Bob is the newest custodian for a large business. His job is to clean the property at night before the rest of the staff arrives the next day. One night, Bob is still tired – perhaps he didn’t sleep well that day – and doesn’t notice the intruder lurking in the dark next to the locked gate. Bob keys himself in and parks, not realizing that someone else has slipped in silently behind him.
Unlike Bob, the intruder doesn’t have good intentions for being in the office at night. He’s there seeking master keys and access to other parts of the office, where he can plunder valuable business secrets – or perhaps just valuable tools and other assets.
While this story is only an example, it isn’t entirely made up. While businesses spend big money on cybersecurity, there might be other dangers lurking at the front door. What happened to Bob has a name: Tailgating. Businesses spend big money on cybersecurity threat prevention these days. Ironically, there may be other significant dangers looming at their front door. One of the most common is tailgating.
“Tailgating is a serious vulnerability in any enterprise, with significant physical security and cybersecurity implications.”
Security Infowatch
This type of physical breach is exactly why tailgating security has become a major focus in corporate and industrial safety programs. Answering the question “what is tailgating security,” and understanding how it connects with both physical and access control security, is essential for organizations looking to close the gap between digital and real-world protection.
What is a Tailgating Attack?
Tailgating is an on-premises security breach. In a tailgating attack, an unauthorized person follows closely behind someone with an access badge. As the person badges in, the unauthorized person slips in behind them.
You see this frequently in commercial and residential buildings. In these cases, tailgating wastes all that money you paid for access control. Instead, the tailgater just slips in after a code is entered or a card swiped. The door may close slowly behind you, leaving a window for someone to slip in. Either way, there is a stranger in your building and you are at risk.
Tailgating attacks differ from piggybacking. That’s where the authorized person opens the door to an unbadged entrant – imagine an employee holding open the door for someone carrying a box. It’s easy to understand how simple politeness can lead to a security breach.
The distinction between piggybacking vs tailgating is critical for building managers. Piggybacking involves permission, while tailgating exploits inattention. Effective tailgating prevention strategies must address both behaviors through awareness training, technology, and policy enforcement.
Of course, there can be some overlap – if authorized user A enters, and unauthorized user B jogs up, asking them to hold the door, which is it? Generally speaking, however, tailgating is unintentional or even unnoticed, while piggybacking relies on exploiting user trust.
Tailgating can happen due to negligence or “just doing the job.” Picture a contractor propping open a side door to carry heavy equipment in and out. That’s easy access for a tailgater.
One survey showed that 48% of people entering an access-controlled space experienced a tailgater. Another study showed that 69% of security professionals report tailgating is increasing. The problem is that so many businesses are wholly focused on cybersecurity, while a physical security breach could do just as much damage to your data.
In the context of access control security, tailgating can compromise multiple systems simultaneously, from internal data networks to employee safety. A single instance of unauthorized entry detection failure can open the door (literally and figuratively) to physical theft, cyber infiltration, or sabotage.
How Can a Tailgating Attack Affect Your Business?
The following are all at risk during a tailgating attack:
The meaning or purpose of a tailgating attack is access. Once a criminal is inside, your risk heightens. One study showed that 71% of security personnel say that tailgating is “very likely or likely” to cause a data breach in the company. But that’s just one area where the tailgater can do some damage.
Traditional Ways to Stop a Tailgaiting Attack
Traditionally, security teams focus on two methods to thwart tailgating attacks:
How Technology Stops Tailgating Attacks
Artificial intelligence (AI) software is used today in cybersecurity. But did you know the software is also in physical video surveillance cameras? Modern smart security cameras use AI algorithms to analyze video activity. Because these cameras can connect to Wi-Fi or a cell network, a live video stream can instantly capture what’s happening in your business. This real-time information, coupled with AI software, is exactly what you need to stop tailgating in its tracks.
Don’t discount the analytical horsepower of AI. These tools can detect building entrants and match them to card swipes from an integrated access control system. The AI can alert that more than one person entered from one card swipe. AI software was used during COVID, too, to detect when people weren’t maintaining social distance. That same functionality can apply to a tailgating attack, flagging security teams that someone entered just behind an authorized user.
