By Kyle Gordon

As security teams adjust to the new norms of the COVID-19 crisis–including their on-site presences–now is a good time to assess your access control systems and policies.

Security integration between physical security and IT teams by means of access control can help you mitigate on-premises risks during this time. Your policies should support your business priorities and protect your physical space – even when you’re not there. 

Here’s how you can assess your access control systems and policies to ensure your organization can handle the demands of the COVID-19 crisis.

Secure your doors

While it might sound simple, your door access control is an important area of vulnerability to solve in your overarching access control plan.

• Define your entrances. How many entrances do you have? To better define your entrances, determine which exterior doors will serve as your primary entry points. Remove door handles and other entry hardware from non-entrances to make them exit-only and limit potential entry points for threats.

• Install door contacts. Door contacts are often a missing element from many access control plans despite their usefulness. While you might already have installed access control readers to notify you once the door is opened, door contacts will alert you if a door is left open.

• Conduct external door inspection. Ensure you’re maintaining your doors’ mechanical integrity and replacing parts as needed. Also, as you inspect your exterior, remove parking cones, bricks and anything else someone could use to prop open doors.

Audit access control

As you continue to respond to changes due to COVID-19, take stock of your systems and adapt your processes accordingly.

• Modify hours of operation within your access control system. While your people can easily adapt to schedule changes, your access control system might need a review. Check if your alarms are properly armed in line with changed hours of operation. If your business is closed, consider suspending individuals’ access control cards to keep your doors shut. 

• Set up custom alerts. You normally receive hundreds or even thousands of alerts from your system. With limited resources to respond, how do you know which require your undivided attention? Set up custom alerts for sensitive areas and doors. A special color-coded alert stands out more clearly and helps your team prioritize responses.
  
• Create a spare key log. Identify your spare keys for locations on your premises, including any master keys. Create a log to track who has what key, and require people wanting keys to submit written requests. Share approved requests with your human resources department to track keys when employment situations change. Also, outline your process for managing lost or stolen keys so employees know what to do in those scenarios.

• Check access privileges. While your IT teams already know the “Zero Trust” concept, physical security should adopt it, too. It means nobody in your organization should have more access than they absolutely need to have. Question the access privileges you’re granting to everyone on your premises and change them as needed.

Update access control software

With security management shifting off-site, ensure your access control software is up-to-date and can handle the increased digital workload. 

• Install security patches. To avoid glitches or security vulnerabilities while your team works remotely, download and install security patches for your software. You’ll need the most up-to-date system running to truly secure your organization. 

• Test remote capabilities if possible. If your business is closed to physical work, all teams will be operating remotely. Take time now to assess what your remote security management capabilities are and consider updating your system.

IT and physical security teams can work together and use proper security integration to secure their premises during this unprecedented time. With these tips, you can identify opportunities for hardening security measures on your premises and enhance your access control.

About The Author

Kyle Gordon is Vice President of U.S. Field Sales at STANLEY Security, where he oversees a team responsible for all commercial activities in the organization. Prior to that, he’s led several commercial teams at both STANLEY Security and Stanley Black & Decker. He joined STANLEY Security one day after graduating from college, as an entry level sales team member. Kyle earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York College at Fredonia and received a regent’s diploma in liberal arts from Canandaigua Academy.

Source: stanleysecuritysolutions.com