In 2020, Secure ID Cards are more Important than Ever

The year 2020 has arrived and it is a new year full of new hope and opportunities. Unfortunately, if history is any indicator, criminals feel the same way. Those who would do you or your organization harm are working up new methods and tactics to commit some of the world’s oldest crimes. Theft, fraud, and acts of violence are nothing new, but the strategies behind them continually evolve with the times. That’s why secure ID cards are more important than ever, because what worked for your organization last year may not work in 2020. If you are in the market for a solution to make your organization a harder target for the bad guys, it starts right here with a secure ID card system.

Secure ID Cards Make a Harder Target

There are those who would muse that an ID card does not prevent certain acts of malice or thievery. They point out outliers and masterful capers as evidence for their claim. While it is true that a determined criminal will often find a way, the goal of individual and organizational security is to simply make yourself a harder target than the next guy. Criminals often flow towards the path of least resistance. A secure ID card system gives them a reason to skip you and go to the next guy.

A criminal is less likely to attempt forgery on an ID card system when they recognize that each card comes with its own unique holographic laminate. One is less likely to choose a location for acts of violence when they realize each door is locked down with its own proximity card access system. Simply putting a photo ID on the card means the criminal will at least have to make a basic attempt to look like the actual person. Criminals hate effort, so make them exert the maximum effort and they will move on.

Secure ID Card Solutions

Now that you’ve heard the justification for secure ID card solutions, let’s start discussing some of the actual solutions. The first step in securing your organization is to include a photo ID on the card. An ID card without a photo is not really an ID card, but more of a glorified and easily forged business card. Any of our ID Card Printing Solutions can pull this off and more. However, anyone can throw on a wig or a fake mustache. Including a photo ID really just scratches the surface of security.

Slightly more difficult than putting on a wig, the next step for a criminal is to attempt to forge the ID in their own liking. An excellent method to remedy this attempt would be to include a secure watermark or hologram on the ID. Printers like the Magicard Ultima Dual-Sided Retransfer ID Card Printer utilize up to 10 secure Holokote watermarks. It uses wavelengths of dye film to fluoresce under UV light for added security. This is extremely difficult to replicate and forge. Meanwhile, printers like the Fargo HDP5000 will put a durable layer of HDP film over the ID. If you try to separate the layers, the images become unusable. That’s a ton of added security for very little extra effort or cost.

Technologically Secure ID Cards

The next step in ID card security would be get technical with it all. Many organizations in the healthcare industry utilize HID Proximity Cards because it allows them to offer unique access to particular floors or departments. When the card is in range of the reader, it unlocks the door and gives authorized persons easy access. This type of technology can be of vital importance in hospitals or institutions of education where active shooters pose a significant threat. There is little effort needed to lock down the location as lockdown is its default setting.

In addition to proximity cards, one can add a magnetic stripe or even a smart chip the card that hosts an array of unique identifiable information. The data on these cards can be read at entry control points and offer a history of an individual’s access to sensitive locations. This type of technology is regularly employed by Government Agencies where security is paramount. Regardless of which ID card solution you pursued in the past, criminals are working hard to exploit it in the future. So take a proactive stance and survey the full array of ID card solutions we offer at IDSecurityOnline today and protect yourself against the threats of tomorrow.