Client Overview

The Customs Headquarters Building, with a total gross floor area of about 41,000 square meters across 32 stories,  was commissioned in December 2010. It is located in North Point and is the first headquarters building ever built  for the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (the Hong Kong Customs). The Customs Headquarters Building accommodates most of the administrative and investigation units that were  previously scattered across the territory. A Customer Service Centre has been established to provide one-stop,  integrated, and speedy services to the public. The building is also equipped with many other facilities such as a  flag raising area, a media briefing room, an exhibition gallery, a self-learning center, an indoor firing range, and a  fitness room, which help enhance operational efficiency, promote capacity building, and meet the development  needs of the Department.

Requirements

A Truly Secure Access Management System

The Customs Headquarters Building is the operational core of the Hong Kong Customs, serving several important  functions including administrative management, inspection, enforcement, data management, training, and  coordination and collaboration with other departments. It also provides the public and various organizations  with information and services related to customs, such as import and export regulations and permit applications.

As a result, the building experiences a high volume of staff and visitors daily, managing a significant amount  of sensitive data, including customs records, trade data, and personal information. Any illegal intrusion could  threaten public safety and data asset security, causing severe losses and infringing on public interests. Given the  limitations of conventional authentication methods of identities such as card swiping or password verification,  the Hong Kong Customs needed a highly accurate access control system.

Challenges 

High Volume of Traffic 

Since opening in 2010, the Customs Headquarters Building has housed most of the administrative and  investigation offices previously distributed throughout different areas in Hong Kong. With 32 floors and a total  area of 41,000 square meters, it experiences over 6,000 entries and exits daily, with many of these concentrated  during peak hours, such as morning and evening commutes and lunch hours, creating significant burden on  entrance and exit management. Time consuming authentication process often led to congestion, and hindered  the operation of the Hong Kong Customs. Therefore, the access control system must ensure accurate identity  Authentication while also maintaining operational efficiency. 

Compliance with Personal Privacy Protection 

As a primary reporting agency, the Hong Kong Customs has high requirements for personal privacy protection. It  must ensure legal compliance to avoid legal risks, enhance public trust, and improve the image of the Customs.  Therefore, the identity authentication of the access control system must adequately protect personal privacy,  prevent data misuse, and reduce identity theft and improper use of personal information. 

Cost-Effectiveness 

TAs a public institution, the Hong Kong Customs operates with public funds and must strictly control its budget  while maintaining safety and efficiency. This means that when selecting an access control system, functionality  and cost-effectiveness must be prioritized to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Solution Details 

Biometric Access Control 

ZKTeco has installed a total of 120 ZKTeco G5 Facial Authentication Access Control  Standalone Terminals at the main entrances and various access points within  the Customs Headquarters Building. All G5 units are integrated with the existing  turnstiles of the building and connect to the ZKBio CVSecurity Comprehensive  Security Management Software Platform for central management. All staff are preregistered with personal data, facial authentication data, and relevant access rights  on the ZKBio CVSecurity platform. When a staff enters the building through the main entrance or any other areas that  requires access control, the staff may simply scan their faces on the G5 terminal,  which accurately scans and matches to identify the staff. Once the identity and  access rights are successfully authenticated, the G5 delivers a command to the  integrated turnstile to open the barrier for access.

Security Alerts and Video Surveillance Integration 

The solution uses ZKBio CVSecurity as the central security management platform. Its access control management  module can monitor the status of all 120 connected G5 terminals in real-time and view access records. In the  event of any unauthorized access, the G5 terminal will immediately send an alert to ZKBio CVSecurity, notifying  management staffs for immediate follow-up. Additionally, ZKTeco integrates ZKBio CVSecurity with the existing  Video Management System (VMS) of the Customs Headquarters Building, triggering the video management  system to record relevant videos upon detecting any anomalies such as unauthorized access attempts or  tampering with access control devices.

Access Authority Settings 

With ZKBio CVSecurity, administrators can easily add, delete, or modify access rights at any time. For example,  certain areas can be restricted to staff with specific access rights, or access can be limited to certain days or times.  Administrators can also set up access combinations. For example, if additional security is needed for specific  areas, access can be configured to require both facial authentication and card or password entry for entry,  enhancing security levels.

Solution Features and Advantages 

Highly Accurate Facial Authentication 

The ZKTeco G5 hybrid biometric terminal is specifically  designed for precise identity authentication, providing highly  accurate facial authentication capabilities. Compared to  traditional card or password methods, biometric authentication  achieves true accuracy. Its ZKFace 5.6.2 anti-spoofing algorithm  effectively distinguishes spoof facial images or videos, with  an accuracy rate exceeding 99%, effectively preventing  unauthorized access and enhancing the security of the  Customs Headquarters Building. 

Fast, Efficient, and High-Capacity Access Control 

ZKTeco recognizes that accuracy is only a prerequisite for effective access control. Therefore, the G5 terminal  combines precision with efficiency. The facial authentication process is completed in less than one second,  making it faster than card swiping or password entries. Additionally, the G5 can identify faces from a distance of  up to 3 meters, allowing authentication without requiring the person to be very close. This capability not only  enhances the building's access security but also effectively manages the flow of people during busy periods.  The G5's facial authentication template capacity reaches 100,000, easily accommodating large-scale access  applications without being hindered by exceeding authentication limits. 

Comprehensive Security Protection 

As a comprehensive security management platform, ZKBio CVSecurity can monitor access status in real-time,  view access records, and receive alerts for any abnormal security situations. It can also trigger the relevant video  surveillance system to record incidents in response to alerts, minimizing security vulnerabilities and risks. 

Compliance with Personal Privacy Protection Requirements 

ZKTeco understands the importance of protecting biometric data and other personal information. The G5 utilizes  advanced ZKFace 5.6.2 algorithms, scanning only the facial feature points and extracting necessary specific  points for comparison without storing the entire facial image in the terminal or the ZKBio CVSecurity database.  This prevents reverse theft of biometric data and protects personal privacy. Regarding data transmission, all  data collected by ZKTeco products is encrypted using the AES 256 algorithm, and all data uploaded by the  administrator is automatically encrypted and securely stored. The entire solution complies with Hong Kong's  Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Powerful Integration Capabilities Enhancing Cost-Effectiveness 

A significant advantage of ZKTeco products is their strong integration capabilities. In this solution, considering  the existing operational turnstiles at the Customs Headquarters Building, the G5 terminals were directly installed  on the turnstiles without the need for new installations. ZKBio CVSecurity provides an open API for seamless integration with various third-party devices and systems, including the existing video management system,  thereby enhancing security through video monitoring integration. ZKTeco’s robust third-party integration  capabilities save unnecessary costs while enhancing functionality, significantly improving the cost-effectiveness  of the solution.

Furthermore, ZKTeco’s strong integration capabilities offer flexibility for future expansion. If there is a need to  scale the access control system in the future, such as adding more access points, different access devices can  be directly installed and integrated with ZKBio CVSecurity, or even integrated with other systems like Building  Management Systems, maximizing cost-effectiveness and enhancing system functionality.

Confgurations