How to choose an ID printer for security purposes

For whatever reason, you’ve recognised the need to tighten security at your organisation. Maybe you want to prevent unauthorised access to your data centre or better protect biopharmaceutical products.

ID cards can help you reinforce facility defences, but should you go out and simply pick the first printer you find?

When searching for an ID card printer to boost building security, there are several questions you should ask yourself. The answers to these questions will help you identify what kind of features you need from a printer.

What can your back-end infrastructure support? 

Bear in mind that ID cards are not alienated from the rest of your organisation. Think of ID badges as representations of digital information. Employee profiles are held in databases, which dictate a worker’s credentials.

For example, an employee database may determine whether a worker can enter a particular room or not. Suppose a worker named Jared Gram is allowed to enter a server room, but another, Kevin Whey, is not authorised to do so. When Kevin places his ID card to a reader adjacent to the server entryway, the reader won’t unlock the door.

The reader may not have to request employee information from a database in order to unlock a door. However, the Smart Card Alliance advised users to implement strong data security techniques to protect the identify management system if this is the case.

Although smart cards possess several features that deter cybercriminals (biometric authentication, encrypted communications, etc.), reinforcing the back-end is always a wise measure to take.

Do you need Holokote? 

A simple, yet effective protection feature, Holokote ID card printers use watermarks to prevent tampering. The watermark images can either be custom-designed, or one of several pre-set designs featured in the printer.

A watermark is a like frosted image that’s printed over your ID card, and is a common feature among ID badges equipped with smart chips. When the card is held at a certain angle or flexed, you’ll be able to see the watermarks.

Dual-sided or single-sided? 

While some printers can create single-sided IDs, other machines generate dual-sided badges. If you want to display as much visible information as possible, dual-sided cards are the best option for you.

For example, while the front of the badge may display an employee’s name, phone number, address and work title, the backside could show his or her emergency contact details and security credentials.

If you have any more questions as to what you should look for in an ID printer that will help you boost security, contact PPC’s experts today.