Why Is It Important To Test Your Building’s Access Control System?
Jay360 is an experienced installer of access control systems in Ontario. We will review your business’s access control and overall security needs and help you choose the best access control system for your business. Contact us below for more information.
Your access control system is an important part of your business’s security plan. It controls who enters your offices, factories, and warehouses and which parts they can assess once they are inside.
As important as having an access control system is for your business’s security, it is critical that you thoroughly test it to make sure it works as designed. A comprehensive vulnerability test also proves whether the access control system is the right fit for your security needs.
Needless to mention, an access control system that is constantly bypassed because it fails all the time puts your whole business’s security at risk. Below we discuss the most common vulnerabilities and explain why proper testing will help you secure your doors and entry points.
Importance of access control system testing
When you test your access control system, you want find out where your system is vulnerable. It can be vulnerable to malfunctions, vandalism, forced entry, and penetration by hackers. Let’s break this down by discussing some of the benefits of testing your access control system:
Testing helps identify compatibility issues before an access control system is fully deployed
Many times business owners install access control systems with software and components from more than one manufacturer. A common issue with these piecemeal installations is the software and physical components may not be compatible with each other.
Incompatible components typically don’t work well together. For example, physical door hardware that don’t align with the access control software you are using may see people getting locked out.
However well your access control system is designed, an authorized person wielding their access card may still be locked out if the door lock and the system’s control panel cannot communicate.
Before you deploy the access control system, it is, thus, crucial to test your entry points using access cards or biometrics for people with different access levels. If yours is a large building, make sure to test as many doors as is possible.
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Testing helps ensure that your backup systems work
It is essential to test your access control system against all possible conditions and emergency situations. You don’t want to find out that your access control system locks in people after a power outage, software glitch, or malfunction.
You have to ask yourself important questions before you flick on the switch on your access control system:
Are my continuity processes well rehearsed and ready for such an eventuality?
If you have to revert to semi manual access control, is your security personnel fully aware of the procedures?
Normally, you would have a backup system for power. But again, that needs to be tested against all that can go wrong with it.
For example, if the power generator suddenly runs out of fuel you should be able to flawlessly switch to manual access control. It will not be as smooth or as quick, but it will be orderly.
Testing ensures that your backup and bypass systems work before you put the access control system to work across your premises. This removes the risk of many people getting trapped in a small building, which can cause panic and chaos.
Testing ensures post ‘forced entry’ protocols work
What happens when an unauthorized person tries to vandalize your locks and force themselves into your building? Do you have door monitoring sensors and do they work?
If there is a break-in attempt after hours, is everything set up right for the alarm to sound? Is your system fully integrated with the company that monitors your business’s security so they get notified the moment there is a security situation at your premises?
It is not just ‘door-forced-open’ (DFO) situations you have to test for. Other times you may have ‘door-open-too-long’ (OTL) security lapses. Intruders who may have stolen access credentials may try to wedge doors to keep them open.
You also have to test your access control system for hacks and hijacks by criminals. With businesses’ growing reliance on web applications, it is critical that you test the apps your business uses to expose any areas of vulnerability.
A common area of vulnerability that may open your access control system to attack or hijacking is the network you use for your internet connectivity. There are quite a few enterprise network scanners you can use to test if your web applications are secure.
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Testing helps establish procedures and policies for log review
The most capable access control systems have a feature for logging all the events that take place at all your secured access points. These events include rejected access, forced entry, and OTL incidents.
Testing gives you data you can use to define goals and requirements for log review and institute policies for better access control.
As there are likely so many logs to review every day, testing helps to develop a quick and efficient review system. You are also able to identify potential vulnerabilities before a major security incident happens.
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Do you need any guidance on how to select and test the right access control system for your business?
Jay360 is an experienced installer of access control systems in Ontario. We will review your business’s access control and overall security needs and help you choose the best access control system for your business. Contact us below for more information.
