Why Accreditation Needs to Be Treated as Critical Infrastructure, Not an Administrative Task

Accreditation is no longer simply about issuing badges or registering people. It is about knowing who is entering an environment, what they’re authorized to do, and how that access is monitored. As the demands placed on organizations continue to grow, it may need to be recognized as an essential part of operational and security infrastructure. Yet many organizations might invest heavily in venues, technology, and security, while overlooking the systems that determine who can access particular areas. 

Didier Kassas, founder and COO of TT-SEC Global, a Dubai-based accreditation company founded in 2019 and working with major international events, sees two main reasons for this. The first is financial, since accreditation is often viewed as a cost with no direct return, so organizations may choose cheaper options or delay planning. The second is a lack of understanding of its wider security implications. “Accreditation is often seen just as a cost rather than a revenue generator, so it is often overlooked,” Didier says. “But many decision-makers underestimate the value of a proper accreditation plan.”

In Didier’s view, accreditation planning should begin at the conception of a project, alongside security planning. That allows access requirements, crowd movement, and operational responsibilities to be considered together from the outset. “Accreditation is what allows movement between the different zones of an event,” he explains. “If it comes in late, everything around it has to adjust.” When it is treated as an afterthought, organizations may be more likely to make compromises that create unnecessary access risks. 

Multiple solutions like two-part passes and access upgrade cards can help by separating an individual’s initial accreditation from their specific access permissions. Yet Didier notes that these systems can become difficult to manage if too many permissions and exceptions are introduced. “If there are too many, it becomes difficult to police,” he adds. For that reason, he stresses the importance of identifying protected areas early and communicating access requirements to contractors and suppliers well in advance.

Preventing these problems requires effective systems for managing identities, approvals, and permissions, something technology has increasingly made possible. The underlying model remains the same, Didier explains, identifying individuals, establishing which areas need protection, and determining who may enter them. What has changed is the process, with registration that once relied on spreadsheets now running on integrated digital platforms. “Where the right integration exists, checks that once took five to seven days can be completed in minutes,” he says. 

Emerging tools, from facial recognition with double verification to long-range RFID systems that monitor movement without physically scanning each pass, and digital passes held on smartphones, are expanding the options. Yet Didier believes physical badges still have an important role. “As events are usually held in temporary venues, technology infrastructure can become problematic as it relies on connectivity and power. If it fails, then the whole system may fail,” he says. For him, a disaster recovery plan should be essential for all technology. 

The same principles apply well beyond events. Nuclear facilities, ports, airports, electrical facilities, and oil and gas operations all depend on verifying visitors, suppliers, and contractors before allowing them onto sensitive sites. Didier believes in a procedure-driven approach rather than an informal approach, and sees value in centralized systems across multiple facilities. “When each site operates as a silo, the same risk can be repeated somewhere else,” he notes. Schools and universities may benefit too, particularly in controlling who is authorized to collect children.

Looking ahead, Didier believes accreditation will remain essential for major international events, with the greatest innovation likely in access control, which works hand in hand with registration. AI could also change how systems are configured, letting users set them up through an assistant, something TT-SEC Global is already exploring. Demand is also growing for platforms combining accreditation with sports management, RSVP systems, seating plans, and other services; the company has expanded its own offering over the past three years to meet client expectations. “If you don’t evolve, you’re left behind,” he stresses. 

As organizations face growing security and operational challenges, getting access right may be one of the most important decisions they make. For Didier, the future of accreditation lies in balancing technological progress with proper risk management, ensuring systems remain adaptable, reliable, and secure. He says, “Accreditation should not be an afterthought. Successful accreditation starts with early planning.”