Smart cameras equipped for unauthorized entry detection now integrate seamlessly with access control security systems, combining real-time video analytics with automated door locking, alerts, or even physical deterrents like turnstile shutdowns.
These systems are so smart they can lock down a turnstile if multiple people try to enter simultaneously on one card. Smart security cameras can alert you by pinging a cell phone or messaging your security team.
Security Infowatch says, “Most organizations are not even fully aware of the extent of the tailgating problem in their facilities until they start using an AI solution.” Beyond detecting tailgating attacks, smart security cameras offer data and insights into facility traffic. They can tell you things like:
All of these things are possible right now with smart security cameras. Pro-Vigil specializes in the design, deployment, and maintenance of some of the industry’s most intelligent video surveillance tools. These aren’t the grainy CCTV cameras of the past. Today’s modern smart cameras can stop tailgating risks and give you peace of mind.
For organizations looking to enhance both physical and cyber resilience, Pro-Vigil provides integrated tailgating prevention and access control security solutions that evolve with your facility — ensuring only the right people get in, every time.
FAQs
A tailgating attack occurs when an unauthorized person follows an authorized employee through a secured door or gate without using proper credentials. It’s one of the most common forms of physical intrusion – simple, subtle, and often unnoticed. Strong tailgating security policies, paired with smart surveillance and access control security, are critical for preventing this type of breach.
AI-enabled smart cameras provide continuous monitoring and instant tailgating detection. They automatically identify when more than one person enters through a single badge swipe and can trigger alerts in real time.
When a tailgating detection event occurs, the camera can:
- Alert on-site security or remote monitoring teams in real time
- Trigger door lockdowns or alarms
- Capture high-resolution evidence for investigation
This proactive approach transforms tailgating prevention into an intelligent, automated layer of defense.
Unlike conventional CCTV setups that rely on human review, AI cameras analyze footage instantly. They recognize movement patterns, count entrants, and detect anomalies in real time. This automation eliminates blind spots caused by fatigue or distraction and transforms tailgating prevention from reactive monitoring into proactive security.
Yes, modern AI cameras are designed for seamless access control security integration. They connect directly to badge systems, biometric scanners, or turnstiles to confirm whether entry credentials match the number of people who pass through. If a mismatch occurs, the system can lock doors automatically or notify on-site security personnel.
Smart cameras use unauthorized entry detection powered by AI. They monitor each door’s entry pattern, tracking how many people pass through after a single authorization event. When two or more bodies are detected after one badge scan, the system classifies it as a potential tailgating incident and alerts security.
In more advanced deployments, cameras can even distinguish employees from visitors, detect when a door is held open too long, and correlate events with identity data for clearer accountability.
Yes, smart tailgating security systems can scale to fit nearly any environment, from a single-entry office suite to a multi-building industrial campus. They’re especially valuable in facilities with heavy foot traffic or frequent vendor deliveries, where manual screening simply isn’t practical.
Whether used in healthcare, manufacturing, data centers, or multi-tenant properties, AI-driven video surveillance offers a consistent, always-on layer of protection.
AI cameras provide immediate notifications through multiple channels, depending on configuration. A system may send:
- Push notifications to mobile devices
- Text or email alerts with image or video clips
- Real-time messages to command centers or third-party monitoring partners
Some advanced tailgating detection systems can even activate audible alarms or display on-screen warnings near the entry point, stopping intruders in the act rather than documenting it after the fact.
Many industries – healthcare, finance, and government among them – must document every person who accesses controlled areas. Smart cameras automate this process by linking video clips to badge IDs and timestamps.
Over time, these logs form comprehensive audit trails that help meet strict compliance standards. For businesses seeking long-term tailgating prevention, this data also offers value beyond security: it reveals traffic flow patterns and identifies where additional controls may be needed.
Not necessarily. The cost of AI-based systems has dropped dramatically thanks to cloud connectivity and flexible storage options. Many tailgating security platforms now run on existing infrastructure, lowering installation costs.
