Facility Security: Access Systems -- Part 1 By Paul Rosenberg, Datacom Consultant May 1, 2000 12:00 PM

Access control systems typically use keypads, magnetic card readers, or proximity readers to secure a facility from unauthorized access. ne o! t"e most im#ortant ob$ecti%es o! mo&ern security systems is to 'ee# unaut"ori(e& #eo#le out o! a !acility) *oc's an& 'eys are among t"e most truste& met"o&s !or &eterring un+ante& %isitors, &ue #rimarily to t"e sim#licity an& reliability o! t"e tec"nology) But loc' an& 'ey systems "a%e no intelligence built-in, an& you can,t #rogram or easily recon!igure t"ese systems) -o&ay, electronic access control systems are becoming more #o#ular) -"ese systems are e.tremely !le.ible, an& you can #rogram an& /uic'ly recon!igure t"em in an in!inite number o! +ays) 0e begin our co%erage o! 12ee#ing -"em ut1 +it" a &iscussion o! a %ariety o! access system tec"nology currently on t"e mar'et) Electronic access systems. An access system allo+s only aut"ori(e& #eo#le to enter certain areas o! a !acility) -"is tec"nology goes one ste# !urt"er t"an t"e stan&ar& intrusion &etection system: Rat"er t"an &etecting an intru&er +"o enters t"e !acility, t"e access system 'ee#s t"e intru&er out all toget"er) -"e access system #er!orms t"is !unction in one o! se%eral +ays3 %irtually all o! +"ic" in%ol%e automatic &oor loc's an& some sort o! i&enti!ication means) All mo&ern systems "a%e some ty#e o! micro#rocessor-base& control to i&enti!y t"ose #eo#le allo+e& in certain areas at certain times) Access control systems are becoming increasingly #o#ular !or t"e !ollo+ing reasons: 4 Reduced risk. By regulating access, you can #rotect %aluable assets, re&ucing #otential losses to a manageable le%el o! ris') 4 Lower overall security costs. -"e use o! an electronic access system may re&uce t"e number o! security guar&s re/uire&, +"ic" can sa%e a lot o! money in a large !acility) 4 Improved morale. 0"en installing access systems, em#loyees generally "a%e a more secure an& +orry-!ree attitu&e, +"ic" ten&s to im#ro%e morale an& #ro&uction) ! course, t"e sim#lest !orm o! access is t"e 'eye& loc') 5o+e%er, criminals can easily &u#licate or steal a set o! 'eys) An& +"en 'eys trans!er !rom one #erson to anot"er, losing t"em is a concern)

By using ot"er i&enti!ication means 6electronic loc's an& micro#rocessor-base& logic control7 you can bene!it !rom a muc" better system &esign) 8ot only can you gain better access control, but you can also unite t"is system +it" an intrusion-&etection security system, ma'ing a more e!!ecti%e o%erall system) -"e t"ree basic #arts o! t"e system are i&enti!ication means, micro#rocessor-base&, an& control) *et,s ta'e a loo' at eac" in more &etail) Identification means. -o o#erate an access system, eac" #erson +"o is aut"ori(e& to enter t"e !acility nee&s some ty#e o! i&enti!ication) -"e system only grants access a!ter i&enti!ying t"e in&i%i&ual) Many &i!!erent met"o&s o! i&enti!ication are a%ailable !or security) *et,s loo' at some o! t"e more common ones, along +it" t"eir a&%antages an& &isa&%antages) eypads. 2ey#a&s use #us" buttons, +"ic" loo' similar to a touc"-tone #"one) Personal access co&es 6PACs7 or #ersonal i&enti!ication numbers 6P98s7 are t"e 'ey#a& co&e se/uences assigne& to a user) :ac" user obtains a PAC or P98, +"ic" usually consists o! !our to si. &igits) Most systems "a%e ;<,000 &i!!erent combinations or user co&es) 0"en you enter t"e co&e into t"e 'ey#a&, t"e electronic loc' o#ens3 i! you enter it incorrectly, t"e &oor remains loc'e&) 5o+e%er, t"is ty#e o! system "as its #roblems) Aut"ori(e& users sometimes #ass t"ese co&es to !rien&s an& !amily members, t"us increasing t"e #ossibility o! an illegal entry) ne +ay to combat t"is brea'&o+n in security is to gi%e eac" em#loyee "is or "er o+n i&enti!ication number) Doing t"is not only cuts &o+n on #roblems +it" !ormer em#loyees 6+"en an em#loyee /uits, you &eacti%ate t"e number7, but it also gi%es more control) Certain #eo#le can "a%e access only to certain &oors) Some o! t"e more a&%ance& systems can recor& +"ic" em#loyee +as in certain #arts o! t"e buil&ing at certain times) !agnetic cards. 0it" t"is ty#e o! system, you #ass a magnetic car& 6similar to a cre&it car&7 t"roug" a car& rea&er slot, +"ere t"e system rea&s t"e car& an& sen&s t"e co&e to t"e central controller) -"e controller com#ares t"e number +it" t"e #rogramme& in!ormation, t"en eit"er grants or &enies access) 9n a&&ition, t"e ne+er systems can #rint a recor& o! t"e e%ent, a %aluable !eature !or sensiti%e areas) Magnetic car&s are relati%ely ine.#ensi%e an& "ol& a lot o! &ata) -"ese systems may su##ort more t"an a t"ousan& em#loyees) -"e main a&%antage o! t"e magnetic car&, or any o! t"e car& systems, is t"e ability to c"ange t"e #rogramming o! t"e system /uic'ly an& easily) Asi&e !rom t"ese bene!its, criminals can easily counter!eit t"e car&s an& %an&ali(e t"e car&-rea&ing slots) Also, by continual use, t"e magnetic stri#es scra#e an& +ear to t"e #oint +"ere t"ey &on,t +or' #ro#erly) Em"edded wire cards. -"ese car&s use a co&e& #attern o! magnetic +ires to generate t"e co&e number) -"is system "as t"e same general c"aracteristics as t"e magnetic car& system, but its car& rea&ers are less susce#tible to %an&alism) ne &isa&%antage is t"ey can,t "ol& as muc" &ata) #roximity cards. -"e #ro.imity car& uses se%eral #assi%ely tune& circuits embe&&e& in a !iberglass-e#o.y car&) Rat"er t"an #assing t"e car& t"roug" a rea&er, you #lace it +it"in a !e+ inc"es o! a sensing &e%ice, +"ic" c"ec's t"e resonant circuits in t"e car&) -"e

