Access control to the premises: concept, features, varieties and principle of operation

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The issue of premises security in the modern world is very important. All kinds of criminals, unscrupulous competitors, overly curious colleagues or employees - these are just some of the possible problems that you can get rid of with the help of a room access control system.

What is this

This device is part of the protective mechanism of the room, installed if necessary by decision of the management. Direct access control in the room is provided using various devices: a retinal or fingerprint scanner, an access card, embedded chips, etc. In the vast majority of cases, the system is directly connected to other devices that limit the entry of unwanted persons into the protected area. For example, without fingerprints in the database, it will be impossible to open the lock on the door, which will prevent unauthorized persons from entering, say, a warehouse. In addition, an unauthorized access attempt can give an alarm signal to the security console. At military installations, such an incident can cause the activation of an automatic security system capable ofaggressively prevent intruders from entering the facility.

Composition of the system

There is no basic set or composition of the access control system to the premises, because they are all very different and may have their own unique features. However, it is possible to highlight the main elements that are always or almost always present in any such device.

• Blocking devices. This includes electric locks, turnstiles, barriers and other similar mechanisms. They are intended to prevent access to an object after the appropriate signal (or to prevent access without a signal). In some cases, they are used only to detain a person. In others, they may tightly block the room, not allowing you to leave or enter without special access codes.
• Identification devices. This is special equipment that determines whether a certain person has access to the premises. In the simplest and cheapest cases, ordinary electromagnetic cards are used. Less commonly used is a system for determining fingerprints, retinal patterns, and blood groups. Most people have seen such "miracles" only in science fiction films.
• Sensors. They are needed for the timely transmission of an alarm signal to the security console. Less commonly, the system works in reverse, and the sensors block the premises only when an unidentified person tries to enter them. In all other cases, they simply read information from access cards anddo not restrict the movement of people in any way.
• Hardware, database and software. An important role in the access control system to the premises is played by servers that contain all the necessary information. There is a database of persons who have (or do not have) access, statistics of all movements and much other information. Usually a unique software shell or even a program written completely from scratch is used, which significantly complicates the work of potential hackers.

Varieties

Often, there is only one type of indoor access control system, based on some particular type of identification. But there are a lot of such devices themselves.

• Electromagnetic cards and chips.
• Fingerprint reader.
• Retinal scanner.
• Blood tester.
• Reading information from a chip sewn under the skin.
• Voice identification.
• Enter access code and so on.

The simplest, cheapest and most common is the control of access to the premises by cards. They are easy to produce, you can easily change and give new employees additional ones. The remaining varieties are used less frequently, and only in extreme cases can several types of control be used simultaneously at one facility.

Operation

The principle of operation of any system is very simple (which absolutely does not mean that it can be easilyhack). So, each person with the right of access receives an electromagnetic card, leaves his fingerprint, finds out the desired code, and so on. Data about this is entered into the database, which subsequently makes it possible to clearly determine what this or that person is doing and where this or that person is.

On the example of a hotel access control system, where special cards are used instead of keys, several main types of protection work can be distinguished. So, in rooms where all people have access, you can enter without additional control at all. Only the person who paid for it or the servant can enter the hotel room directly. But servants' access is limited to a certain time. The guest cannot enter the office premises. In any hotel there are service personnel who are outside the customer area. These employees do not have the opportunity to go to public places and even more so to the rooms. In some cases, such a control system also determines the privileges of a person. For example, unlimited and free access to the bar, so actively used in Turkish hotels, or the ability to eat at any time of the day.

Basic Benefits

Controlling access to office premises, industrial plant, hotel, military facility and so on provides management with a number of specific benefits:

• facilitate the work of fixing the movement of employees and customers;
• decrease in security staff;
• improving security;
• worker controltime.

Results

Any, even the cheapest such system, used mainly for show, already greatly simplifies the work of the enterprise. The lack of access to separate rooms allows you to work without being distracted by outsiders, and the understanding that management has the ability to control increases discipline.