Biometric Solution for Improving Security at Airport Staff Access Points

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Airport operator Fraport recently launched its “Biometrics@Controllane” project to improve security at staff access control points using biometric solutions. Among the partners invited to trial their technology at Frankfurt Airport, Germany, is Zwipe, a Norwegian biometric technology provider. Zwipe Access solution will be installed at 40 checkpoints, supplementing Fraport’s existing card-based fingerprint scanning system.

Each user is provided with a credit-card-sized personalized access card containing their unique fingerprint data, fitted with a sensor. When placed near a reader, the card’s built-in verification function compares the user’s fingerprint with the stored biometric data to determine whether they match, granting access if so. 

The process is self-contained, meaning the authentication process takes place entirely within the card, powered by radio waves emitted by the access terminal. This shortens the biometric authentication process to just one second, making it up to six times faster than alternative systems. “The proposition of being able to add a whole new level of security through biometrics, without upgrading, replacing or adding to existing infrastructure – which reduces the cost, time, and complexity of implementation – are huge benefits,” Zwipe CEO André Løvestam stated. 

If a Zwipe Access card is lost or stolen, there is still no way for a breach to occur, as the self-contained authentication process has no connection to additional systems. The biometric data is encrypted and stored on government-grade secure elements within the access card, meaning that it is “less exposed to hacking attempts” and “addresses the regulation around GDPR”, according to Løvestam.