The system, developed by Acre Security, will be in use from the autumn semester and covers building access, dining, libraries, recreation facilities and emergency response for more than 69,000 students
Three major US universities – the University of Virginia, George Mason University and Rockhurst University – are among the first to introduce unified physical, mobile and biometric credentials for students.
The system, developed by Acre Security, will be in use from the autumn semester and covers building access, dining, libraries, recreation facilities and emergency response for more than 69,000 students. Student IDs, created in partnership with Atrium Campus, double as security credentials, linking day-to-day campus life with safety protocols.
“We’re building the future of campus safety – where intelligent systems anticipate threats before they materialise,” said Kumar Sokka, Acre Security’s chief executive. “We need to safeguard physical intrusions and sophisticated digital attacks, and that requires systems that adapt, learn and evolve alongside the communities they protect.”
Acre has outlined a roadmap for the platform that includes anomaly detection powered by machine learning, expanded biometric authentication and integration with transport and off-campus services. Visitor management, contractor access controls and automated compliance reporting for the Clery Act are also planned.
The move comes amid heightened concern over campus safety. The University of New Mexico recently announced a $20m security upgrade, while Purdue University and the University of Victoria have adopted mobile ID initiatives.
Acre’s platform enables real-time lockdowns, digital mustering during emergencies and accountability tracking in events such as fires or shelter-in-place directives. Credentials can be used via smartphones through Apple and Google Wallet as well as through physical cards, with location-based tools to aid incident management and missing person cases.
“Our AI capabilities are designed to identify unusual patterns, from potential security breaches to attempts at digital manipulation through deepfakes or social engineering,” said Jeff Groom, Acre Security’s director of engineering AI. “The platform continuously learns and adapts to each institution’s unique security landscape.”
The company says its open-architecture system allows upgrades without hardware replacement. But concerns over student identity verification remain. Jumio’s chief product and technology officer has argued that university ID verification should be as rigorous as bank onboarding, with biometric checks to prevent fraud.
The Associated Press has documented what it describes as a vast and fast-growing fraud on the US education system, where scammers use AI tools to create fake student identities and exploit weaknesses in financial aid verification, often as part of organised crime networks.
