Since September 11 the onus will fall on the individual security manager to review security measures and it will be the responsibility of security product designers and manufacturers to provide the solutions. So say access control manufacturer PAC International.
As security managers are faced with re-assessing procedures and methods with the country on a heightened state of alert, they will be looking to security specialists even more for solutions to help in the fight against international terrorism. PAC, the UK?s designer and manufacturer of electronic security equipment, believes access control is one highly effective way to improve high security environments such as airports as well as premises across all public and private sectors. And, that the Smart Card is the way forward for the industry. PAC?s managing director, Richie Herkes, says: ?Airports are among the most security conscious of premises but are faced with the same security headaches as any major organisation. Airports employ thousands of staff and contractors with different job descriptions, all with different access requirements at different times, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. The security manager needs a failsafe means of identifying bona fida employees, keeping track of authorised visitors, barring public access to restricted areas whilst allowing essential staff access.? According to Herkes, access control can achieve this and more. Electronic systems are surprisingly sophisticated, convenient and reliable and can accommodate a wide range of security requirements. In general terms they work by replacing the traditional lock and key mechanism on doors ? the usual point of access although the same principle can be applied to vehicle barriers – with an electronic magnetic lock. This will only open when the correct ?electronic key? ? a device programmed with a unique ID which cannot be duplicated in the case of proximity access control – is presented to a ?reader? at the point of access. The reader matches the information contained on the electronic key against a database held on a door controller or computer system and entry is granted or denied accordingly. As well as providing a more discriminatory means of controlling access, systems offer a greater degree of security as lost or stolen ?keys? (usually keyfobs or credit-card style) can simply be added or deleted from the system?s memory. PC-based systems can also be used to issue electronic keys which also act as ID cards. Many PAC cards used by police forces across the UK double as warrant cards. Electronic systems are flexible, easy to use, expandable and can integrate with other security functions such as CCTV, pagers, car park barriers or mobile communications. The next generation of systems can even be networked across the world allowing security on several sites to be controlled from a single location. Herkes says: ?At airports, the public is reassured by visible security measures such as luggage checks, X-ray and body searches prior to boarding. Behind the scenes though there is still the threat of terrorists gaining access to airside or baggage handling. With access control, the airline or airport manager can prevent unauthorised access to such security sensitive areas.? Xiamen Gaogi airport in China has installed a PAC for Windows system (PAC?s dedicated security administration software) to secure and control legitimate access to high-security areas, whilst allowing staff to move freely across the site ? vital for the smooth running of the airport. Thirty-two door controllers and more than 100 proximity readers are mounted at access points linked to one designated central PC running the software for the whole system. Readers are situated in particularly security sensitive areas around the terminal to separate airside from passenger areas for instance, and baggage handling areas from retail and catering points. Over 300 employees have been issued with PAC proximity tokens. PAC has installed several other extensive systems where extremely high standards of security are paramount, notably one at Exeter Airport in the UK, which incorporates radio-paging equipment. Herkes says: ?Airports need more than just a standard access control system. Scalability and integration are key features now and for the next generation of security systems. Without these fundamentals, simple systems, which don?t address these requirements, will only have a limited life span.? But it is the advent of the smart card which is the most exciting development for security, maintains Herkes: ?Civil liberty issues may well prevent Government calls for ID cards for the general public in the UK for some time, but the Smart Card is already becoming more wide spread for security applications and has great potential.? The smart card is simply a multi-function card programmed on the same principle as a bankcard. One card, several applications. The card can be used for access control, as an employee identification card, as an electronic purse to buy goods at a cafeteria, to gain access to the car park, and so forth. ?It is vital that wherever a large number of people work in a security conscious area they can be identified and access controlled. It could be argued that using Smart Cards for security purposes is one way to gain universal acceptance for a national ID scheme. An employee already comfortable with a card containing personal security access details will be more likely to accept that same card being used as a means of identification. This is a route more and more organisations will be considering in the future for a higher level of security. We are introducing our own range of smart cards later this year,? Herkes says. ?It is a well worn saying that no security system is 100% failsafe or could wipe out terrorism and there is no one single solution. But electronic access control is one technology which has been proven to improve security and promote good practice.? PAC is offering free security audits and site surveys. Ring 0161 406 3400 for details.
