Tailgating, also called piggybacking, is a physical security breach method in which an unauthorized individual gains entry to a restricted area by following closely behind an authorized person through a door or gate before it closes, without presenting their own credentials.
Tailgating is a common vulnerability specifically because it exploits normal human courtesy: an authorized person is often reluctant to let a door close on someone walking in right behind them. Detection and mitigation approaches include:
- Camera coverage positioned at access points to visually confirm the number of people entering per credential use
- AI analytics configured to flag a mismatch between logged access events and people actually observed entering
- Physical measures like turnstiles or mantrap doors that physically prevent more than one entry per credential
- Staff training and posted policy, addressing the social dynamics that make tailgating easy to fall into even at security-conscious sites
Because tailgating bypasses the access control system itself rather than defeating it technically, addressing it typically requires a combination of access control and video verification rather than either alone.
