SecurityWorldMarket

18/12/2023

Smart Buildings and Access Control – 3 of 5

“Only open systems can be future-proofed”

The awarded Stid Mobile ID is a fully open solution.

The awarded Stid Mobile ID is a fully open solution.

With a completely open access and ID solution for mobile access control, Stid Security was awarded the recent Detektor International Award prize at a prize ceremony in Stockholm.

“Security, simplicity, transparency, and cost-effectiveness in one solid package pays off,” comments Robert Jansson, Director of Sales for Nordic, Eastern Europe and South Africa at Stid Security.

Robert Jansson is clearly proud of the Stid Mobile ID 3.0. Its unlimited architecture that can be obtained either the Stid cloud, a private cloud or in a local offline version. It is also available via seamless third-party integration.


How does the Stid Mobile ID solution work?

“The card can be sent digitally as soon as a new employee, or other trusted user has been admitted, and then revoked the other way automatically.


Robert Jansson, Director of Sales for Nordic, Eastern Europe and South Africa at Stid Security.
Robert Jansson, Director of Sales for Nordic, Eastern Europe and South Africa at Stid Security.


In what way is Stid Mobile ID cost-effective?

“The cost-effectiveness lies in the fact that the customer’s investment in the solution is a one-time cost that covers the total number of users of mobile identities. A new free virtual card is created every time another user’s virtual card is terminated. This means that the customer – year after year and at no extra cost – can reuse the card every time a validity period has expired. Just load it with a new identity.


And what else?

“Enrolment and administration of employees’ identities I far much more rational and cost-effective with Stid Mobile ID than using plastic cards. And the shorter the life span of a card is, the more cost effective it gets.”


And who is the target group?

“Actually, all organisations but enterprises and administrations with many employees in particular. The concept of Stid Mobile ID is also unbeatable for schools and universities with many students, as it secures the organisation’s ID and access control over time and is also very cost-saving.”


In what way is Stid Mobile ID a unique solution?

“The openness, our solution can be used by all manufacturers. We don’t shut anyone out. And several access control manufacturers will also implement our solution. This is a good development. Security, which goes hand in hand with openness, is another aspect.”


How do you think security is related to open technology platforms?

“Very much. It is impossible to maintain security in a proprietary system. Development is simply going too fast.”


And yet you usually say that the market is dominated by proprietary systems. What speaks for a change towards open systems?

“The cyber security threats. Both EU and national legislation now place increasingly high demands on systems that handle sensitive data or are connected to critical infrastructure. It affects companies, authorities, schools, and universities.”

“This means that those responsible for security must take into account that cyber security threats are constantly present and that access systems must be secured. They must choose solutions where identities or identity-related information cannot be extracted.”


What happens otherwise?

“Above all, the vulnerability increases and, legally speaking, the entire responsibility lies with the end users. They must ensure that the access system’s information flow is protected all the way, from the hand of the user up to the system and further via control units and databases. The security system is and must be considered an IT system and protected accordingly.”


And how is it best protected?

“Through openness. Only open systems can be future-proofed. When it comes to components, there is a constant development towards standards that should both protect and simplify transparency with total security. It is outdated and associated with risks to have a system based on self-made algorithms and protocols.”


Can you give examples of any law that actualises the legal obligation to protect its access systems and that you think will guide the development towards open systems?

“Absolutely, the EU directive NIS2 must be implemented all EU countries’ legislations in October 2024. It aims to tighten cyber protection in critical infrastructure and will wake up the end customers.”

“But the development towards open systems is also driven by the obvious benefits for the end users. As a user of a proprietary system, you cannot have all your needs met. Maybe you can get 60 percent out of it. With an open system, you get everything gathered in a single unit and can have all your needs met.”


The launch of the updated Stid Mobile ID is in full swing. Is it a sign of the times? What happens to the plastic cards?

“Maybe so, plastic cards are expensive if you handle large volumes. Especially in workplaces with a large turnover of identities, for example schools where new students are added every year at the same time as many students leave. It is costly.”

“With the Mobile ID solution, a new free virtual card is created every time a user’s virtual card is terminated. The customer’s investment in the solution is a one-time cost that covers the total number of mobile identity users. You can thus – year after year and at no extra cost – reuse cards whose validity has ended.”

Note: This editorial article has primarily been produced for the security trade magazine Detektor in collaboration with Securityworldmarket.com.



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