Building access (or home) control systems are deployed for several purposes bordering on the safety and security of people, properties, and other resources within the premises. A key feature of a building access control system is to grant only authorized individuals access and entry into specific areas within the facility.
Therefore, it is essential for owners of residential or commercial buildings to keep their occupants, employees, and assets safe by investing in efficient building access control systems. The following tips will help you improve and keep your building’s access control system up-to-date and more effective.
Assess Key Features and Usefulness of Your Access Control System
Just because your access control system still works does not mean you shouldn’t review its functions. Does your current setup have what you really need from an access control system? What features are outdated and need to be upgraded? What important features are absent and need to be included?
It’s important to not just choose a system based on its physical features or affordability, but on what features it has and how efficient it is.
Review Who Has Access
Some building access control systems may have challenges in cases where the number of active access cards exceeds the actual number of employees or residents. In such situations, it may be quite difficult to maintain the integrity of the system. Therefore, such errors can be avoided by self-expiring the cards after a predetermined period of inactivity. Another way to ensure proper accountability and monitoring of access cards is to connect them to the human resources or contractor databases.
Upgrade Your Technology
If you still use 125-kilohertz technology (such as proximity readers) in your building access control system, you’re way past due for an update. This is because 125 kHz systems are relatively more vulnerable: they can be easily compromised and the cards can be replicated.
Therefore, building owners and security managers should opt for encrypted technology instead. It is best to stay current on software upgrades and check for updates at least once every year. Ideally, building access control system designs and technology should be upgraded every ten years and not treated as a one-time investment.
Test Your Access Control Systems Periodically
To ensure best practices, optimum performance, proper functionality, and responsiveness, a building access control system’s functionality should be tested regularly. Ideally, this testing should be done monthly or quarterly. This allows security managers to plan for contingencies and implement changes in advance.
Beware of Tailgating
Although holding the door open for someone is often seen as a polite gesture, it can pose security risks. Tailgating can be a challenging issue for building safety. Therefore, residents and employees should be educated about holding the door open for people. Another effective approach to curb tailgating is by enforcing multiple layers of security.
Furthermore, it’s not safe to just assume that since the building is secure and only authorized persons are cleared and have access to the premises, everyone inside is safe and harmless. If you notice any strange face or anyone without an identifying badge or pass, it’s best to ask them and alert the building’s security manager.
For your building access control systems installations in Nigeria, contact Trivest Technologies on +234-802-230-6494 or forward a mail to contact@trivestgroup.com. Trivest Technologies is a building access control system installation company in Nigeria.
