Piggybacking and Tailgating Are Two Threats Every Business Must Guard Against

Building entry security is essential today. Doors are no longer enough to keep unwanted visitors out. Physical barriers and access points ensure that only authorized parties can access a building. Access control security is beneficial, but it may not be enough to keep all people at bay.

Tailgating

Building security professionals must worry about tailgating and piggybacking. Tailgating is when a person slips through an entrance without the necessary credentials by following closely behind someone who has them. Imagine a security gate at a parking garage. This gate is designed to let one car through at a time. If two cars go through together and only the first one pays, this would be an example of tailgating, as the name suggests.

When a person tailgates, they do so without the person they are following being aware of their presence. They don’t have the necessary credentials but can access a secure area using this technique. At times, a person unintentionally tailgates, but often they do so with malicious intent. Employees must remain vigilant and ensure they aren’t letting people into secure areas where they are not meant to be.

Piggybacking

Piggybacking is similar to tailgating in that it allows a person access to an area to which they are not authorized. The difference between the two techniques is that the individual with credentials is aware they are helping the other party gain entrance when they shouldn’t. This action leads to a security breach just as tailgating does.

Preventing These Attacks

Business owners can take steps to prevent these attacks. Enhanced physical security measures, such as security cameras, may help, but many businesses are upgrading to optical turnstiles and physical access control systems. Proper authentication must be required to enter restricted areas, and physical barriers such as speed gates can reduce the risk of these attacks. Multi-factor authentication helps protect digital assets from unauthorized individuals, and many companies are upgrading to smart security systems.

However, the most important thing a company can do is to educate its employees about these threats. When they know what to look for, they can report suspicious activity. They also know who to call to verify a person’s identity before they enter the building. A business owner cannot be everywhere, so they have to count on their employees to identify threats and take the appropriate action. This training lets them know precisely what to do in these situations.

Business owners must also regularly review and update their security measures. When doing so, they need to share information about the updates with employees so everyone is aware of what to watch for. While these measures can’t prevent all attacks, they significantly reduce the risk of piggybacking and tailgating incidents.

These threats are only two of the many threats business owners must guard against. They also need to worry about people claiming to be locked out of the building and employees letting them in, thinking they are supposed to be there. Contractor fraud is also a concern, as any person can claim to be making a delivery or coming to work on the building and gain access with the help of this deception. Criminals are smart; business owners must be smarter.