Securing Your Facility?

krahd asks: "We, at the CS department of our University, in Uruguay, are evaluating different ways of securing the access to our floor. Until now we have used just a traditional door lock, but its's time to delpoy a new, more geeky solution. So, after reading this Ask Slashdot, I figured I'd pose this question as a follow-up. What would be the best way to do it? We've already evaluated biometric technologies like iris-scanning and fingerprint-scanning, and more traditional ways like intelligent cards but, what others possibilities exist, and which would you choose? Yes, price does matter."

Comments

Sadly the Solution Is...

[Inexile2002]

Whatever, any security system will do.

Just manage it properly. I chimed in on the last conversation on securing your network and made basically a related point. You can implement biometrics (I wouldn't recommend), proximity cards (which seem very popular and have some advantages that I'm sure others will discuss), keypad locks etc. But, if you don't manage the access, that is track who has a card, who used to have access but shouldn't now etc everything else is just there for appearance's sake. Security is a process, NOT one time thing.

Say you go with proximity cards, the real security in those is that you can regularly check who has access to what, who USED their access and so forth. (While also true of a keypad or biometric system, proximity card systems relatively cheap, reliable and ubiquetous on the market.) Regular reviews of access and access privileges are MUCH more important than which technology you choose.

That said, you should define very clearly who should and shouldn't have access to your secure areas. Once you've defined who should and shouldn't, then define what levels of security will exist for those who should have security privileges. THEN, regularly review security privileges to see if the actually privileges out there jibe with your security definitions. Finally, if possible, design your system based on layers of security, where the most secure areas cannot be reached without first passing through less secure areas.

Depends

[Glonoinha]

I would say it probably depends on how important locking down the facility is to him.

If you only need to keep honest people honest then locks and keys are really the best bang for your buck, and are going to be equally as effective as any high dollar thermal / visual / biometrics system.

Given that many buildings are built to residential spec's (meaning 18" between studs with drywall) or have glass windows I can circumvent most door locks with a razorblade (cut through the drywall anywhere except where the door is, generally from a neighboring room,) a hammer (break glass, climb in,) or a ladder (false hung ceilings are made of something only slightly more substantial than cardboard, move the ceiling tile in the hallway, climb up, move 6 feet in, move another tile, drop down.

None of the above are particularly effective vs. an armed guard with an attitude.