Watchlist & Background Screening
Watchlist & Background Screening
KyberAccess includes a comprehensive watchlist and background screening system that checks every visitor against sex
offender registries, custom watchlists, and Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alerts — automatically, in real time, during the
check-in process. This feature is essential for schools, corporate campuses, government buildings, healthcare
facilities, and any organization that needs to know if a person at their door poses a potential risk. This guide covers
how to set up, configure, and manage screening in KyberAccess.
How Background Screening Works
When a visitor checks in — whether via the front desk, a kiosk, or a QR reader — KyberAccess automatically performs the
following screening steps in the background:
1. Name Matching — the visitor's first and last name are compared against all active watchlists using fuzzy matching
(to catch variations like "Robert" vs. "Bob" or misspellings).
2. Date of Birth Matching — if the visitor's date of birth is available (from ID scanning or manual entry), it is
cross-referenced for more precise matching.
3. Photo Matching — if photo matching is enabled, the visitor's selfie is compared against watchlist photos using
facial recognition.
4. Results Returned — screening typically completes in 1–3 seconds. If no match is found, the check-in continues
silently. If a match is found, an alert is triggered.
Important: Screening happens in real time during check-in. The visitor does not need to wait for results — other
check-in steps (photo capture, NDA signing) proceed while the screening runs in parallel.
Types of Watchlists
KyberAccess supports three types of watchlists:
1. Sex Offender Registry
KyberAccess integrates with the national sex offender registry database, covering all 50 US states and territories.
- Coverage: Federal and state-level sex offender registries
- Matching: Name + date of birth (when available) + state
- Updates: The registry data is updated regularly to reflect new entries, removals, and status changes
- Results: When a match is found, the alert includes the registrant's name, photo (when available), offense details,
and registry link
2. Custom Watchlists
Organizations can create their own watchlists for people who should not be granted access — former employees, banned
visitors, persons of interest, or anyone else.
- Flexible: Add as many custom watchlists as needed (e.g., "Terminated Employees," "Banned Visitors," "VIP Alert")
- Custom Fields: Each entry can include name, date of birth, photo, reason, and notes
- Alert Levels: Configure each watchlist with an alert level (Info, Warning, or Critical) that determines how the
alert is displayed
3. BOLO (Be On the Lookout) Alerts
BOLO alerts are temporary, high-priority watchlist entries for time-sensitive situations — a missing child, a suspected
trespasser, or a person involved in a recent incident.
- Time-Limited: BOLO alerts can be set with an expiration date/time
- High Visibility: BOLO matches trigger a full-screen alert with photo and description
- Broadcast: BOLOs can be pushed to all front-desk stations and kiosks simultaneously
Setting Up Background Screening
Step 1: Enable Screening
1. Log in to app.kyberaccess.com with an Admin account.
2. Navigate to Settings → Security → Background Screening.
3. Toggle Enable Background Screening to on.
4. Select which screenings to activate:
- Sex Offender Registry — toggle on to check all visitors against the national sex offender registry
- Custom Watchlists — toggle on to check against your organization's watchlists
- BOLO Alerts — toggle on to check against active BOLO entries
5. Click Save.
Step 2: Configure Screening in the Check-In Flow
1. Navigate to Settings → Visitor Check-In → Check-In Flow.
2. Ensure Background Screening is toggled on and positioned in the flow.
3. Click the gear icon to configure:
- Screening Timing — "During Check-In" (runs in parallel with other steps) or "Before Check-In" (must complete
before the visitor can be checked in)
- Automatic vs. Manual — choose whether screening runs automatically for every visitor or whether the operator
must initiate it manually
- Visitor Types — optionally limit screening to specific visitor types (e.g., screen all Guests but skip
Deliveries)
