Why now is the time to migrate to biometric access control?

Users’ demands for robust protection of sensitive data are rising. Everybody wants to be confident that their information is safe from hacking, theft, and misuse. If your building’s physical security system isn’t updated with modern technology, you’re lagging behind. This shift is also reflected in market data. The global biometrics market is expected to grow from around $53 billion in 2025 to over $95 billion by 2030, driven by increasing demand for secure authentication across industries [1].

As security technology evolves, so do attack methods.

The rise of biometric access control

One method of improving the security of an access control system is by opting for biometric readers. Where traditional systems use swipe cards, keyring fobs, or PIN codes to validate users’ identity, biometric access control uses people’s physical characteristics. Fingerprints, facial features, and iris patterns are fast becoming the gold standard for security.

This is not just a technology trend. The growth of the entire access control market is increasingly linked to the adoption of biometric authentication, as organisations look for higher security and better identity assurance [2].

Capture, analysis, and validation of biometric credentials now takes seconds – or even fractions of seconds. What was once slow and unreliable is now fast, accurate, and widely available.

Limitations of traditional access control

Traditional access control systems with cards, fobs, and PINs have served us well for decades. But the modern era has exposed some fundamental vulnerabilities.

Credentials can be lost, stolen, or shared. PIN codes can be guessed or reused. And without encryption, systems are increasingly exposed to hacking and phishing attempts.

As security technology evolves, so do attack methods. Organisations relying on outdated systems face a growing risk. The consequences are real:

66% of customers lose trust in a company after a data breach [3]
Operational disruption and reputational damage can far outweigh the cost of upgrading

Why biometrics are gaining ground

Biometric access control addresses many of these challenges directly.

The technology is also gaining traction across industries. The biometric access control market alone is expected to grow at double-digit rates (around 10–14% annually) over the next decade [4].

This growth is driven by a simple reality: organisations need stronger, more reliable ways to verify identity.

Key benefits of migrating to biometric access control

Better security

Biometric access control is inherently more secure than traditional systems with swipe cards, fobs, PINs, or passwords. With biometrics, there’s nothing to bring, nothing to remember, and nothing a user could forget or misplace. At the same time, that means there’s nothing that can be stolen or maliciously acquired by an unauthorised person. It’s impossible to share biometric credentials with another person. You can’t lend someone your fingerprint or facial features. As a result, the risk of a security breach from the inside is significantly reduced.

More convenience

Everyone has done it at some point. Turned up to work without your lanyard and access fob. Gone to the gym and had to ask a receptionist to let you in because you left your swipe card at home. Stood at the checkout staring at the card machine, desperately trying to will your PIN code back into your brain. All these systems rely on a very low rate of human error – which might be simply unachievable by our nature. Conversely, with biometrics, users simply show up and that’s it. There is nothing more convenient.

Cost efficiency

Upfront costs are often one of the primary reasons why organisations considering biometric access control decide against it. These technologies are more expensive, that’s for sure. But you get a lot of bang for your buck. Consider that long-term, there are savings to be made. No more replacing lost or damaged swipe cards or tags. Lower administrative costs for managing and constantly changing PIN codes.

Compliance and auditing

Accuracy is vital for security compliance and audit purposes. And biometric technology improves this by leaps and bounds. When your building is equipped with biometric access control, you know for certain that a person had to be physically present at the door to use the system. They can’t lend their credentials to someone else temporarily. As a result, every entry in the access control system’s event log is more likely to be an accurate representation of who was where and when. For regulatory compliance or post-incident reviews, this might be vital information.