Access Management: Layer 1

Security industry professionals seem to hold differing opinions on whether video surveillance or access control is the predominant platform when implementing an integrated security solution. The truth is that access control systems are more prevalent in terms of the sheer number of systems deployed, the size and scale of deployments and actual daily engagement by users. The reason being that when a potentially threatening event unfolds, an access control system can instantly shut down a facility, or specific areas within it, potentially saving lives.

There is no doubt that access control technology is progressing and evolving at the fastest pace ever in the security industry.  And the need for enhanced security due to new sources of threats, increased liability and even mandated compliance has made more funds available to public and private entities to enhance security. As a result, more and more money has been allocated in recent years to help keep unwanted people from entering facilities.

 

Access Control: The Foundation of Security

Access control solutions provide the basis for layered security solutions that do far more than simply allow electronic access using credentials.  They provide complete record of who has entered a facility, which areas within the facility they accessed (or attempted to access) and how long they stayed. In most systems, electronic door locks are connected to a centralized access control system allowing them to be remotely monitored and locked in the event of an emergency or incident. Assigning different access permissions for employees, visitors and first responders provides even greater levels of protection and tracking. Entry control points can be easily established to only allow authorized individuals initial access to a facility or specific areas within the facility.

Access control solutions allow authorized individuals to manage doors and alarm points, and can easily be integrated with visitor management solutions to check the background of each visitor, automatically post watch lists and provide specific access privileges based on time, date and location.

Even more, new input/output (I/O) boards for access control systems can expand functionality and provide real-time operations for speed, performance and reliability.  Using the same footprint, I/O expansion boards will work with alarm monitoring, alarm annunciation, building management, interfacing to burglar and fire panels and numerous other applications to ensure security. Additional safeguards to control entry points may include the integration of turnstiles or security entrances, mantraps, video surveillance with analytics, wireless locks, intercoms and intrusion detection devices, among others.

 

Integrating Emergency Notification and Communications with Access Control

When an emergency situation arises due to a tripped alarm, a watch list match or severe weather alert, system-wide communication is essential in facilities with large numbers of occupants. Additional information such as room condition and the status of its occupants helps quickly evaluate a situation and determine the most appropriate response to initiate including the need to lockdown all entry points, seek shelter-in-place or evacuate. The real-time situational awareness provided through an integrated emergency notification and communications solution is proven to provide better levels of protection and improve overall physical security.

For example, a layered security system comprised of integrated access control and emergency notification and communication solutions allows occupants to report on immediate conditions to identify the threat level in their specific locations, and trigger a physical lockdown in the affected areas or throughout the facility.  Security management can then issue an alert to notify responders of conditions in real time while communicating status based on the level of the alert.

Conversely, occupants within the facility can report status at their specific location enabling security management and first responders to gain an accurate assessment of the threat. Employing a chat feature also enables two-way communications between facility occupants and security management and first responders to exchange detailed information. This enables potentially lifesaving instructions to be sent to specific locations within the facility to evacuate or seek shelter in place depending on the immediate status and proximity of the potential threat.

In emergency situations, integrated access control and emergency notification and communication solutions deliver the ability to quickly secure a facility and implement the appropriate responses – with or without the added data provided from video surveillance. That said, the best approach to implementing a layered security solution should always start with access control at the foundation.

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Access Control: Prevention Over Reaction

In any enterprise setting, access control is a necessary measure to allow different levels of privilege based on identity. Both in the physical and digital spaces, access control measures must be set in place, ranging from simple passwords and 2-step authentication measures, to biometric and RFID triggered entryways. This area of security is often overlooked and under-budgeted for in place of surveillance and alarm equipment, even though access control is more effective in preventing losses as it addresses the issue before it happens instead of trying to catch actors after the fact. There is certainly no question that it makes more sense to stop an issue before it starts, and properly implemented access control measures are the first step in this direction when planning and installing an all inclusive security system.

Auto dealerships and construction areas tend to be very attractive to criminals. With the merchandise kept outside and typically valued well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, theft and vandalism are some major, though not the only problems that auto dealers site managers have which can be addressed in the best way through a high quality video surveillance and access management security system. In the case of construction or building renovation, both tools and hardware can attract theft, as surveillance is less expected in incomplete buildings and structures. Still, those in control of these sites often fail to properly secure them, under the impression that construction zones are less attractive to thieves than completed buildings.

In addition to the previously mentioned access control technologies such as biometrics and RFID locking systems, having an always on feed or system of video feeds allows the entire facility to be checked up on through virtually any device. Systems can be designed which let any intruders know they are being observed and which advise them to leave before the police are called. This is known as a “talk-down” response, and in many cases can prevent a theft in the act and mitigate any further damage or losses. Some customers have also found it useful to be able to check up on live developments remotely during times at which they could not have a physical presence.

