In the world of commercial real estate, threats often hide in plain sight. One of the most overlooked yet dangerous breaches in building security is piggybacking. It sounds innocent enough, but this act of unauthorized entry can undermine even the most advanced access control systems.
Piggybacking happens when an unauthorized person gains access to a secure area by closely following an authorized individual. Unlike forced entry, it’s subtle and often enabled by the well-intentioned habits of people trying to be polite. It’s especially common in shared spaces like office buildings, apartment complexes, and warehouses where multiple tenants and regular foot traffic blur the lines of who should or shouldn’t be there.
The goal of this article is to help property managers in the commercial real estate sector better understand how piggybacking works, why it poses a serious threat, and what can be done to mitigate the risk.
How Piggybacking Happens
In most cases, piggybacking occurs because of social norms. Holding the door open for someone behind you is seen as courteous. But in a secure building, that simple act can have serious consequences. A person with malicious intent doesn’t need to hack a system or pick a lock; they just need to follow someone who belongs.
Sometimes piggybacking isn’t intentional on the part of the person being followed. Employees may assume the individual walking in behind them is a co-worker, vendor, or visitor who has already been vetted. In other cases, the entry may be more deliberate, with insiders allowing friends or contractors to bypass official check-ins.
It’s also important to distinguish piggybacking from tailgating. While the terms are often used interchangeably, tailgating usually refers to forced entry or sneaking through a closing door without the knowledge of the person ahead. Piggybacking, by contrast, typically happens with some level of awareness or consent.
Certain environments are more vulnerable than others. Shared lobbies, unsecured parking garages, and delivery entrances often lack the visibility and barriers necessary to prevent unauthorized entry. These are the weak points where piggybacking thrives.
What’s at Risk?
Allowing unauthorized access through piggybacking can expose a property to a wide range of threats. Theft is the most obvious. Once inside, a bad actor can steal equipment, personal belongings, or sensitive documents. But that’s just the beginning.
There’s also the risk of workplace violence or sabotage, especially in settings where disgruntled former employees or outside actors may seek revenge. In buildings with data centers or financial operations, physical access can lead to serious data breaches, especially when devices are left unsecured.
Then there’s the issue of liability. If someone is harmed or property is damaged because of a security lapse tied to piggybacking, the property management company may be held responsible. Insurance may not cover losses that result from preventable breaches, particularly if the site lacks clear security protocols.
Why Piggybacking Prevention Is So Difficult
Part of what makes piggybacking so hard to prevent is human behavior. People don’t want to be rude. They don’t want to challenge someone or risk an awkward interaction by asking if someone has the proper clearance. In busy office buildings, this hesitation creates a blind spot in physical security.
Policies may exist, but without clear enforcement or training, they often fall flat. If tenants or employees aren’t aware of the risks or don’t understand the rules, they can’t be expected to follow them.
Many buildings also rely too heavily on physical infrastructure like badge readers or key fobs without layering those tools with real-time oversight. That creates a false sense of security, where people believe access control is working simply because a system is in place.
Prevention Strategies That Actually Work
Solving the piggybacking problem requires a multi-layered approach that addresses both human and technical weaknesses.
On the technology side, access control systems need to be more than a badge swipe. Features like anti-passback can prevent a single badge from being used to admit multiple people. Video analytics can track how many individuals enter after a single authorization, flagging potential breaches in real time.
From a human behavior standpoint, training is critical. Staff, tenants, and vendors need to be taught that it’s okay to question someone they don’t recognize. Policies should emphasize awareness without promoting confrontation. Signage can help by reinforcing that access points are for authorized users only, and that it’s acceptable to deny entry to unknown individuals.
Design changes also make a big impact. Installing physical barriers like turnstiles, mantraps, or secure vestibules forces people to badge in individually, removing the possibility of piggybacking entirely. Layering access zones within a building can further reduce risk by limiting movement between sensitive and non-sensitive areas.
The Role of Live Video Monitoring
Live video monitoring adds a crucial layer of defense. Unlike passive cameras that simply record, monitored systems allow trained specialists to observe activity in real time. This means suspicious behavior can be identified and addressed immediately.
When integrated with access control, video monitoring provides context. If someone badges in and another person follows closely behind, monitoring staff can intervene through two-way audio or alert on-site security. These interventions don’t just stop unauthorized entry; they create accountability and reduce repeat incidents.
In properties without full-time guards, this kind of virtual presence is an efficient and scalable way to tighten security without adding staff.
Creating a Culture of Security
Ultimately, technology and policy only go so far without a culture that values security. That culture starts with education. Everyone in the building, from executives to maintenance teams, needs to understand why piggybacking is a problem and what they can do to help stop it.
Encourage reporting by making it anonymous or non-punitive. Celebrate good security behavior so people feel like their efforts are appreciated. Use drills or hypothetical scenarios to reinforce the importance of vigilance.
When leadership treats security as a priority and models good behavior, it sets a tone that others will follow. A culture of security makes piggybacking not just harder to execute, but socially unacceptable.
How to be More Prepared
Piggybacking may seem harmless, but in the context of commercial real estate, it opens the door to real threats. It puts property, data, and people at risk in ways that are often underestimated.
Prevention requires more than a sign on the door or a camera in the corner. It demands a comprehensive approach that includes smarter technology, better design, ongoing education, and live monitoring.
If you’re unsure whether your property is vulnerable, a security audit can help identify gaps and recommend practical fixes. For more information or to schedule a no-obligation review, reach out to a physical security expert who understands the challenges property managers face every day.
