Alcatraz Survey Finds Low Awareness of Data Center Tailgating Risk

Alcatraz said in a press release that a new U.S. survey found 58% of Americans have never heard the term tailgating, which refers to an unauthorized person following someone through a secured door. The survey also found that 76.8% of Americans either do not believe secured buildings can reliably detect unauthorized entry or are not sure, and 13% said they had shared a badge, key card, or access code.

The company said many badge and key card systems authenticate credentials rather than confirming the person using them. Alcatraz said more than half of the roughly 17 hyperscale data center operators headquartered in the U.S. use its system to secure physical access to facilities.

Alcatraz said its Rock platform uses anonymized facial authentication and tailgating detection with existing access control systems. The company said it does not store photos or personal information, and plans to share more survey findings during GSX 2026, scheduled for September 14 to 16 in Atlanta.