Posts tagged 'badge'

If you've been browsing our catalogue looking for a new ID card holder, chances are you've encountered the term "CardProtector badge holder" at some point. And unless you're as familiar with ID products as we are, you probably had a very basic (but valid) question: “What is it?”

It sounds like it could be one of several things but it’s certainly not just another name for a non-flexible badge holder. CardProtector badge holders serve as a pretty basic solution to a very modern problem.

What is a CardProtector badge holder?

A CardProtector badge holder is a type of ID card holder that contains a thin layer of metal. Also known as shielded card/badge holders, they be flexible or rigid, and are available in different models.

What does a CardProtector badge holder do?

This kind of holder shields the inserted smart card from being read or scanned by card readers thanks to a specific metal insert.

Fully understanding this requires a bit of background information on how smart cards work.

Normally, a smart card in a radio-frequency identification (RFID) program works by having an internal chip that interacts with a dedicated card reader.

The card reader contains an antenna that scans for RFID chips. When the scanning antenna picks up a chip, it takes the data from that chip and sends it back to a receiver that translates the data for use in payment systems, access control systems and more.

The thin piece of metal material that is the major part of a shielded badge holder helps to interrupt this process. The metal material helps to prevent the smart chip from being picked up by the antenna of a smart card reader.

Essentially, the metal protects the chip from the scanning antenna, sending the waves bouncing back and preventing the transmission of any data.

Why would you want to block an RFID card from being scanned?

It seems kind of counterintuitive, doesn't it? After all, the point of RFID cards is for them to be contactless and convenient, to allow for the quick collection of data or granting of access.

However, many of today's RFID cards can contain sensitive data. For example, an employee ID smart card used at a large corporation may contain information like the cardholder's name, title and security clearance. Even if the face of the card just features a name and a photo, a wealth of data may exist on the chip beneath the surface.

The data exists on the card so the system can use it to verify access, which is a great use of an RFID smart card; however, it isn't data you'd want out there for public consumption.

Contactless payment with credit cards is becoming an increasingly popular method of payment as well. Some of these cards use similar technology to that referenced above, potentially leaving a card vulnerable to unauthorized data access by anyone with a rogue reader.

Are people actually being victimized by this kind of data theft?

The short answer is "yes," but the extent of the damage being done is unclear. Various reports and articles have shown that it is, in fact, possible for a data thief armed with the right card reader to pick up information off of a smart card or chip-containing credit card. This kind of data theft is known as skimming, a type of identity theft mainly focused on acquiring user data.

Many credit card companies have taken steps to make the kind of information that can be gleaned from skimming essentially useless. For example, some cards issue a one-time PIN for each transaction, while others ensure that no card numbers, CVVs or names are transmitted via RFID.

However, corporations, government offices and other organizations using RFID-based smart cards may not have taken the same steps, potentially leaving their user data vulnerable. Such vulnerabilities would be particularly troubling for high-security organizations or government offices dealing in classified data or intelligence.

How can I protect a smart card from data skimming?

The simplest method, as this post has hopefully made clear, is to use a CardProtector badge holder.

As mentioned above, shielded badge holders contain thin layers of metal that prevent the card from being read by a scanning antenna. In the event that a data thief held a reader to your smart card, the shielded badge holder would prevent it from being read.

Shielded badge holders come with the added benefit of looking just like regular badge holders. They're available in several styles, including open-face and multi-card.

When using a CardProtector holder, you can have your card scanned for legitimate purposes by simply removing it from the holder and passing by a reader. This functionality makes shielded badge holders a great way to prevent data theft without rendering your card unusable in the process.

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It happens to the best of us: we forget things. It’s human nature.

Keys get misplaced. TV remotes disappear. The name of that song you wanted to look up slips your mind. It’s frustrating: “It’s right on the tip of my tongue… I was just thinking about it a few minute ago!”

Strangely, forgotten items often include things that we use on a regular basis. You’d thing those everyday items would be easier to remember, but the brain works in mysterious ways. Cell phone chargers. Car Keys. Glasses. These are items that are essential to daily life, yet they often disappear.

Another item that often gets left behind? Employee ID badges.

Employee badges are going to vary from place to place. How they look and how they're used is going to depend on an organization's preferences. Some organizations might require employees to have their badges at all times, while others might not care as much.

Exactly like the other daily object, ID badges will sometimes be forgotten. This raises an important question: what should you do when an employee forgets his or her credential?

How you respond to a forgotten ID badge is going to depend on how secure you want your facility to be.

If a facility is a small office where all of the employees know each other and sensitive information isn't being shared, a forgotten ID badge isn't a huge deal.

If a facility a high-security or a massive complex with thousands of workers or sheltering high-value goods, being able to positively identify an employee is essential.

Deciding how seriously you want to take ID security will go a long way toward determining how to handle forgotten credentials.

Give out temporary badges

You can achieve this in a variety of ways. You could treat the employee as you'd treat any other visitor, using your Visitor Management solution to register the employee's presence and issue a paper/ID badge.

You could also create generic employee badges that your receptionist or human resources manager keeps at his or her desk. Forgetful employees could sign in to receive a badge at the beginning of the day, then return it at the day's end.

The sign-in/sign-out process would ensure that badges don't go missing, and would also serve as a way to encourage employees to be less forgetful in the future. After all, no one likes extra paperwork.

Pros: Employee is still registered in the system, no work time is lost

Cons: Mixes employees in with your visitor records, potentially creates more work for front desk staff

If your company is looking for some fun, you can have a laugh by poking a little fun at that employee.

One of our customers uses a special badge that looks and acts like a normal ID badge but says "I FORGOT MY BADGE AT HOME" in large letters. If your employees have a good sense of humor, this is a good way to lighten the mood while still allowing the employee to go about his or her day.

Zero-tolerance in some cases?

It may seem harsh, but for high-security operations, adopting a zero-tolerance for forgotten badges can ensures that you don’t allow anyone on site without authorization. This policy eliminates concerns about deceptive people posing as employees who forgot their badges. It also sends a message to employees and other personnel that the organization takes security seriously, which could have positive effects on other areas of the business.

Also, if an employee forgets his or her badge and is forced to go home and retrieve it, the chances of that employee forgetting it again would almost certainly decrease.

Adding employee ID badges to your facility is a great way to increase security and professionalism without busting the budget.

We have decades of experience creating badges of all kinds, and would love to help you get your employee ID program started, whether you want to print your own ID badges on site or want us to custom print them for you.

Contact us