By installing or adapting such a system to your business, 24/7 reassurance can be had. What are known as “remote security guards” are able to not only record the goings on of the dealership or other areas of interest, but also to participate directly in the protection of your property, and give direct line of sight to what is happening at any given time. Facial and body language recognition software can watch for the presence or absence of everything from people and faces to the cars or items of concern themselves. This allows a quicker response to potential threats than has been available conventionally.

When working in concert with access control systems, IP enabled cameras are capable of not just loss prevention and denial of access to non-personnel, but creating a holistic approach to management of an entire property from a distance. Using a system of RFID key or card fobs, it is possible to know who accessed your building and when, creating a deeper system of accountability among your employees, insuring jobs are completed and schedules maintained, and preventing internal theft.

STST is proud to offer systems like this as well as the design professionalism necessary to integrate it into existing security platforms and new projects alike. Products such as Avigilon Blue are leading the way for quick and comprehensive deployment of modern access control and video surveillance on top of existing infrastructure.

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$119.4 Billion: Projected Growth of Physical Security Market by 2023

 

Simply put, the physical security market consists of all the security solutions you can walk up to and touch. Cameras, virtual gate guard systems, HOA management systems and more all have elements of physical security. Of course, because all of these solutions are deeply integrated with network and cloud-based technologies, cybersecurity could be considered to be equally important, but is not what we are looking at in this article

 

As risk continues to rise with rapid progress sometimes leaving vulnerabilities unchecked, the demand for physical security, the tried and true barrier between real assets and those seeking to steal or destroy them, will grow along with the risk.

 

A combination of fear generated from media responses to so-called “terror attacks”, advancements in tech in general, and the growing use of IP cameras to perform video surveillance are expected to push the growth of the physical security market worldwide.

According to this report:

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/snkm2j/global_physical?w=5

 this growth is expected to be from $84.1 billion in 2018 to $199.4 billion by 2023 with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 7.3%.

 

This report details how the services segment of the market is expected to have the fastest growth rate. Physical security is indispensable for enhancing existing video surveillance through integration of digital (IP) solutions and integrating them with modern IT and network environments.

 

Of course, the larger enterprises are expected to be at the bleeding edge as this all occurs over the next few years, but this doesn’t mean that small or medium businesses need to miss out. While the big players have the greatest pools of revenue to draw from and more infrastructure to protect, the smaller enterprises can see just as much or greater benefit by implementing integrated IP-based physical security sooner rather than later. The best time to step up your security will always be before the attack comes, and not as a reactive measure.

 

 Security Technology of South Texas is a leading provider of cutting-edge physical security products. We have the experience and attention to detail to give you the best for your money when it comes to IP cameras, access control solutions, monitored video, and more.

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STST Partners with 3XLOGIC as Authorized Dealer and Integrator

Not just another IP camera manufacturer, 3XLOGIC is changing how the end user manages and interacts with the IP ecosystem through implementing industry leading software-as-a-service architecture that gives even the newest IT novice the power to manage a complicated network of IP cameras and access control technology like a pro admin.
3XLOGIC makes use of the cloud for all storage and video processing needs, and systems will not feature on-site NVRs. This creates a robust video management structure and shifts processing power requirements away from the end-user or any computers located at the site. Through their proprietary “Infinias CLOUD” cloud hosting technology, a 3xLOGIC system can easily be made capable of handling video monitoring and analytics alongside access control solutions from just a single door all the way to “enterprise” scale operations.
This cloud based service “delivers broad access control capabilities to conveniently secure and manage user location(s)” (3xlogic.com) and uses an easy to use browser-based GUI. Having an easy to understand end-user interface allows for access control to be both practical and affordable for virtually any user, independent of the size of the business or the technical expertise of the end-user.
The user can “view, monitor, and report” (3xlogic.com) on events and alarms, as well as do things like define security rolls and create different levels of access privileges for the individual users.

Unique to the systems that can be built using 3xLOGIC’s hardware are what they term the “rules engine”. This is a logic system in their cloud space that allows the customer to “build the functionality they need such as Lock-down, First-in, last-out, n-man rule, and much more” (3xLOGIC.com) This rule engine can be used effectively on any scale to apply systems of rules and is particularly useful for access control purposes.

The “Infinias” cloud system is also capable of interfacing with wireless locks, which is increasingly a popular method used in large scale security solutions. While the same effect can be achieved by running wire to each door in the facility, the relatively low cost of using wireless locks, cameras, and etc. make this an increasingly attractive option for some. With time and improvements to wireless technology and a greater number of systems making use of cloud technology, wireless “everything” seems to be just on the horizon.

Overall, the solutions offered by 3xLOGIC are some of the most smooth and seamless out there. Technology like this is setting the stage for the future of fully integrated video surveillance, analytics, and access control systems. Above industry standard IP cameras, custom analytics, and a simple yet robust end-user interface all make 3xLOGIC stand out even among what sometimes feels like a crowded security market.
Security Technology of South Texas is an authorized dealer and integrator for 3xLOGIC. Contact us today to see what kind of system is right for your business or project.
Call us 24/7 at    (210)-446-4863     or       email admin@gostst.com

Source: 3xLOGIC.com