4. Click Save Flow.
Step 3: Configure Alerts and Responses
1. Navigate to Settings → Security → Screening Alerts.
2. Configure alert behavior for each match type:
Sex Offender Match:
- Alert Level: Critical (cannot be changed)
- Display: Full-screen red alert with match details
- Action Required: Operator must acknowledge the alert and choose: Allow, Deny, or Escalate
- Notifications: Security team and Admin are notified immediately via email and push notification
Custom Watchlist Match:
- Alert Level: Configurable per watchlist (Info, Warning, or Critical)
- Display: Banner alert (Info/Warning) or full-screen alert (Critical)
- Action Required: Configurable — operator can be required to acknowledge, or the alert can be informational only
- Notifications: Configurable — choose who receives the alert
BOLO Match:
- Alert Level: Critical (default)
- Display: Full-screen alert with photo, description, and instructions
- Action Required: Operator must acknowledge and follow the configured response protocol
- Notifications: All front-desk stations, security team, and specified emergency contacts
3. Click Save.
Creating and Managing Custom Watchlists
Creating a Watchlist
1. Navigate to Settings → Security → Watchlists.
2. Click + Create Watchlist.
3. Fill in the watchlist details:
- Name — e.g., "Terminated Employees," "Banned Visitors," "Persons of Interest"
- Description — brief explanation of the watchlist's purpose
- Alert Level — Info, Warning, or Critical
- Alert Message — the message displayed to the operator when a match is found (e.g., "This individual was
terminated on [date]. Do not grant access.")
- Notify — select who should be notified on a match (security, admin, specific users)
4. Click Create.
Adding Entries to a Watchlist
Adding Individually
1. Go to Settings → Security → Watchlists.
2. Click the watchlist name to open it.
3. Click + Add Entry.
4. Fill in the person's details:
- First Name and Last Name (required)
- Date of Birth (optional but strongly recommended for accurate matching)
- Photo (optional — upload a photo to enable photo matching)
- Reason — why this person is on the watchlist (e.g., "Theft incident 03/2025")
- Notes — additional context for front-desk staff
5. Click Add to Watchlist.
Importing in Bulk
1. Click Import within the watchlist.
2. Download the CSV template.
3. Fill in the spreadsheet:
first_name,last_name,date_of_birth,reason,notes
John,Doe,1985-03-15,Terminated - theft,Contact security immediately
Jane,Smith,1990-07-22,Restraining order,Do not admit under any circumstances
4. Upload the CSV.
5. Review the import preview and click Import.
Editing or Removing Entries
1. Open the watchlist and find the entry.
2. Click the entry to view details.
3. Click Edit to update information or Remove to delete the entry.
4. Removing an entry does not delete historical alerts — previous matches remain in the audit log.
Creating a BOLO Alert
BOLO alerts are designed for urgent, time-sensitive situations:
1. Navigate to Settings → Security → BOLO Alerts.
2. Click + Create BOLO.
3. Fill in the alert:
- Subject Name — the person to look out for
- Photo — upload a photo (strongly recommended)
- Description — detailed description (appearance, clothing, vehicle, etc.)
- Threat Level — Low, Medium, High, or Critical
- Instructions — what staff should do if this person is identified (e.g., "Call 911 immediately. Do not
confront.")
- Expiration — when the BOLO should automatically deactivate (e.g., "24 hours," "1 week," or "No expiration")
4. Toggle Broadcast to All Stations to push the BOLO to all front-desk workstations and kiosks immediately.
5. Click Create BOLO.
Active BOLOs are displayed in a banner at the top of the Dashboard and on all kiosk screens. When someone matching the
BOLO checks in, a full-screen alert with the BOLO details is triggered.
Deactivating a BOLO
1. Navigate to Settings → Security → BOLO Alerts.
2. Find the active BOLO.
3. Click Deactivate.
4. The BOLO is removed from all active screens and will no longer trigger alerts during check-in.
What Happens When a Match Is Found
At the Front Desk
1. The front-desk operator is checking in a visitor as normal.
2. The background screening detects a match.
3. A red alert banner appears at the top of the screen (for Warning-level matches) or a full-screen alert appears (for
Critical-level matches).
