School system data center's access upgrade earns high marks

Jun 1, 2001 12:00 PM

The employees have gradually started to feel ownership and pride in this system. They realize that they are safer in their environment today than they were previously.

At the Riverside County Office of Education's 24-hour data center in Riverside, Calif., the demand for cutting-edge access control rivals that of large corporations with massive information security needs.

That's because the county's financial- and student-related data — along with servers valued at more than $1 million each — are housed in the Riverside data center. In addition to printing ledgers, checks, W-2's, 1099s, social security information and contracts, the office of education is also an internet service provider for the county's 23 school districts and 500 schools. The office is responsible for tracking employee movements throughout the data center, ensuring employee safety and protecting payroll and vendor check paper stock, printers and data against theft.

PAST VS. PRESENT

Prior to a recent access control upgrade, the county had trouble with routine piggybacking and unauthorized interdepartmental traffic. It was also unable to track employees' locations throughout the building in an emergency situation.

Brian Markus, operations manager for information technology services at the Riverside County office of education, decided to look for a new system that could help him track who was entering and exiting the building and its internal departments. The system would also have to accommodate individual access codes, allow for video ID and CCTV integration and generate reports based on individual codes and users.

Markus selected Hirsch Electronics, Santa Ana, Calif., and its ScrambleProx readers, combination ScramblePad and built-in proximity readers for card and code applications. He also purchased the DIGI*TRAC Model 8 Controller and the ID Manager Photo Badging System.

A Hirsch dealer, Orange County Security Consultants Inc., Anaheim, Calif., installed the system in April 2000. Installation was simplified by the IT department's “pull tile” flooring, which allowed for under-the-floor (vs. through-the-ceiling) wiring.

All four ScrambleProx readers are installed indoors — one is near the IT department's front door, another near its back door. Two more ScrambleProx readers are installed at the front and back doors of the server room, the building's most secure area located in the IT department. It houses the Model 8, high-ticket printers and county's paper stock.

The readers' digits scramble randomly each time the start button is pressed, so a wear pattern does not develop on the buttons. Light guides narrow the viewing field — only the person standing directly in front of the keypad can see the display.

Following installation, unauthorized traffic throughout the facility decreased. “The anti-tamper feature is important,” Markus says. “If somebody tries to tamper with a wire or a key, an alarm will sound. The system helps prevent crime, as well, because people see that we are serious about security with this serious-looking reader.”

Markus admits that some employees were initially less than happy when the higher-security system was installed. “We experienced a rejection and complaint phase when we went from light to heavy security,” he says. “Some users' codes increased from four digits to eight, and they were told that those codes would change on a regular basis. Some people were annoyed when the door ajar alarms sounded. But we're in charge of millions of dollars worth of equipment, and we now feel we're adequately protecting our investment.”

Says Mark Benson, sales consultant for Orange County Security Consultants Inc., “The employees have gradually started to feel ownership and pride in this system. They realize that they are safer in their environment today than they were previously.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Most of the system's 30 current users gain access via ScrambleProx code entry. Following the near-term revision of its IT department ethics code, more users will also use proximity cards for entry. When used with Hirsch's ID Manager Photo Badging System, the cards can be customized as photo ID badges featuring holographic security foil.

Says Benson, “We're performing quarterly maintenance to check the equipment, and we haven't run into any problems yet. They're only using the system to about five percent of its potential right now, but they'll start to tie-in other buildings as the county demands access control uniformity.”

The remote monitoring capability will help at two additional locations and at the county's warehouse facility, where it takes considerable manpower to open gates and locks, turn on lights and start generators on a daily basis. The system can be programmed to automate those start-of-day warehouse functions — a big resource saver.

The DIGI*TRAC Model 8 Controller's flexibility will allow Markus to program mandatory two-person card/keypad entry for access to the facility's vault. In the near future, two people from different departments will be required to enter two different codes and present two cards to enter this area.

As the system expands, Markus can also add another Model 8 Controller to accommodate eight additional doors. Since DIGI*TRAC Controllers are standalone access control systems, continuous monitoring by an officer or other employee is not required. In the events of keypad tampering or power loss to the Model 8, however, an alarm is triggered.

FOR THE RECORD

ABOUT THE COMPANIES

For information, please circle the appropriate Reader Service number (listed below) on one of the Reader Service cards in the issue or visit infoLINK at www.securitysolutions.com.

Hirsch	30
Orange County Security Consultants	31

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