Introduction: The Risks of Credential Sharing in Manufacturing
Factories rely on strict access control measures to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering high-security areas. However, many manufacturing facilities still use traditional keycards, PIN codes, and badges for access control. These methods are vulnerable to credential sharing, where employees lend their access credentials to others—intentionally or unintentionally—bypassing security measures and compromising factory safety, compliance, and data integrity.
The risks of credential sharing in factories range from workplace safety hazards to theft, fraud, and industrial espionage. A factory floor can contain hazardous equipment, sensitive prototypes, and restricted production zones that must only be accessed by qualified personnel. If an unauthorized worker gains access by using someone else’s credentials, they can disrupt production, create safety risks, or even steal intellectual property.
Biometric Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) systems, such as Soloinsight’s CloudGate, provide a secure, foolproof alternative to traditional access methods. By linking an individual’s access permissions to their unique biological traits—such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans—biometric PIAM ensures that only authorized personnel can enter restricted areas, eliminating the possibility of credential sharing.
Why Credential Sharing is a Major Security Issue
Credential sharing has long been a blind spot in factory security. In many facilities, employees and contractors may share access cards with colleagues, either to bypass inconvenience or to help someone gain unauthorized access. While this practice may seem harmless, it can lead to severe security breaches, including:
Unauthorized entry into hazardous areas, increasing workplace accident risks
Theft of proprietary equipment, raw materials, or intellectual property
Compromised quality control when unqualified personnel operate machinery
Regulatory violations that can result in hefty fines and legal consequences
Loss of productivity due to security incidents and unauthorized actions
Case Study: The Unauthorized Worker Incident
At an automotive parts manufacturing plant, a contract worker borrowed a coworker’s RFID badge to access a restricted machinery zone. The unauthorized individual, untrained in operating the machine, caused a serious equipment malfunction, resulting in an injury and production downtime. Following the incident, the factory integrated a biometric PIAM system that required fingerprint authentication at access points. This prevented future unauthorized access and reduced safety incidents by 70%.
How Biometric PIAM Prevents Credential Sharing
Eliminating Badge and PIN Code Vulnerabilities
Traditional factory access methods—such as swipe cards, PIN codes, and security badges—are inherently insecure because they can be stolen, lost, or shared. Biometric authentication solves this issue by ensuring that access credentials are tied to a person’s physical identity rather than an easily transferable object.
At an aerospace manufacturing facility, a biometric PIAM system using fingerprint scanners was implemented at every entrance to secure assembly zones. Before installation, employees frequently shared PIN codes to bypass access restrictions. With the biometric system in place, credential sharing was eliminated, and security managers observed a 60% reduction in unauthorized access attempts.
Facial Recognition for Hands-Free, Secure Authentication
Many factories operate in environments where workers wear gloves, protective suits, or machinery-specific uniforms that make physical authentication difficult. Facial recognition technology, integrated with PIAM, provides a touchless solution that ensures high security without interfering with workers’ tasks.
A pharmaceutical manufacturing company introduced facial recognition scanners at lab entrances to prevent unauthorized access to controlled environments. The system used AI-enhanced facial matching to verify employees even when wearing protective gear. As a result, unauthorized lab access dropped significantly, and compliance audits showed 100% adherence to access control regulations.
Biometric Multi-Factor Authentication for High-Security Areas
Some manufacturing zones require multiple layers of security to protect sensitive processes, such as defense manufacturing, semiconductor production, and prototype assembly lines. Biometric PIAM enables multi-factor authentication (MFA), requiring workers to combine biometrics with an additional access layer, such as a secure mobile device or PIN.
A defense contractor implemented a dual-layer biometric system for its classified production lines. Employees first scanned their iris for initial identity verification, followed by a palm vein scan before accessing high-security assembly rooms. This method eliminated access fraud entirely, ensuring that only authorized engineers could work on restricted projects.
Automated Access Logs and AI-Powered Anomaly Detection
Biometric PIAM doesn’t just control access—it also provides detailed access logs that allow security teams to monitor entry records in real time. AI-powered anomaly detection further enhances security by identifying suspicious behavior patterns, such as multiple failed authentication attempts or unauthorized location access.
At a consumer electronics factory, AI-driven biometric tracking detected an attempt to use a forged fingerprint mold to bypass security controls. The system flagged the anomaly and immediately locked down access, alerting security staff, who prevented an attempted data theft incident.
Addressing Privacy Concerns with Biometric PIAM
One of the challenges of biometric security adoption in factories is employee privacy concerns. Workers may be hesitant to provide biometric data, fearing misuse or lack of transparency. To address these concerns, PIAM systems must be designed with privacy-first security measures, including:
Local biometric template storage instead of cloud-based storage to prevent data leaks
Encrypted biometric data to ensure privacy compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations
Consent-based authentication, where employees voluntarily enroll in biometric security programs
Biometric revocation mechanisms that allow employees to opt out while ensuring alternative secure authentication methods
A Fortune 500 manufacturing company rolled out CloudGate’s privacy-compliant biometric PIAM system, ensuring that biometric data was never stored as an image but rather converted into encrypted mathematical templates. As a result, the company saw rapid employee adoption with no privacy-related disputes.
Future of Biometric PIAM in Manufacturing Security
As factories continue to digitize operations, biometric security will evolve to include AI-driven authentication and advanced fraud detection. Emerging trends in biometric PIAM include:
Voice-based authentication for secure verbal access control
Wearable biometric sensors for continuous worker identity verification
Augmented reality (AR)-powered biometric checkpoints in smart factories
Blockchain-backed biometric credentials for tamper-proof identity verification
A growing number of manufacturers are also integrating biometric PIAM with IoT-connected factory devices to create fully autonomous access control environments. For example, smart robots equipped with facial recognition can grant or deny workers’ entry to hazardous zones based on biometric data, ensuring real-time security enforcement.
Conclusion: The Need for Biometric PIAM in Factories
Manufacturers can no longer rely on outdated keycards, PIN codes, or badges to secure their facilities. Credential sharing poses significant risks to workplace safety, intellectual property protection, and regulatory compliance. Biometric PIAM eliminates this risk by ensuring that only verified personnel can access critical areas. Biometric PIAM prevents credential sharing
Soloinsight’s CloudGate PIAM platform offers manufacturers a scalable, biometric-driven security solution that:
Prevents credential sharing through fingerprint and facial recognition authentication
Ensures compliance with industry security regulations
Provides AI-driven threat detection for real-time security monitoring
Eliminates access fraud and enhances worker safety
With biometric security rapidly becoming the standard for high-security manufacturing operations, adopting CloudGate PIAM is a strategic step toward future-proofing factory security. Contact Soloinsight today to learn how biometric PIAM can enhance your factory’s security, eliminate credential sharing, and protect sensitive manufacturing operations.
