Security Hot Spot: Elevator Systems

May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By James Gompers

Among the critical points of vulnerability for many high-rise multi-tenant facilities are elevator lobbies and the elevators themselves. Properly securing an elevator system will effectively reduce an organization's risk from theft of assets and proprietary information, improve employee safety and limit unwanted transient traffic.

Achieving these goals is not as simple as “locking down” or securing all entry and exit points with physical hardware or barriers. Securing stairwells and emergency entry/exits can create as many problems and hazards as it solves. The reason: High-rise multi-tenant facilities management have to comply with fire safety and emergency response needs and regulations. Therefore, detailed studies and thorough planning are a must before undertaking any access control project of this nature.

Getting started: Initial evaluation

Let's take a look at the initial evaluation that must be completed before starting the project:

• Is there a single suite or an entire floor involved?

• Are there multiple floors to consider? How many?

• What is the configuration of the reception area?

• Is all traffic and business flow routed through the reception area?

• Are there visitor and violator policies and procedures in place; and are they clearly understood by all employees?

• Are there departments with special security requirements and are there mission-critical systems and information to protect — such as communications, data centers, accounting?

Completing this analysis creates a clearer understanding of what needs to be protected. Now, the organization can formulate plans to accomplish its security goals.

Rules and regulations for stairwells

Before any lockdown of the facilities, first consider code requirements for stairwell evacuation flow, cross-over requirements (exiting one emergency stairwell and crossing over to the opposite emergency exit to continue evacuation) and any building emergency communication requirements. If stairwells must be open in the event of an emergency situation, “fail-safe” electronic hardware (hardware that remains open if the system or power should fail) should be used and tied into the fire alarm and security systems. The implementation of emergency intercoms should also be considered in case personnel become trapped in stairwells and for other emergency situations. With the auxiliary entry/exits covered and secured, attention may be focused on the elevators.

With convenience comes vulnerability

Elevators are a necessity in any high-rise facility. The ability to move people and things efficiently is a must. But with this efficiency and convenience comes a major vulnerability: How to stop unwanted personnel from gaining access to areas connected by the elevator? Just installing access control alone on the elevator has proven to be ineffective, and the alternative solution of constructing walls and a door to compartmentalize the elevator lobby is often neither conducive to the business environment nor a valid option for emergency situations. Is there a better way?

Implementing current technology and advanced integration can more effectively manage the access control environment and improve visitor management and asset protection.

The previous article in this series, “Securing a Lobby and Reception Area,” (March 2004, page 50) included a discussion about implementing a hybrid RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) solution for visitor management and tracking, as well as asset protection and management. Enhanced elevator security can follow the same path. Elevator security can continue to proceed inward with the concentric rings of protection analysis and implementation.

Hybrid RFID technology

Since its inception, RFID has rapidly gained in functionality and application. It has many uses within a facility: a warehouse and distribution solution; retail theft protection; and for library systems, asset management and access control. By combining various pieces or capabilities from the different RFID solutions available, it becomes easier to achieve unified access control and asset management functionality in a single solution. By taking the RFID walk-through technology, familiar to the retail and library environments, and using long-range, highly sensitive antennas, one can gain a huge advantage in both access control and asset management.

Another relevant item to mention is voice and intercom technologies. The ability to integrate voice intercom and public address into an elevator solution results in faster response to any given event or situation. For example, when a video stream automatically pops up based on a predetermined alarm or event, the system can also open an audio path and tie it to the video and access control event for logging purposes.

Now it's time to move inward within the facility and focus on the elevators themselves.

The coat-tailing problem

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to improved elevator security is “coat-tailing” or “tailgating.” That is, unauthorized individuals who gain access by closely following someone with authorization into a given area. Coat-tailing is a persistent and difficult problem to eliminate, but there are options available to attack the problem.

Described in the previous article was a sophisticated lobby reception area solution that included long-range RFID antennas in all the elevator lobbies with RFID cards for visitors and contractors to be able to track all visitors and assets. This solution can be integrated into elevator security for the building's tenants. First, RFID technology reader capabilities are put in the elevator cars themselves. Next, surveillance cameras and intercoms are installed and integrated with visitor management databases, with beam detectors to count and monitor people entering and exiting the elevator. This solution provides comprehensive, essential information in order to make security decisions automatically, based on predetermined rules and security processes. Sounds good, but how does it really work?

Advanced elevator security in action

Let's say that John Smith checks into security and is registered to visit Jane Roberts on the 22nd floor. John enters the elevator with six other people, according to the electronic eye installed at the elevator cab door. All occupants select their destination floors. With the long-range readers in the elevator, if someone selects a floor for which no one has access, the request is flagged, the intercom path opens and video of the elevator pops up on the security monitor. Security personnel respond with a “May I assist you?” and proceed to evaluate the situation for needed response. As people exit the elevator, the system automatically verifies the person leaving the elevator and validates the count remaining in the elevator cab.

It so happens that Smith mistakenly exits the elevator on the 19th floor. Here is where the intelligence of the integrated solution really becomes apparent. Almost instantly as he exits the elevator, security officials announce through the intercom, “Mr. Smith you are authorized to exit only on the 22nd floor, please return to the elevator and proceed to your destination.” The elevator doors stay open until Smith re-enters the elevator. This intervention was accomplished by tying in the visitor control system to a public address system with text-to-speech capabilities. Should Smith not return to the elevator in a predetermined time, the security console pops video, opens a voice path and the security officer determines a proper response. The integrated system ensures that visitors are monitored and counted and that they go only where they are supposed to go.

Another benefit to such a system is the ability to manage and control assets within the facility. By integrating asset management with access control the organization gains an important new advantage in protecting assets. By having the ability to tie assets (laptops, projectors, etc.) to a cardholder, it can stay one step ahead of anyone trying to remove these assets from the building. Similar to controlling John Smith, they can automate this process to pop video, alert security and follow the same intervention, so as to manage and control assets in the same manner as visitor and employee traffic.

Elevator security: A challenge, but…

Even with the best lobby security implementations, elevator security remains a major challenge. Advanced solutions, while relatively expensive on the front end, will — if implemented correctly — have a positive impact on the bottom line over time.

FOR THE RECORD

About the author

James Gompers is founder of Gompers Technologies Design Group Inc. and Gompers Technologies Testing and Research Group Inc. He has more than 20 years of expertise in the security industry as a consultant from the end-user perspective. This is another in a series of columns he is writing for Access Control & Security Systems. E-mail him at jgompers@gtdgrp.com.

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