Proximity card authentication can certainly be a quick, convenient, and secure way for your staff to access a shared Xerox multifunction printer in your workplace. This style of authentication is growing in popularity, since it’s often easier and faster than username/password based authentication, especially in busy offices. In an era where enhanced data security is needed by practically every industry, it makes sense.
in this QDoxs blog post, if you’re considering implementing proximity card authentication in your workplace, we hope to to give you a good idea of the potential pros and cons of this technology to help you better weigh your options.
Let’s take a look:
Convenience, Speed, and Easy Integration: Why Proximity Cards Can Boost Productivity
Proximity cards, which can be swiped or tapped depending your configuration, are one of the faster ways to authenticate users. Username and password configuration can be just as secure, but it does tend to be slower. PIN authentication, where users punch in a number to access the printer, is much faster but still oftentimes not as fast as swiping a proximity card.
So, you have speed. But what if your employees already have an ID badge or keycard for another purpose? Wouldn’t it be cumbersome to drag around all of these different cards—not to mention increase the likelihood of loss or theft?
The good news is that Xerox proximity (or “convenience” authentication as it’s often called) can often be integrated with your preexisting authentication card method. In other words, your staff won’t have to carry a separate card, but instead, will be able to use their regular ID badge or keycard to authenticate themselves to the shared office printer.
Proximity Card Authentication Drawbacks and Mitigation
Perhaps the biggest drawback of card authentication methods is the potential for loss or theft of the physical card itself. This can be mitigated by combining card functionalities as mentioned above—pairing the functionality of Xerox card authentication with an already existing employee badge system—which then reduces the number of physical cards the staff member needs to physically carry.
The best mitigation for theft or loss is, however, always going to be proper staff training on basic security measures, such as not leaving their cards or badges unattended, never letting anyone borrow their cards, and so on.
The only other drawback, and it’s a relatively minor one, is that being a physical object, cards are subject to potential damage or wear-and-tear. Of course, PIN or username/password authentication aren’t subject to these possibilities!
In the case of damage to a proximity card, the aforementioned staff training will be helpful, but wear-and-tear is mostly unavoidable given a long enough time span, so planning on replacing cards perhaps every few years may be helpful. Fortunately, new cards themselves aren’t terribly expensive.
Interested in a Secure, Affordable Printer for Your Workplace? We’ve Got You Covered
User authentication for your Xerox multifunction printer is an important step to securing your data, but it’s just one of the tools in your “Xerox toolbag.” Pull printing, encryption, secure digital transmission, and so on are all at your disposal with a modern Xerox MFP. If you’d like to learn more about how Xerox technology can help you protect your data, please feel free to contact our team of polite experts. You may also request a free online quote.
