Company ID Badges 2454



  • After reading over some best practice documentation i find myself asking certain questions that remain unanswered. One of the biggest questions i have is concerning employee ID badges. It is very apparent that facilities that house sensitive equipment need to be secure, and i can find a lot of detailed information on how this can be done. But in terms of ID badges, which give access to these facilities, there is no real standards or best practice ideology to follow. Some companies employee ID badges contain company information, my question is, isnt that a security concern. If a badge were to be misplaced, and say fell into the wrong hands, they could gain access to restricted areas, and thus destroy what controls have been implemented to restrict unlawful access.

    I was wondering if there is any detailed information out there regarding ID badges, maybe some best practice information i have been unable to locate.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks for your continued assistance,
    JL



  • Hi JL - This is a good question and below are some brief thoughts:

    1. SOX, SAS-70 and other applicable standards, allow flexibility for implementation of physical security controls (e.g., companies with a need for high physical security would use this control)
    2. An ID card should have a photo that’s laminated into plastic to make any alterations or tampering difficult.
    3. Employees would most likely immediately report the loss of an ID badge as they could not access the facilities. Corporate policies should also require prompt reporting as well.
    4. If the ID cards are used in conjunction with human guards, the secondary control often works, as folks get to know each other over time.
    5. Probably most ID cards have electronic security access using smart card technology. For lost cards, the company would deactivate the lost or stolen card and active the new one.
    6. Very high security firms would most likely use additional authentication techniques (e.g., biometrics like fingerprint readers)
      While in my own experiences, I’ve not seen issues with lost or stolen access cards - the security aspects related to this must be well controlled and included in applicable corporate policies and procedures.


  • Awesome information again. I will make sure to bring up your suggested ideas in our next brainstorming session. The biometric finger printing for access to high security areas seems like a really good and probably fairly affordable alternative to other protective measures.
    Thanks again for the input Harry, much appreciated.
    JL



  • Hi Harry and JL,
    Im new to the forum…I really liked the question and the answer is very informative too. There surely is a lot to know about SOX and related topics…Thank you both.
    Erica Rowlet


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