in!ormation t"en tra%els to t"e controller, +"ere its co&e is c"ec'e& an& access is grante& or &enie&) -"ese car&s are &urable an& t"eir sensors are less susce#tible to %an&alism) =ou can install t"e sensor !lus" +it" t"e +all, mount it be"in& glass, or sur!ace-mount it) 5o+e%er, t"e car&s are more e.#ensi%e t"an t"e ot"er ty#es) Since t"ere are no rea&ers, t"ese car&s s"oul& not +ear out) $pecialty methods. Some "ig" security a##lications em#loy t"e use o! combination ty#e rea&ers t"at em#loy &ual tec"nologies) For e.am#le, t"e user +oul& s+i#e t"eir issue& car& an& t"en enter t"eir issue& P98 on a 'ey#a& to re/uest a transaction) For critical locations, s#ecial i&enti!ication means are necessary) ne ty#e is a !inger#rint rea&er) Anot"er is a retina scanner) ne ot"er met"o& is a "an& geometry &e%ice, +"ic" can i&enti!y a #erson by t"e s"a#e o! "is or "er "an&) b%iously t"ese &e%ices are !ar more e.#ensi%e t"an t"e #re%iously &iscusse& systems) Data c"i#s are among t"e most recent &e%elo#ments in access control systems) Data c"i#s are about t"e si(e o! a >)S) nic'el) =ou can attac" a c"i# on a #"oto i&enti!ication car& or mount it on a 'ey c"ain) =ou $ust touc" t"e &ata c"i# to t"e rea&er #late, an& t"e system rea&s its uni/ue co&e) %ontrollers. -"ere are a number o! &i!!erent controllers a%ailable on t"e mar'et) -"e main &i!!erences among t"ese controllers are in t"e number o! #ersonal 9Ds an& #oints o! access t"ey control) Some o! t"em e%en +or' as #art o! a com#lete security system, an& ot"ers +or' only as an access system) Electrically operated locks. :lectrically o#erate& loc's normally o#erate o!! o! a 12?DC current) >#on recei%ing a 12? im#ulse, t"e latc" o#ens, allo+ing you to o#en t"e &oor) 0"en no current goes to t"e loc', it remains in t"e loc'e& #osition) Facilities ty#ically use t"ese loc's !or eit"er +oo& or metal $ambs) 8e.t mont", +e,ll continue our &iscussion o! access systems by outlining t"e most im#ortant &esign consi&erations !or &e%elo#ing an access system)

Sidebar: Features of Most Access Control Systems 4 Control entry #oints +it" electronic loc's) 6C"ec' 8FPA 101 or B MA li!e sa!ety an& local !ire co&es be!ore installing electronic &oor loc's)7 4 Control entry times 6e)g), limiting someone,s entry or e.it &uring certain times o! t"e &ay7) 4 Control time& e%ents 6e)g), limiting access &uring a "oli&ay7) 4 Control out#ut relays 6e)g), to turn lig"ts on@o!! or s"unt an alarm (one7)

4 -ime #rogrammable limite& use %isitor car&s) 6-"ese car&s are %ali& !or a s#eci!ie& amount o! &ays or uses)7 4 Atten&ance logging to 'ee# trac' o! em#loyees !or #ayroll #ur#oses) 4 Monitoring &oor #ositions to see "o+ long it "as been o#en an& +"et"er or not it "as been le!t a$ar)