuing a credential or allowing access. The same policies and procedures of authentication and verifying are extended into the mobile environment. Mobile PIAM solutions also enable easy, secure and rapid entry into stadiums or other venues for the wide variety of identity types and provide a high-quality experience without compromising security.
There are four main benefits mobile PIAM solutions deliver for events, which are described below.
Greater Convenience
A PIAM solution that can only be accessed from a security office hinders the ability of security guards and other staff to add new information to the system and/or take action as they move throughout a venue for supervising, training, inspection and many other important tasks that cannot be performed from a desk. If important updates are delayed until an individual with new information returns to the office or until it can be relayed to another staff member, venues are unnecessarily exposed to risks.
The ability to access the PIAM system with a mobile device is much more convenient, allowing staff to perform relevant and important tasks from anywhere. For example, lost badges can be quickly reported and deactivated, and personnel can respond immediately to system alerts or approve or deny access requests. Therefore, convenience delivers a positive impact on productivity and effectiveness for both security and operations.
Heightened Security
The traditional approach for security staff to share information – daily briefings, reports, etc. – is no longer effective today. To properly understand and address ever-changing situations and shifting priorities related to sporting or other events, today’s mobile security force must have access to continual information updates before, during and after the event to manage developing needs and incidents.
Real-time access to a PIAM system ensures personnel has the most up-to-date status and relevant information to deliver improved security. Additionally, they are better equipped to take actions and make decisions, improving their effectiveness.
Using a mobile app, guards can rely on the PIAM solution to instantly validate identity information by swiping a badge, pass, ticket or other credential using a smartphone, tablet or other handheld peripheral. When individuals are required to upload a photo ID as part of the registration process, that photo appears on the mobile device, allowing guards to instantly confirm that an individual is, in fact, the authorized person associated with the credential. This real-time credential validation controls the entrance of all participants, regardless of their role, identity type, and access privileges, across different venues or different locations within a single venue. As a result, identities can be checked in quickly without compromising security.
Improved Efficiency
Despite the potential to increase security, many organizations are loath to implement a solution that will bog down processes or create long wait times. Mobile PIAM does just the opposite, delivering improved speed and ease of access along with stronger security.
For example, mobile PIAM played a key role in securing the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Brazil, where the solution was used to manage identities and track the movements of about half a million credentialed individuals across a large number of venues. Using handheld devices, security and event staff verified identities nearly 3 million times to make sure every credential was authentic. These devices were connected to the central PIAM system, ensuring they were operating with the latest, most up-to-the-minute information and that any discrepancies could be investigated and resolved immediately. Overall, the system eliminated bottlenecks associated with traditional event security, allowing those with credentials to quickly pass through security checkpoints and proceed to their destination.
Actionable Intelligence
Beyond providing traditional access control and identity management for an event, PIAM software also analyzes data from security systems across an organization to detect and identify potential risks and threats based on established policies and parameters. If an anomaly is detected, the solution will alert security management and provide information they need to investigate and take action if necessary. Mobile PIAM allows these alerts to be delivered in real time to designated security staff, including management and those stationed throughout the venue.
If someone attempts to use credentials to enter an area they are not authorized to access, the PIAM solution can detect that activity and automatically deactivate the credential and identity immediately. At the same time, a mobile alert can be delivered to security personnel to allow them to quickly evaluate and take action, which might mean removing the individual from the premises.
Additionally, PIAM systems automatically capture all identity access information, organizations can review these logs as well as incident reports to determine which policies and procedures are working well, which may need to be changed and gain insight into potential areas where operations can be further streamlined to create a better guest experience and reduce costs.
Traditional approaches to access control and identity management are no longer effective at delivering the heightened security necessary to ensure a safe environment for performers, athletes, large crowds and others attending events. Event organizers should look to PIAM solutions with mobile capabilities to address the security and operational challenges associated with large crowds while also reducing costs. By enabling access the most current identity information from a centralized database from anywhere at any time, mobile PIAM systems provide a powerful, efficient and cost-effective means to revolutionize event security.
About the Author:
Don Campbell is Vice President, Products for Quantum Secure.
