Alcatraz adds privacy & adaptive 2FA to facial access devices
Alcatraz has announced a comprehensive update to its physical access control system, introducing 15 new features designed to enhance biometric privacy, authentication flexibility, and operational efficiency for critical infrastructure, corporate campuses, and high-security industries.
The company's latest release introduces improvements both to its Rock series of facial biometric devices and its broader authentication platform, focusing on privacy-first mechanisms, adaptive two-factor authentication, and enterprise integrations.
New privacy measures
The update emphasises measures that prioritise the privacy of users' biometric identities, now allowing biometric matching to be limited strictly to pre-enrolled cardholders through opt-in biometric processing. This supports compliance with evolving privacy mandates in various jurisdictions. Customers can also use their own DocuSign accounts to capture biometric consent, which can be deployed either in the cloud or on-premises.
Adaptive authentication
A particularly notable feature in the release is Adaptive 2FA, which provides profile-level authentication flexibility. Trusted individuals, such as VIPs or staff with high clearance, may be granted face-only access, while standard users are required to authenticate using two separate methods.
Alcatraz stated that this supports enterprises seeking to tailor access requirements to distinct user groups without compromising security or operational flow. The company has also enhanced its tailgating detection capabilities through a new AI model, now built directly into both Rock and Rock X devices, removing the requirement for separate sensors and aiming to minimise disruption for authorised users.
Platform enhancements
The update also marks improvements in automation and enterprise integration. Visitor management and security event logging have been enhanced. Integration with physical identity and access management (PIAM) provider RightCrowd is supported, as is on-premise web enrolment with SMTP control, helping administrators streamline user onboarding and system management. Group persistence and real-time provisioning features are added to support consistent and efficient system configuration across locations.
The Rock X device now supports two-way SIP-based voice communication, enabling intercom capability at access points, which is fully integrated with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) systems used by many enterprise security infrastructures.
Industry context
Alcatraz's approach to facial authentication has aimed to address both evolving security threats and stricter data privacy regulations in sectors such as finance, research and development, and large corporate campuses. The new suite of features and integrations provides customers with options for balancing a frictionless user experience with high security and privacy control.
Vince Gaydarzhiev, Founder and President of Alcatraz, commented on the system's intended adaptability for end users, integrators, and administrators:
"We designed Alcatraz to be more than a biometric device. It's a system that evolves alongside your security strategy and the dynamic challenges of modern physical access. This release shows how our architecture scales intelligently while continuing to simplify life for administrators, integrators, and end users."
The update is also positioned to offer operational efficiencies, with enhanced workflow automations potentially reducing manual intervention required by security staff, and supporting compliance-driven industries that must demonstrate accountability in access control and audit trails.
The full product update is set to become available to all existing customers in late July. Alcatraz's technology reportedly protects over four million employees across sectors, including data centres, financial institutions, universities and stadiums.
