When we hear “cybersecurity,” most people immediately think of digital risks like cyberattacks, firewalls, or viruses. But did you know that physical access cards can also become a security vulnerability? Especially without encryption protection, access cards are easy to clone, letting unauthorized people easily enter restricted areas.
Whether access card systems like HID offer adequate protection has also become a major concern for many businesses.
Can HID Access Cards Be Cloned?
This is a question many corporate clients often ask, reflecting how seriously they take access control security. In fact, many conventional access cards on the market — such as standard building access cards — are relatively easy to clone, even through a mobile app or a roadside key-cutting shop. Once cloned, it's effectively like handing over the keys to the company's front door.
However, HID's encrypted access cards used by enterprises and government agencies feature strong encryption protection, significantly raising the difficulty of cracking or counterfeiting by design, making them hard to clone and effectively strengthening entry point security.
Enjoy High-Tech-Company-Grade Access Security Without High Costs
When deploying or upgrading an access control system, businesses typically weigh security level against implementation cost. As a global leader in identity authentication and access control technology, HID Global offers multi-layered, high-security access solutions that help businesses effectively prevent card cloning or forgery at a reasonable cost.
HID uses EAL5+ security-rated technology certified to the ISO/IEC 15408 standard, offering strong resistance to attacks and widely adopted in high-security fields such as finance, government, and industrial control systems.
For example, a major wafer foundry and testing company deployed an EAL6-level system, while a major memory manufacturer uses an EAL5+-level access control system — the same level used by HID Seos. For smart facilities implementing Industry 4.0, EAL5+ already provides a level of protection that balances security and practicality.
To prevent access cards from being cloned, HID offers a range of technologies that strengthen access security:
HID Seos: Next-Generation Credential Technology
Seos uses AES-128 encryption combined with multi-layered Secure Identity Object (SIO) data protection, and is certified to EAL5+ under the ISO/IEC 15408 standard, offering strong resistance to cracking. Even in environments with the strictest security requirements, it effectively prevents data interception, counterfeiting, or cracking.
HID Elite Credential Program
The HID Elite Credential Program gives each organization its own exclusive key, like adding a unique “digital lock” to its access cards. Even if a card number is cloned or counterfeited, only a card with the correct key can pass reader verification and enter the system. This mechanism effectively prevents unauthorized cards or devices from gaining access.
HID Corporate 1000
HID's Corporate 1000 program provides each end user with a dedicated card configuration, along with a fully managed RFID card formatting and card number tracking solution. HID can supply over 8 million unique card numbers in a specified format, tracking them throughout manufacturing to ensure no duplicates and prevent illegal cloning. This program is especially well suited to organizations with multiple operating locations or decentralized card purchasing needs.
HID Mobile Access
Built on Seos® technology, users can turn their smartphone into a digital key, activating the access control system contactlessly. The system supports cloud-based card issuance and permission management, improving convenience and security while reducing the use of plastic cards, lowering management costs and carbon footprint — meeting modern businesses' dual needs for efficiency and sustainability.
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