The vast majority of condominiums in Toronto still rely on outdated, low-security fob technology. These credentials can often be easily duplicated at convenience stores throughout the city and through mail-in cloning services. In many cases, a fob can be copied in just minutes for $20.
Most condo boards and property managers are still unaware of how widespread this issue has become in Toronto, the security risks it creates for residents and property, and that secure, modern alternatives are available to eliminate this vulnerability.
Surprisingly, the majority of condominiums throughout the Greater Toronto Area still rely on outdated 125kHz fob technology — a system that became popular in the 1990s but has been considered insecure for decades. These legacy credentials are extremely easy to duplicate or clone with basic equipment.
While most businesses and commercial facilities have transitioned to modern encrypted 13.56MHz credential systems that provide greater security, many condominium buildings have yet to make the upgrade. In many cases, this is the result of cost-cutting during construction and inadequate guidance from security providers that are advising developers and property managers.
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Many condominium boards and property managers remain unaware of the scale of these vulnerabilities and the serious security risks that low security clonable fobs create for residents and buildings.
When a fob is presented to a reader, the reader energizes the credential and reads its unique card number. That number is then checked against the building’s access control database to determine whether the user is authorized to enter. If a resident loses a fob, the associated card number can simply be removed from the system, preventing further access and maintaining building security.
The problem arises when fobs are cloned. A duplicated fob transmits the exact same card number as the original credential, making it impossible for the access control system to distinguish between the legitimate fob and unauthorized copies. If either the original or a cloned version is lost, there is no way to deactivate only the compromised credential.
Under normal procedures, a resident who loses a fob would purchase a replacement, and management would delete the old credential from the system before issuing a new one. However, once cloned fobs exist, there is no reliable way to determine how many unauthorized copies may still be circulating. This creates a significant and ongoing security vulnerability for the building.
This issue becomes even more serious in buildings that permit short-term rentals. A guest could easily clone a fob during their stay, return the original at checkout, and still retain unauthorized access to the property, common areas, amenities, and potentially residential floors long after leaving the building.
Condominium boards and property managers should begin following the lead of the commercial sector by adopting more modern, secure, and sophisticated access control technologies. Upgrading to advanced credential and reader systems can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized fob duplication and improve overall building security.
High-security credentials operating at 13.56MHz — such as HID Seos and MIFARE DESFire EV3 — use advanced encryption and authentication methods that make them resistant to cloning using commonly available devices and tools.
The key difference lies in how the credentials communicate. Traditional low-security 125kHz proximity fobs simply broadcast their card number in plain form whenever they are energized by a reader. Inexpensive cloning devices can capture this number and copy it directly onto another blank credential in a matter of seconds. Once duplicated, the access control system cannot distinguish the cloned credential from the original legitimate fob.
Modern encrypted credentials function very differently. Rather than openly transmitting their card number, they use secure encrypted communication and authentication protocols between the fob and the reader. Without the proper encryption keys and authentication process, off-the-shelf cloning devices cannot interpret or reproduce the credential data.
As of May 2026, widely adopted encrypted technologies such as HID Seos and MIFARE DESFire EV3 have not been publicly compromised for practical real-world cloning attacks, making them among the most secure credential options currently available for condominium and commercial access control systems.
Most condominium buildings upgrading to secure credential technology will require replacement of both the existing fobs and the building’s card readers, along with reprogramming of the access control system by qualified technicians.
In most cases, new high-security encrypted credentials are issued to all residents as part of the upgrade process. Because modern high-security fobs operate on different technologies and frequencies than older low-security 125kHz proximity systems, both the readers and credentials must be compatible with one another.
On a scheduled conversion date, the team at Square Security replaces the existing low-security readers with new encrypted high-security readers throughout the building. Once the transition is complete, the old legacy fobs will no longer function, and only the newly issued secure credentials will grant access.
By eliminating vulnerable legacy credentials and implementing encrypted fob technology, the risk of unauthorized cloning is dramatically reduced, significantly improving the overall security of the property.
At Square Security, we work with properties throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario to help eliminate the risks associated with fob cloning and outdated access control systems.
If you are unsure what type of credential technology your building currently uses, our team can help. Contact us to speak with an access control specialist who can assess your existing system, review any potential security vulnerabilities, and discuss upgrade options tailored to your property and budget.
