8/13/2019 Facility Security

1/4

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 cant #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)

e begin our co%erage o! ee#ing "em ut +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 certainareas 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:

4Reduced risk.By regulating access, you can #rotect %aluable assets, re&ucing #otential

losses to a manageable le%el o! ris')

4Lower 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)

4Improved morale."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)

8/13/2019 Facility Security

2/4

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) *ets 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) *ets loo' at some o!

t"e more common ones, along +it" t"eir a&%antages an& &isa&%antages)

eypads.ey#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&ese/uences assigne& to a user) ac" user obtains a PAC or P98, +"ic" usually consists o!

!our to si. &igits) Most systems "a%e ;

8/13/2019 Facility Security

3/4

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)

"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", +ell 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 BMA li!e sa!ety an&

local !ire co&es be!ore installing electronic &oor loc's)7

4 Control entry times 6e)g), limiting someones 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)

8/13/2019 Facility Security

4/4

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)