Learn About Access Control
Find out more About Access Control
KNOWING HOW TO USE THE FINGER PRINT READERS
We are all well aware that the finger print readers are meant to give us readings of unique fingerprints of individuals so that access could be allowed to a specifically cordoned area or behind some type of a physical barrier. To visualise an idea about how this technology may fail or have its downside, an example could be provided. One of the staff members of a business enterprise, who is associated with Fingerprint Readers and who has installed these readers at the entrance doors, had been busy with the renovation of his house. He was busy sanding and painting doors during a weekend; he was disallowed access by the Finger Print Reader when he went back to work. He could not enter the building because of the variation the Reader observed in his individual fingerprint that had smudges from sanding and paint.
AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOOR MONITORING SYSTEM FOR ACCESS CONTROL
Inputs for physical alarms are positioned at doors and they have been programmed to perform in specific ways when they are used for opening the doors in a secure mode. The complex means of using door monitoring systems for access control should be better understood as they are vital towards the protection of assets and personnel within a business organisation. Here are some examples:-
· DOTL [DOOR OPEN TOO LONG] ALARM
This alarm is a result of the physical alarm input that is placed on an access control door frame that is opened for a determined programming period. For example, if a door is kept open for more than 180 seconds, the card reader begins to beep and will also trigger an alarm out of the monitoring software so that personnel could be alerted to check on why the door was kept opened.
· FD [FORCED DOOR] ALARM
This is another type of a physical input alarm that is programmed for a door in the head-end kind of software. When the doors are opened without a signal received by the software from a card allowing approved access or from a `Request to Exit’ input from inside, it is interpreted as the door being forced open. The message resulting from such an alarm is transferred to the head-end software so that personnel could check on why the door was forced open.
· REX [REQUEST TO EXIT] INPUT
This input is required when there is a keypad or a reader placed on the outside portion of the door while there is a handle or an exit button placed on the door as a mortise lock for the purpose of exit. This allows the head-end software for the door to receive a message that the door has to be opened for persons who would like to exit the building. The software then interprets that there is no case of an alarm from the input for forced door situation.
KEY OVERRIDE
An alarm for a key override does become necessary in certain cases. An alarm input could be placed in the door lock. When a key is inserted in that lock and it is turned, the input will open and send out a key override alarm that is triggered in the software for monitoring that door. Access control is all about who enters when and where. If there is a lock with key override, then it becomes important to know about all entries after that alarm is placed.
ANTI-PASSBACK
You have to get a system for access control installed to create a secure environment for doors that have readers in and readers out. This creates a situation in which the card users are required to badge their cards in either upward or downward direction to enter. The system is then able to indicate the exact area where the card reader is located. The passback situation is in place when a person walks in with a different card user through a particular door into other areas without badging the access card at the door. Even though the individual may still be located in a particular sector, the system will not allow him or her through a door because that person is at a wrong location. Soft Anti-Passback system is generally used as temporary systems when personnel are trained to utilise the Hard Anti-Passback system but are going through the transition stage; they will be cautioned that they are not following the correct procedure concerning particular locations and their access control.
PEOPLE COUNTING
Anti-Passback is linked with the counting of card users. Access control cannot exist until the system is fully aware of the number of card users who frequent a specific area within the confines of that particular system. Certain systems can automatically arm after the exit of the last card user to leave that particular perimeter.
UNDERSTANDING OF GENERAL SECURITY OF AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM
Security systems will be vulnerable to unscrupulous trespassers and power blackouts if certain crucial systems are not installed in the access control systems. There are cases when some individuals try to bypass a system from within. Some access control systems that are placed on a fire security system are powered to lock; this means that when there is a power blackout, all doors will open automatically.
MONITORING OF THE BATTERY
An input is connected to an access control system to monitor the status of the backup batteries that supply power. This input allows the system monitors to verify the condition of those batteries that are faulty or old so that they could be replaced so that the system does not collapse in case of a power outage.
MONITORING OF THE POWER SUPPLY
Regular monitoring of the power supply and alternate current supply will allow the system to know in case of a blackout. Plans could then be laid out to uphold the system’s integrity while it is still locked by the backup battery system.
MONITORING OF THE TAMPERING ALARM
Inputs for tampering alarms have to be placed in all cabinets of access control panel and the cabinets of power supply batteries. These inputs will inform the system monitors that a power supply cabinet or an enclosure has been recently opened. If these inputs are not placed, people could tamper with the system equipment and disable necessary alarms with an attempt to deceive the access control system from checking a door’s status.
This information has been provided to assist the customers in understanding the terminology and all the possible flaws that exist in the electronic systems of Access Control. Information has intentionally not been provided for customers as a guide for self installation because it is definitely not recommended to try this yourself when you want to install any system of access control.