According to Michael Joy, senior director for corporate strategy at IDEMIA National Security Solutions, social distancing has led to people inherently viewing others as a threat, especially if they are less than six feet away and not wearing a mask.

“A lot of the past six months have changed our social interactions,” he said.

Joy highlighted those social changes and how the industry can adapt to contactless security solutions in the education session, “Enabling Standoff Identification and Illness Detection in the Context of COVID-19” during ISC West, occurring virtually from Oct. 5-7.

At the beginning of the pandemic, more companies reverted to using low tech solutions that are quick to implement, such as body temperature checks and voluntary wellness surveys.

“This pretty much becomes a fulltime job,” Joy said, noting that this method puts both the staff member and the person coming in at risk for COVID-19.

Joy suggested methods that move from having contact to being contactless, pulling people out of the process and using automation instead.

“COVID-19 has become the catalyst for this frictionless convenience,” he said.

However, fever detection devices are not perfect, according to Joy. Skin temperature measurements can be inaccurate and taking temperature by scanning eyes — which is more accurate — can be harder to achieve since eyes can be easily obscured and eye scanners are typically designed for indoor use.

New entrants to the fever detection market allow for these technologies to be tested, perfected and enhanced, according to Joy. However, some of these biometric features raise privacy concerns, and guiding principles are needed to ensure the data is used transparently and is protected to increase public buy-in.

“Most people are willing to surrender privacy for convenience,” he said. “The public opinion has to change or no one will adopt it.”

Regardless, the technologies developed now will help prepare for the future, according to Joy.

“It’s safe to assume that this pandemic is not going to be the last one we have,” he said.

The session can be viewed on the ISC West virtual event engagement hub, and is part three days of more than 25 SIA Education@ISC sessions, nine virtual vendor solutions sessions, networking events, discussion group chats and demonstrations from exhibitors in the Exhibitor Tech Center. Every day will conclude with a networking event at 5 p.m.

To attend ISC West sessions or to see recorded sessions you may have missed, visit www.iscwest.com.