Kampr Systems introduces K9, the first zero trust edge biometric reader

SAN JOSE, Calif.— Kampr Systems, a software company focused on addressing legacy security challenges by leveraging the latest technologies, has introduced the security industry’s first Zero Trust Secure Credential Reader, the K9i. 

This facial authentication reader is designed to mitigate cyber and physical threats with easy interoperability with any card access control system

COVID-19 has forced many companies to re-evaluate how to get employees back to work safely. Safe does not just include touchless, but also free from cyber and physical threat. What the industry is learning all too frequently is that access control is only as good as the credential used to gain access. Kampr Systems wants to help companies overcome these concerns.

Facial biometrics have been around for many years. Facial authentication has been a subset of Facial Biometrics that allows only a 1:1 match of a face for authentication. The problem with this has always been there is a database with a person’s face to match, and if there is a database, there is Personal Identification Information (PII) and the ability to alter the database.

Kampr Systems family of readers takes facial biometrics to the next level to create a Zero Trust Secure Credential.  A secure credential is unlike a traditional badge or even biometric. It requires the system to guarantee the person accessing a door is trusted. The Zero Trust model assumes breach and verifies each request as though it originates from an unsecured credential. To do this, the credential must verify trust each time with the credential. The Kampr K9 is a true edge device, requiring no onsite server for authentication.

The Kampr Systems K9i reader solves three access control problems:

#1) K9i Offers Secure Credential:

• Secure Enrollment - At enrollment, the credential holder will stand in front of a Kampr Systems enrollment reader where a series of scans will be taken. These scans take less than one minute. The referenced data points captured and analyzed by the K9r 3D camera as mathematical values which are then encrypted to become a Secure Credential ID (SCID). The preserved data is not a photograph or any portion of a person’s unique & identifiable image characteristics. There is no facial data held in the SCID, which makes reverse engineering the mathematics to Personal Identifiable Information (PII) impossible. The SCID is then sent to the Kampr Systems cloud where the most secure access control credential offered, a 48-bit identifier, is generated. This 48-bit identifier is known as the Facial ID (FID). When the credential holder presents in front of the Kampr Systems K9i, the reader will read the face multiple times in less than one second and verify it against the known FID. If the person is valid, access is granted. If the person is not, access is denied. Since the Kampr Systems family of readers can read multiple faces in the field of view, if any face in the field of view is not trusted; no access will be granted, even if trusted faces are in the field of view.

• Data Science, not another video analytic - The Kampr Systems K9i readers are built with Intel 3D cameras, onboard hardware accelerators, and proprietary coding in a small form factor housing. Traditionally facial biometrics have used either the Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF) compliant camera running a facial biometric analytic or a Near Infrared camera, both of which create a database of points. By incorporating the Intel 3D camera, Kampr Systems K9i reader brings the industry leading stereo depth technology where liveness and micro characteristics unique to each person’s face are captured. 3D cameras run uncompressed allowing the system to sense even the smallest of changes, preventing even identical twins from deceiving the reader. 

• Secure Communication – The Kampr Systems K9i reader offers industry standard Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), Wiegand, or RIO connectivity, allowing connectivity to any access control system. Since the K9i reader connects as another secured reader to any access control system, the K9i can be programmed in the system as a multi-factor authentication (MFA) device, allowing for a combination of secured credentials. As a self-supporting zero trust secure credential platform, no APIs are needed to communicate between the reader and the access control system. The reader is connected to the Edge Processing Unit mounted on the secure side of the door. This control board has both OSDP and IP connectivity allowing the reader to communicate the access control panel and securely to the Kampr Systems Cloud for system updates only. The Edge Processing Unit has one Form C relay onboard to trigger third-party integration. In the event of a network failure, a copy of the FID is stored locally. Once network connection is restored, all updated cardholder FIDs will be sent to the reader automatically.

#2) K9i Creates Ease of Entry:

Many companies have a line of employees that have to scan one badge reader to gain entry into a building. To do this, they have to find a badge, step out of the path of travel and stop at the reader. While this may seem like a slight inconvenience for some, for others this can be a time-consuming process. The Kampr Systems K9i reader is mounted on a wall or door frame between five and six feet. Since there are no buttons to press, the reader mounting is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and offers complete touchless entry.

The Kampr Systems K9i reader can detect up to three faces in the field of view at up to six feet away, allowing the K9i reader to identify and trust multiple credential holders while they walk at a normal pace. If for any reason a non-credential individual, or a credentialed individual who does not have access for that door is in the field of view, the door will not unlock until the non-credentialed person has left the field of view.

The Kampr K9i is in a modularized form factor that can be adapted to customized or discreet mounting requirements, including turnstiles or entrances where traditional card readers would affect the aesthetics of the building.

#3) K9i Prevents Tailgating:

Tailgating is one problem that has plagued the security industry. Tailgating happens when an unauthorized person follows behind an authorized person into a secured space. The Kampr Systems K9i reader identifies a tailgating incident 100 percent of the time.

The Kampr Systems K9i reader has a second reader that is mounted inside the secured area, the K9v (verification reader). The K9v is installed inside the secure area as a dependent reader where the K9v reader communicates through the K9i requiring only one reader license for both readers.

The K9v reader is triggered when the K9i reader grants access. Once access is granted, the K9v scans faces as the door opens. If a person tries to tailgate into a door, the K9v reader will initiate an alarm through in the form of SMS, email or a system generated alert of the unauthorized person who gained entry.

By itself, the K9i reader can identify potential tailgating scenarios through both system parameters and trained Artificial Intelligence (AI). Even if the K9v is not installed, the K9i reader can initiate an alarm for a potential tailgating scenario.  

The Kampr Systems K9 reader family is the most secure access control reader in the security market today. By using the power of Intel’s 3D camera and the Kampr Systems Cloud, Kampr Systems has created a zero trust secure credential reader using facial authentication, changing how access control should be done moving forward.

For all inquiries, contact Kampr Systems on its website at www.kamprsystems.com or its sales team at sales@kamprsystems.com.