The higher the network “walls” around the security perimeter, the more valuable a valid access control credential becomes and systems integrators are increasingly seeing the consequences firsthand.
Whether purchased, phished or misused by insiders, stolen credentials don’t just expose data; they unlock the physical and logical systems integrators are responsible for designing, deploying and supporting.
According to a recent report highlighted by CNET, phishing and spoofing scams rose by more than 85% year over year, accelerated by the widespread use of generative AI to create more convincing, personalized attacks. As these campaigns become harder for employees to detect, stolen credentials continue to provide attackers with a fast, legitimate‑looking path into enterprise systems, often without triggering traditional security controls.
For integrators supporting enterprise environments, this rise in phishing doesn’t just threaten digital systems; it raises the stakes for how access credentials are issued, managed and reused across physical infrastructure. A single successful phishing email can escalate into a much broader security incident.
Even as security leaders recognize the risks posed by legacy access control systems, many organizations remain hesitant to move away from outdated credentials, fearing high costs and operational downtime.
That hesitation is widening the gap between security goals and real‑world defenses. Closing it requires a phased approach to modernization, one that strengthens access control while keeping operations running smoothly.
Legacy Access Control Systems Magnify Credential Attacks
The credentials deployed at install time increasingly determine how access systems behave, scale, and adapt over their lifecycle. Credential misuse has become a preferred mechanism for intrusion because it enables rapid, low‑visibility lateral movement under the guise of valid user activity.
Once bad actors obtain a legitimate identity, they can travel across systems with a profile that blends into normal authentication patterns, reducing the likelihood of immediate detection.
Beyond the methods used to steal credentials such as infostealers, phishing or other social engineering, legacy credential technologies materially lower the barrier to exploitation. Continued reliance on low-frequency proximity cards is a prominent example as they can be copied or cloned with inexpensive tools, allowing unauthorized individuals to present themselves as trusted users and gain physical entry without arousing suspicion.
To reduce this risk, integrators now have access to technologies that strengthen security while simplifying deployment and user adoption. Mobile credentials, for instance, are encrypted and securely bound to a user’s smartphone, making them extremely difficult to clone while providing a more convenient experience for employees.
Another secure technology that offers operational impact, FIDO authentication addresses the root cause of many credential-based attacks by eliminating phishable passwords. Rather than relying on shared secrets, FIDO authentication uses unique cryptographic keys that are securely stored on a user’s device.
In addition to strengthening security, organizations deploying passkeys report meaningful operational benefits, including an 81% reduction in sign‑in‑related help desk incidents, according to the FIDO Alliance. For integrators, these approaches also reduce support overhead, credential replacement cycles and customer resistance during upgrades.
In practice, many access control modernization efforts stall not because of technical limitations, but because organizations assume upgrades require wholesale replacement. Addressing this gap often requires integrators to help customers move past lingering myths about modernization and reposition upgrades as a phased risk‑reduction effort.
Practical Ways to Guide Access Control Modernization
Organizations can’t afford to delay critical access control upgrades and yet there was a significant reduction in the number of organizations planning to invest in security following a breach, 49% this year compared to 63% last year. A practical path forward is to modernize in phases, anchored to real‑world risk and operations rather than a full rip‑and‑replace mindset.
Begin by mapping how credentials traverse doors, shared devices and applications currently and then prioritize the first wave of fixes where a single compromise would have significant consequences. For security integrators working in higher education, modernization often starts with understanding how a single credential is reused across campus environments.
This includes residence halls and labs to secure printing and auxiliary systems like dining or recreation. Mapping these credential paths allows integrators to help universities prioritize upgrades where risk and operational impact intersect and to recommend targeted controls such as secure print release, stronger attribution on shared devices and phishing‑resistant authentication for staff systems.
The education sector now faces an average of 4,356 cyber threats per week, making it one of the most frequently targeted industries globally. By tying credential mapping to practical safeguards, universities can lower risk without compromising classroom operations.
After a thorough ecosystem audit, it’s vital to align all stakeholders including physical security, cybersecurity and IT teams on the gradual rollout. Throughout industries, various departments can differ in their security setup so deploying dual‑technology readers to preserve legacy card compatibility is recommended.
All stakeholders should also share clearly defined success metrics. This can be fewer shared logins on shared endpoints, lower sign‑in-related help desk volume,or faster time‑to‑access at doors and labs. This structure speeds decision‑making, limits change fatigue and demonstrates operational gains that justify scaling to adjacent buildings and departments.
Finally, demonstrate value early by making improvements that users can feel in their day‑to‑day work. A short pilot of 60 to 90 days with a representative set of users should focus on reducing friction by unifying door access, workstation login, and application authentication behind a single, consistent credential, such as a mobile ID combined with a FIDO passkey.
Reducing Risk Through Phased Modernization
Identity now anchors both physical and digital security, and credentials designed for a different era can no longer shoulder that role. This shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity to guide customers through phased upgrades, prioritizing high‑impact endpoints, deploying mobile or high‑assurance credentials alongside existing infrastructure and extending phishing‑resistant authentication where it delivers the most value.
The result is a practical, resilient access control foundation; one that improves usability today and evolves alongside emerging identity‑based threats.
