In medium and large organizations, as well as at high-security facilities, the development of methods for preventing and combating various threats is required.
The main goal is a high level of employee safety, the preservation of the company’s property, state secrets, and intellectual property of the facility. And the first thing with which work on security begins is the introduction of an access control and management system.
Table of Contents
The Principle of Operation of ACS
If you understand what the ACS like salto systems consist of, then there is nothing complicated in its work. Regardless of the configuration, any system of this kind has 4 main components:
1. Controller
This device is the “brain” of the system. It is the controller that stores information about all employees, visitors, and access rights that each of them has.
The programming of network access control systems is carried out through a computer. Standalone systems instead use separate electronic devices to control one or more access points.
2. Identifiers
They are keys with a unique code. According to the card, the access system at the enterprise determines which premises and zones the owner can enter.
3. Readers
They are installed directly on access points – near doors, gates, etc. They can be contact or non-contact. The key performance criteria of a reader are the speed of identification and data transfer. The optimum installation height for ACS readers is 120 cm from the floor.
4. Barrier Devices
Depending on how the ACS system works, these can be turnstiles, electric gates, or electromechanical door locks. In front of the premises where money, expensive equipment, dangerous substances, and other valuables are stored, blocking airlock cabins are often installed.
The principle of ACS operation is simple: the user brings the identifier to the reader. He receives the code and passes the information to the controller, which decides on granting access. If the passage is allowed, the system sends a signal to the locking device and the door opens.
All these elements interact with each other on the basis of special software, resulting in the possibility of access to the facility only by company employees and invited guests.
Access identifiers contain information about the access rights of a particular person to certain areas of the object. What are they and what is the difference between them?
Pros and Cons of Different Types of Identifiers
The choice of an identifier when organizing access directly depends on the complexity and significance of the object. The most popular identifiers are magnetic cards, a pin code typed on the keyboard, fingerprints, and a face scanner. Let’s consider each of them.
Non-biometric identifiers include:
- Magnetic cards.
- Entering a pin code.
Magnetic Cards
Magnetic cards are special cards with information recorded on them. One of the most common types of identifiers. Their benefits include:
- Ease of use;
- Ease of reissue;
- Low cost.
But, at the same time, there are significant drawbacks:
- The fragility of the cards;
- High probability of card loss;
- Easy creation of duplicates and penetration into the territory of the object.
Code Dials
Code dials are required to enter a PIN code. This kind of identifier is also popular in many organizations. The advantages include convenience and ease of use – the pin code cannot be forgotten at home or lost.
But at the same time, transferring the code to a third party is not difficult, as a result of which the organization may be in serious danger. Access by pin code is best combined with another identifier – this increases the level of security of the object.
Biometric Identifiers
Biometric identifiers are considered technologies of the future, and they are being used more and more often at secure facilities.
Such technologies identify a person by his specific biometric features. The most common types of such biometrics are a fingerprint and a face scanner – this is exactly what it is impossible to forget, fake or transfer to another person.
But there are also disadvantages – the throughput is quite low, and the cost of installing equipment is higher than when using a pin code or a magnetic card.
Intelligent systems administer the actions of employees in the system, control the working time of the personnel and delimit the access of employees to various premises of the organization.
The systems are designed in such a way as to exclude the human factor and provide the maximum level of automation. All this makes it possible to control the actions of employees and protect your facility from intrusion by third parties.
Card access systems uses in:
- offices;
- business centers;
- industrial enterprises;
- medical institutions;
- universities and schools;
- government bodies;
- warehouses.
The most important point is the choice of installation location. Depending on the size of the object, you can use 1-2 readers at the entrances, or isolate each zone (production, warehouse, office, etc.).
