US security systems manufacturer Lenel Systems International has announced new enhancements to its OnGuard portfolio.
Security systems manufacturer Lenel Systems International has announced new enhancements to its OnGuard portfolio that enable smart card encoding with full biometric template management integrated systemwide. Lenel designed support for biometrics into the OnGuard software architecture to eliminate the need for any separate biometric management software, and to add extensible support for all biometric technologies in the future. The key element of the OnGuard biometrics architecture is to centrally capture, manage and distribute biometric information. Using this infrastructure, customers can deploy a distributed controller based biometric solution and/or a distributed smart card based solution. In the distributed smart card solution, biometric data is captured during normal user enrollment procedures. The biometric information is then encrypted and stored on the user?s smart card. This new feature is designed to utilize both contact smart cards?which store electronic data on an embedded memory chip and transmit data via physical contacts?and contactless smart cards, which transmit data wirelessly.
The distributed controller based architecture also allows for biometric data to be captured during normal user enrollment procedures. The biometric information is then transmitted to the access controllers along with the user?s badge and access information. This architecture offers local real-time decision making at the door used for access decisions. OnGuard ID CredentialCenter is one of the key features integrated into OnGuard 2002. It enables IT security to be extended to the user enrollment process. During the process of user enrollment, user network accounts stored in Microsoft?s Active Directory or within any LDAP repository can be linked to the OnGuard user account. This unique linkage allows for a real-time, bidirectional exchange of information. For example, if an employee is terminated, both network accounts and access control privileges can be disabled from one central location. This significantly reduces the processing time and coordination needed to disable user logical and physical access privileges. For companies utilizing smart cards for network login, OnGuard ID CredentialCenter can interface with certification authorities to store the digital certificates required for network access on the smart cards. This offers a reduction in the time and money expended today within organisations whose users must go to two different control centers for card issuance. Technologies such as active RF, passive RF, Mifare, and smart cards are utilized to provide multiple authentication means within the real estate of a single ID card. The ability to create custom integrated authentication solutions by programming these cards will enable both information and electronic security access. Credentials can be encoded and are completely customizable. Once assigned to cardholders, the credentials can be revoked, reissued, suspended or disabled. The functionality of smart card readers offers major advantages to customers. Biometric information is stored on the card itself, as well in as a single database within a seamlessly integrated system. This method of data storage and verification increases efficiency and security. Biometric verification, accompanied by a card swipe and/or PIN entry, occurs at the field hardware level, without the need for server or user intervention. In addition, the same technologies can be used for electronic and IT applications, allowing for linkage between electronic and network security. Credential management is completely centralised. OnGuard ID CredentialCenter software also offers the ability for inline encoding of smart chips. Smart cards can be encoded in the traditional way, using standalone contact and contactless readers, or inline during the printing process. Mifare technology utilizes a contactless smart card without a processor on the card to perform cryptographic functions. It is most often used in access control applications similar to Proximity solutions. Each Mifare chip can be encoded with customer specific access control information, which is transmitted via a Wiegand output into access control systems. The power of the chip is used to provide two additional capabilities. The first is the ability to encode information used for access control applications onto the Mifare chip when provided with a card. The second is the ability to connect the Mifare readers to access control panels via RS-485 rather than Wiegand. This allows the access control panel to write back to the card to produce unique security solutions. The OnGuard software can encode customizable card formats onto the Mifare card, and can integrate unique, secure access solutions that need read /write capabilities at the reader level. See www.lenel.com.
