Credentials

Regular readers only use credentials to identify a person. However, AmeriSys readers can be instructed to make more extensive use of credentials. For example, after identification and authentication, AmeriSys readers may not immediately send an access request to the controller. Rather, they may elect to inspect the credentials in the card to confirm a person's qualifications and abilites to access a premise, information, resources or other. For example, sending an access request is conditional to obtaining confirmation of the required credentials. The reader could also have been instructed to modify the access request to inform the controller of the person's identity while indicating to the controller that the required credentials were not met.

AmeriSys readers are also able to modify card credentials dynamically, without user awareness or involvement. Therefore, AmeriSys readers by far outclass typical access control readers (and even FIPS-201 devices) as they don't limit their role to mere authentification.

AmeriSys... more than just a card!

A short story illustrating the needs and benefits of the increased capabilities provided by AmeriSys readers...

Joe is a supervisor at ACME Corp. He is in charge of all the material handlers. Amongst the various items in stock, there are hazardous materials. One day, when his usual material handler, Tom, was absent, Joe went to the hazardous materials stockroom door and discovered he didn't have access. Tom had not completed an order that needed to be shipped right away. The truck was waiting at the dock! Joe was under pressure. Joe immediately went to see Sally in security. Knowing Joe, the store's supervisor and a key employee with ACME for years, Sally immediately changed the stock room door's controller permissions to grant access to Joe. What Sally did not know or think about was that Joe was not qualified to handle some of the hazardous materials in that stock room. Under pressure, Joe himself did not think about it either. So Joe went back to the stock room to get the materials needed to fulfill the pending order.

When Joe tried to access the stock room, the card reader didn't find the required credentials indicating that Joe is qualified to handle the store's content. It refused to send an access request to the controller. So, Joe went back to see Sally. She was puzzled at first and then realised that Joe was not certified to handle hazardous materials. She asked Joe: "Can I see your hazardous materials certificate? You need it to handle the materials in the stock room." Realizing the situation, Joe had another material handler complete the order.

Thanks to AmeriSys readers, a human oversight situation with potentially dangerous consequences was avoided!