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]]>These electronic access systems make it much easier to restrict access to highly sensitive areas, track visitors, etc, but they still require rummaging for a fob or card, which can easily be dropped or lost. The next step is hands free access control.
Hands free access control works by using either an access card or an app on your phone that allows for reading (via RFID or BlueTooth) at a distance of up to a couple of meters. Ideally, thus, you simply walk up to the door and it opens. If combined with a powered door, there is no need to touch a pin pad, a reader, or even the door itself. The systems that use phones count on our tendency to take our smartphones everywhere. Users don’t even need to take their phone out of their pocket.
The OpenPath readers require a wave of one’s hand to request access, but still read a phone that is in a bag or pocket. This prevents doors from opening repeatedly if an employee is loitering right outside. It also allows a simple one click access for visitors, which can be texted to the visitor.
Hands free access control has a number of advantages, particularly for certain applications. Here are some of the most significant:
Because the system is built around the user’s phone, there is no need to carry a badge. Thus, badges cannot be lost or stolen. (Phones should have remote wipe capability to ensure that a lost or stolen phone cannot be used to access the system). The vast majority of users are unlikely to forget their phone. The system can also be used with smart watches, which would allow for simply lifting your hand with the watch to gain access.
There is also no need to issue visitor badges, which are often not returned. Visitors are sent a link for access, and don’t need to download an app. Visitors who have already been approved don’t need to stop at reception; this is handy for residential care homes who can grant access to family members automatically. This can save a lot of money for buildings that have numerous visitors. The links can be set to expire, ending access after a period of time. OpenPath’s system is better than others in this regard. It is also easier to terminate the access of a fired employee quickly.
If combined with automatic doors, the system eliminates the need to touch doors. This is particularly useful for hospitals and care homes, where infection control is a major issue and healthcare workers often have their hands full with sterile equipment, or are pushing wheelchairs or beds. Needless to say this is also important for disabled people. In today’s world, avoiding contamination is more important than ever.
Automatically opening doors can be used any time there are issues with workers having their hands full. They also speed access flow because people do not have to struggle with the doors.
For parking, the driver’s phone or a reader attached to the vehicle can be used. Traditional parking access often requires rolling down the window and contorting yourself to swipe a fob. It’s not unknown for the driver to have to open the door and get part of the way out of the car. Needless to say this slows everything down and causes lines. With some readers it is not even necessary to stop.
A phone-based system can be used for visitors and could even work for hotels, despite the large turnover. Many hotels are already experimenting with phone apps for room access.
Although these systems are not real time tracking, they can be used to track entry to (and if set up, exit from) the building. Thus, these kinds of systems can replace time clocks by tagging employees in and out of the building, can determine who is in the building if there is a need to evacuate, and can track across broad areas.
They can also be used to detect failed access attempts, or attempts made by somebody who you know is in a different location, helping detect security problems so that they can be dealt with.
For high traffic areas such as lobbies or check points, the improvement in traffic flow can be dramatic. People can walk through easily, without slowing down, and the system can register every device that passes. Motion detection can be used to detect followers, alerting security smoothly. Nobody has to rummage for their key, or stop dead when they realize they left their badge at home, creating a bottleneck and then having to struggle against the flow to get out of the way.
Fewer lines to enter the building results in improved morale and helps people get to their desks on time, especially if you have everyone on the same standard shift and thus trying to get in and out at once. This is also handy for buildings which have lobby level security, such as residential buildings, where people can be buzzed in by sending a text to reception or to the person they are visiting. (Individual residents can be provided with their own access link to send to their guests or delivery workers, which saves visitors from having to stop at reception to sign in).
Hands free access systems provide unparalleled convenience without sacrificing security. The safety issues with constantly touching doors have been highlighted by recent events, and it’s likely that the idea of hands free access will spread. Open Path provides excellent hands free access solutions based off of a phone app or a traditional badge. These access solutions improve convenience and safety and are a key part of how access control will develop in the future.
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]]>Physical security is an equally important aspect of organizational safety. In fact, without adequate physical security, no amount of cybersecurity can provide total protection against asset loss. As more and more businesses have recognized this fact, the physical security industry has grown at a rapid pace, with no signs of slowing in coming years.
In fact, according to one recent financial report, the physical security market was projected to grow from $84.1 billion in 2018 to $119.4 billion by 2023. If you would like to learn more about what has driven this incredible rate of growth, read on. This article takes a closer look at three crucial reasons why businesses are investing in physical security.
Video surveillance constitutes one of the most important aspects of a physical security system, allowing you to track who is on your property at all times. With a well-placed array of cameras, you can monitor virtually all entrances and exits. These cameras provide vital records in the event of thefts or other criminal activity, giving you the evidence necessary to prosecute crimes and mitigate losses.
