Security for business premises has never been such a hot subject. With 21st century issues such as data breaches, terror attacks and active shooters, not to mention the age-old problems of theft, unhappy employees (or ex-employees) and more, even the smallest of companies has to be very, very aware of how secure their access and egress points are.
OK, so you’ve got a robust access control system. That’s secure enough, isn’t it?
Well, in this day and age, perhaps not… Because you only need glance at the latest news headlines to realise breaches of such old-school security systems are all too common. No matter what the industry, the last thing any company needs is unauthorised access. And with an access control system it’s all too easy to bypass the barrier simply by tailgating a legitimate employee or person entering.
But never fear, because there are some simple answers to the problem, in the form of security entrances.
Such smart systems employ various technology to provide different levels of unauthorised entry protection. These include:
- Optical turnstiles: This adds a simple additional level of security against tailgating, over and above the access control system. These verify the credentials of the person attempting to enter and are effective at stopping the causal intruder. This is a low level extra deterrent that perhaps would be sufficient in a non-sensitive environment.
- An airlock (sometimes called a mantrap or portal): This double door facility stops tailgaters in their tracks. The first door opens via the users credentials – their security card, fingerprint, biometrics etc.. The second door only opens when the first door has closed and the system verifies that only a single person is within the ‘airlock’.
- Smart revolving doors: Similar to the airlock above, they work on the same tech, ensuring that only a single person is within a compartment. For an area that needs to admit multiple people this is a much faster option, moving around three times more people through the portal than the single-person airlock.
Such secure entry and exit methods also bring with them a whole bunch of other advantages. Yes, their real purpose is to prevent unauthorised access, but they bring with them a wealth of additional data that can be used within the business. These include:
- Auditable access knowledge
- Timed knowledge of entry and exit by personnel
- How entrances are being used
And, of course, that necessary visual deterrent to tailgating or any other security breaches.
Such security entrances can be integrated within an existing access control system and tailored for individual business needs depending on the level of security required. The key to the right system for your business is detailed analysis of the challenges to overcome, and this can only be carried out by a professional and highly experienced security service.
