Security is a high priority for many industries, from visitor management at schools to businesses that handle restricted materials and government offices. Your ID card printer shouldn’t be left out of those security measures – here are some of the top ways to secure your printer and software, along with the top card design elements to increase security.
Your Card Printer
The best way to secure your ID card printer, and the computer you use the software on, is to keep it in a locked or otherwise protected room with limited access. If you don’t have a safe place to store the printer, there are two important features to consider.
Physical locks for your printer, like a Kensington lock system, require users to first unlock the printer to use it. You can also get hoppers with locks on them to prevent card tampering and theft. Not every printer and hopper will have lock options, so read the printer’s technical specifications before you purchase the printer or talk with an ID card expert.
Your Design & Database Software
If you want to protect your software for unauthorized use, look for card design and database software that has security measures including password protection, user account management and authorization, and the ability to customize user group access levels.
In many cases you will want to protect your database because it holds private cardholder information. You should always change the default passwords on your software, and only give access to authorized individuals.
Your ID Cards
You have many options for including security measures when you design your ID cards. These features will help you positively identify the cardholder, or spot cards that have been tampered with or illegally produced. You may want to consider adding some of these features:
- A watermark or holographic overlay
- HoloKote, if you have a Magicard printer
- Lamination (some lamination film includes holograms)
- Large, detailed cardholder photos for identification
- Cardholder signatures, to match against their signature
- Infrared or fluorescent printing (only visible under special lighting)