Furthermore, a video surveillance system actually represents a significant deterrent, with the mere sight of a security camera often being sufficient to prevent crime from happening in the first place. Integrated technology has also made it easy to manage video streams, allowing you to access a camera’s feed live from remote locations.
To fully protect your business using video surveillance, you will likely need to integrate a variety of different camera types, including any and all of the following:
As their name implies, fixed cameras offer a single fixed angle of view. Fixed box cameras act as powerful deterrents, thanks to their conspicuous, no-nonsense appearance. Fixed bullet cameras, meanwhile, offer a slimmer, more subtle alternative. Fixed dome cameras have a protective dome casing that makes them impossible to redirect, while also disguising the positioning of the camera.
Panoramic cameras differ in terms of scope. Whereas a large open space may require multiple fixed cameras, a panoramic camera can cover the entire area completely. This helps to reduce installation and maintenance costs, while also providing an effective total solution.
Positioning cameras take a different approach to total surveillance, being capable of panning in a full 360 degree direction, while also tilting up and down. Many positioning cameras also have auto-tracking capabilities, meaning they can follow a detected person or object across their entire field of view.
Modular cameras are used when discretion or space considerations are key. These tiny cameras consist of two separate parts: a sensor unit used to capture images, and a main unit where those images are processed and sent to a network. Finally, thermal cameras work by recording heat waves instead of visible light waves, allowing them to detect individuals in even the darkest settings.
Another vital aspect of physical security comes in the form of access control. Access control systems are used in lieu of traditional lock-and-key mechanisms to secure doors and other means of ingress and egress. An access control system issues credentials to employees, allowing them to access different parts of a building using key cards, key fobs, and other transmitting devices.
Compared to traditional mechanical locks, access control systems offer far more security when it comes to protecting server rooms, safeguarding data, and restricting movement within a building. Physical keys are much harder to track, meaning that stolen or duplicated keys can represent a significant security hazard. With such systems, the only solution in the case of a security breach is to manually replace all of the affected locks.
Access control systems also allow for a far greater range of customizability. A particular employee’s credentials can be custom tailored to dictate which parts of a facility they have permission to access. And because those credentials are stored on the IT system, they can easily be reset, altered, or deleted without affecting any other employee’s permissions.
Access control systems also give building managers an excellent way to track where different people are within a building. Every time somebody enters or exists a room using an access card, the movement — and the user — will be logged in the system. This kind of information gives you an extra level of security when it comes to preventing internal theft and other suspicious activities.
Perimeter protection is the third major piece of a physical security solution. The main goal of perimeter security is to prevent unauthorized access to facility grounds by creating a physical barrier. In most cases, this involves installing of one or more layers of walls, fences, gates, and other types of barrier.
Historically, perimeter protection was somewhat neglected compared other physical security measures. However, that has changed significantly in recent years, as threats of security and terrorism have grown. Since 2015, the perimeter security market has seen a compound annual growth rate of 8 percent.
The extent of a perimeter protection system depends on the level of perceived threat to the business or facility. The most robust systems combine some form of fencing with both security lights and video surveillance. Likewise, access control systems are often used to control who can pass into and out of the security layer.
Even more advanced systems contain cutting edge technologies like:
More and more, the emphasis is on holistic security solutions — in other words, perimeter protection systems that integrate seamlessly with both access control and video surveillance systems.
Physical security is one of the hottest topics in the business world today. Not only do businesses have to install the types of security measures that can best protect them, but they also have to ensure that those systems are managed correctly. A security system is a living, breathing system that must be maintained to provide its full benefit.
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]]>The demand for physical security services has come from a fringe demand to becoming an absolute necessity. In 2019, deciding to ignore security infrastructure in enterprise and government environments is becoming less and less possible. The likelihood of attacks is growing and not having proper security leaves companies and governments at a great liability. The rising-rate in which threats are progressing presents challenges in implementing solutions that are monitored and managed to ensure the protection of organizations and their people. The challenges of achieving an effective and intuitive security system can stem from a lack of people, expertise, or simply not enough time.
Com-Tech has 3 organizational departments that work in sync to provide a holistic solution for those organizations that aim to challenge today’s and tomorrow’s security issues. Our outside plant, inside plant and managed technology departments are able to assess and provide recommendations on nearly any organizational challenge and bring to light any venerabilities that may leave you at risk.
Protecting your organization from threats is our mission. If you are faced with organizational security challenges we would love to sit with and chat about where you’d like to be. To set up a meeting, please contact [email protected] or reach us at (678) 583-4001.
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