4. The alert displays:
- Match type (Sex Offender, Custom Watchlist, or BOLO)
- Person's name and photo (if available)
- Match confidence level
- Reason and instructions
5. The operator reviews the alert and chooses an action:
- Allow — proceed with check-in (the alert is logged, and security is still notified)
- Deny — reject the visitor; a "Denied" status is logged with the reason
- Escalate — put the check-in on hold and alert a supervisor or security team
- Not a Match — dismiss as a false positive (logged for audit purposes)
At a Kiosk
When a match is detected during kiosk self-service check-in:
1. The kiosk does not display the alert to the visitor (to avoid tipping them off).
2. Instead, the kiosk shows a generic message: "Please see the front desk to complete your check-in."
3. Simultaneously, the front desk receives the full alert with match details.
4. The front-desk operator handles the situation according to your organization's security protocol.
Pre-Registration Screening
When a visitor is pre-registered, screening runs immediately:
1. The host pre-registers the visitor.
2. KyberAccess screens the visitor's name (and date of birth if provided) against all active watchlists.
3. If a match is found, the host and security team are alerted before the visitor arrives.
4. This gives your team time to prepare an appropriate response.
Screening Accuracy and False Positives
Watchlist matching uses fuzzy matching algorithms, which means occasional false positives:
- Common names (e.g., "John Smith") may match multiple watchlist entries
- Name variations (e.g., "Robert" vs. "Bob," "William" vs. "Bill") are intentionally matched to avoid false negatives
Reducing False Positives
1. Add date of birth to watchlist entries — this dramatically improves match accuracy
2. Add photos — enable photo matching for visual confirmation
3. Review matches — always review match details before taking action; click "Not a Match" for false positives
4. Tune sensitivity — under Settings → Security → Screening Settings → Match Sensitivity, choose:
- High — matches on partial names (more false positives, fewer misses)
- Medium — balanced (recommended)
- Low — requires near-exact name match (fewer false positives, but may miss variations)
Audit Trail
Every screening action is logged for compliance:
1. Navigate to Analytics → Security → Screening Log.
2. View all screening events, including:
- Visitor name and screening timestamp
- Watchlists checked
- Match results (no match, match found, false positive dismissed)
- Operator actions (allowed, denied, escalated)
- Notifications sent
3. Filter by date range, match type, action taken, or operator.
4. Export the screening log as CSV or PDF for compliance reporting.
Permissions
Control who can manage watchlists and screening settings:
- Admin — full access to create/edit/delete watchlists, configure screening settings, view audit logs
- Front Desk — can view alerts, take action (allow/deny/escalate), and dismiss false positives; cannot edit watchlists
- Host — receives pre-registration screening alerts for their visitors; cannot access screening settings
- Security Role (if configured) — receives all screening alerts and can access the screening log
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution | |---|---| | Screening not running during check-in | Verify Background Screening is enabled under
Settings → Security → Background Screening. Ensure it is toggled on in the Check-In Flow. | | Too many false positives |
Add dates of birth and photos to watchlist entries. Reduce match sensitivity to Medium or Low. | | Sex offender check
not working | Ensure the Sex Offender Registry toggle is enabled. Check that your subscription plan includes registry
access. | | BOLO alert not appearing on kiosks | Verify "Broadcast to All Stations" was enabled when creating the BOLO.
Check that the kiosk is online and connected. | | Custom watchlist match not triggering | Confirm the watchlist is set
to Active (not Archived). Verify the entry's name matches what the visitor entered during check-in. | | Screening is
slow | Screening typically completes in 1–3 seconds. If it is consistently slow, check your internet connection. Contact
support if the issue persists. |
For help configuring your screening policies or integrating with additional databases, contact us at
support@kyberaccess.com.