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Access control is the art of
controlling who has access to your property, how that access is granted,
how it is controlled and reported all determine the degree of security
your facility has.
This article explores
the increasing popularity and functionality of stand alone electronic
locksets.
The author give an
accurate timeline of the history and evolution of access control from the
simple key up to electronic access control.
Never Lock Yourself Out
Again - How an Electronic Lockset Can Increase Your Security
By Roy Stephenson
In Access Control System
can be a powerful tool in your overall security plan that can help you to
deter crimes, separate public from private areas and help control who goes
where in your facility.
Access Control can be as simple as a lock and key or as advanced as a
state of the art biometric reader that verifies your identity through a
fingerprint, iris scan or blood vessel authentication.
Just about every home, office and vehicle utilizes a lock and key to
secure the premises from intruders. Keys have been widely used for
hundreds, if not thousands of years. The first keys were simple wooden
mechanical devices that used a rope strung through a door that was used to
lift a latch or crossbeam. To lock the door, the rope was simply pulled
inside.
The ancient Egyptians utilized the earliest recorded lock and key that
used a slide key with bolt and tumblers similar to modern locks. These
were made out of wood, and very few examples survive today.
Although modern lock and key mechanisms have come a long way and
incorporate many new security features they are still susceptible to being
lost and copied. In addition, there is an inherent weakness in lock and
keys in that anyone with a key can enter any time they want, and there is
no way to track who or when someone has entered your building.
Simple mechanical push button keypads/combination locks offer a step up to
the standard lock and key configuration by requiring a personal
identification number (PIN) in order to open the lock. This means that you
no longer need to carry a key for the door.
In its most basic configuration, a mechanical push button lock has a
single code that every user shares. This is fine for many applications,
unless you need to change the code due to turnover of an employee or
because the PIN number was somehow compromised. The mechanical push button
locksets require you to take apart the lock and re-adjust the mechanism in
order to change the code that unlocks it.
The next level of stand alone locksets is battery operated electronic
keypads that allow you to change the codes without disassembling the lock.
Some of these locksets even support multiple codes for entry. By providing
multiple codes, these keypads allow you to give a separate code to the
babysitter, maid or security guard service. Most of these systems utilize
standard batteries that support over 10,000 operations before they need to
be replaced.
The 3rd tier for electronic stand alone locksets offer multiple codes,
dual authentication through proximity, magnetic stripe or biometric
templates. These locksets normally provide an audit trail of individuals
who have used the lock that can be accessed through a hand held device
such as a PDA or a laptop computer. The dual authentication locksets will
require a PIN number and a card, or a PIN number and a valid fingerprint
for entry.
As these are stand alone locksets, they require you to enroll each and
every user individually at the lock. If you have multiple entrances with
these locks, you will need to enroll separately at each one. If you need
an entry report, you will need to download an audit trail from each lock
and collate them separately. This can become quite a pain if you have more
than a couple of doors and multiple users.
There are several options that need to be defined in order to provide you
with the correct lockset for your application. You need to know whether it
is a deadbolt, mortise or standard knob set, what the offset is and decide
which finish you want. You can get locksets in many different finishes
with the most common being stainless steel and bronze.
If it all seems very confusing, consult a professional. There are many
companies that specialize in stand alone access control systems. Most of
these locksets can be specially ordered to meet your specific
applications.
Roy Stephenson has been involved in the Electronic Security Industry for
over 21 Years. He has extensive experience designing and installing high
end Integrated Security Systems. He is currently the VP of Marketing at
http://www.Security-Kits.Com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Stephenson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Never-Lock-Yourself-Out-Again---How-an-Electronic-Lockset-Can-Increase-Your-Security&id=345518
Designing Access
Control systems is really an art that involves determining the control
needed or desired, what controls have the functionality to provide that
control, installing the system and making it work. Sometimes many
different types of access control products are integrated to provide the
desired results.
New, improved Electronic
access control products are constantly being developed and brought to
market, determining what works, how it works, and where to use them is
best left to an access control specialist. |
