The Triangle of Secure Identification

This post will be valuable for any organisation managing people and assets, and can save your company thousands of dollars (and hours!) over the years.

Alright, explanation time… what is the Triangle of Secure Identification?

Simply, there are 3 ELEMENTS to identify a person, and each has a varying level of accuracy, from low to moderate, to exceptional. They are:

1- Something you HAVE

2- Something you KNOW

3- Something you ARE

The Triangle of Secure Identification is the combination of all 3 elements – it is IMPOSSIBLE to forge, replicate or transfer to another human.

Let's break down the 3 elements:

Something you HAVE

Includes keys, swipe cards, bar-codes etc. that are used to unlock rooms, cars, vaults, buildings, and so on. Despite being used everywhere, every day, by every person, these tools have the lowest level of security.

Generally, they are practical access tools. The issue? They are easily replicated, stolen or shared. Managing keys in organisations can be a nightmare – Who has key 1? Who has key 43? Who on earth was in the stock room last night!?

You see, something you HAVE can quickly become something you HAD, and someone else HAS.

Something you KNOW

This is far more secure. It includes digit-codes, passwords, personal questions and other questions with specific answers, and these verification techniques are often used for access control on tech devices.

As you can imagine, it is far more challenging for something you KNOW to be stolen, replicated or guessed. However, there is still a relatively high chance that the codes are hacked or shared – especially if you’re still using the same password since high school! (Soccerrules123).

So, clearly, something you HAVE and something you KNOW have their limitations – even when used together.

Something you ARE

The ultimate element for identification:

These are the characteristics that define you as an individual – parts of your human anatomy that cannot be replicated or shared.

Some unique physical attributes that are used to define who you ARE, include your retina, your fingerprint, your voice etc.

For access control, these biometric attributes for identification offer the highest level of accuracy and security. And when ‘ARE’ is combined with ‘HAVE’ and ‘KNOW’, the Triangle of Secure Identification is achieved, and a person’s genuine identity can be guaranteed.

WHY IS THE TRIANGLE OF SECURE IDENTIFICATION IMPORTANT?

At Biode, our purpose is to PROTECT PEOPLE and PHYSICAL ASSETS by ensuring accurate identity management of staff and visitors in organisations – which is why our solutions incorporate the Triangle of Secure Identification.

Through the integration of state-of-the-art software and biometric technology, we guarantee the RIGHT PEOPLE have ACCESS to the RIGHT ASSETS in the RIGHT PLACES at the RIGHT TIME.

The Triangle of Secure Identification is a valuable tool to mitigate the costly burden of mismanaging people and assets in Government and commercial enterprises.

…but truthfully, biometrics offer a level of accuracy and security that could do away with the costly and risky elements of HAVE and KNOW – which is why we have spent decades becoming experts in this field.