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Research study
Tailgating:
The crime before the crime
Alcatraz's first independent national survey of 2,000 U.S. adults measuring public awareness of tailgating reveals how legacy access control has left American workplaces exposed, and why it matters now.
· August 2026
The awareness gap
Nobody can defend against a threat they can't name
Tailgating is when someone slips through a secured door behind a person with valid access, entering without ever authenticating themselves.
of Americans have not heard the term “tailgating” used in a security context
They can't ask to solve a problem they cannot name.
recognize tailgating as a serious security risk once they name it
don't believe, or aren't sure, their secured building can detect an unauthorized entry
Lived experience
This isn't hypothetical, tailgating happens every day
Has this happened to you?
have personally experienced or witnessed someone gaining unauthorized entry to a secured building
say someone has followed them through a secured door without their own credential
think tailgating is a serious security threat once it's explained to them
At a glance
The full picture, in five numbers
haven't heard “tailgating” used in a security context
have experienced or witnessed unauthorized entry
say someone followed them through a secured door
aren't confident their building can detect a breach
call tailgating a serious risk once explained
The opportunity
Your face is your credential
Badge and card systems cannot see who is actually walking through the door, or whether more than one person just came in on a single swipe.
Alcatraz's facial authentication solution closes the security gap legacy badge systems can't see.
Legacy access control
Checks the card, not the person
Cannot detect tailgating in real time
No alert when a breach happens
Blind and binary: valid or invalid, nothing more
Alcatraz's facial authentication
Recognizes whether someone belongs, in real time
Detects tailgating as it happens
Alerts security to when and where a breach occurred
100% employee privacy: no photos, no PII stored