Securing the Treasury

May 2015 Integrated Solutions

The National Treasury is responsible for managing South Africa’s national government finances. This highly sensitive national keypoint not only hosts a large number of employees, but also receives a fairly high volume of visitors on a daily basis. Access control is critical to the security of the facility, but was subjected to the normal problems associated with traditional access cards – buddy clocking, sharing of cards and the lack of anti-passback.

Management of assets was inadequate and high-risk data areas were being placed under threat by the existing system. ADI Global Distribution was approached by the National Treasury to design an access control and asset tracking system that would ensure that the theft of company and personal belongings would be eliminated and that access to sensitive areas was secured.

ADI required a subcontractor to provide a systems integration service based on unlocking the National Treasury’s requirements, as well as selecting and applying the correct solutions. ADI wrote the specifications for the project and EOH SBT (Security and Building Technology) was selected to undertake the 12-month implementation of the upgrade.

The departments most invested in the project were IT, human resources and security. The IT department were primarily concerned with logical access to rights and privileges as well as potential access to and theft of sensitive data. The HR department required full integration into the Treasury’s payroll system and the security department needed to ensure that this national keypoint was fully secured. The facilities department needed to gain control over asset tracking and matching.

The plan of action was to integrate the access control into the IT department’s Access Directory as well as into HR’s SAP and Oracle systems. The security department stipulated that anti-passback, video on alarm and customised events were to form part of their solution, while the facilities team needed to be able to identify Treasury and employee assets, track their movement in the building and match them to their owner at each of the checkpoints.

Asset tracking for mobile devices

This latter issue has escalated since mobile technology, such as smart devices and laptops, has become so popular with employees. The new system was required to immediately pick up a signal from the RFID chip placed on mobile assets, when passing through any of the entry or exit points within the building.

Prior to the selection of a total security solution, EOH and ADI conducted shootouts between various products, in the presence of both the IT and security managers. By using ADI’s global Honeywell solution footprint, the team was able to address all of the issues raised by the National Treasury.

A major challenge faced by the ADI and EOH team was the change in key personnel in the throes of the project implementation. This necessitated educating the new Treasury team on the advantages and goals of the system. “While hardware and software play a critical role in the success of any project, in this instance process and change management were equally important to acceptance of the solution,” says EOH SBT sales manager, Wayne Schneeberger.

A basket of Honeywell products was complemented by Visonic Elpas asset tracking solutions, a variety of Axis CCTV cameras and RFID chips. All solutions were applied according to EOH’s stringent ISO 9001 charter and the project was coordinated by EOH SBT project manager, Neil Scholtz, with progress checks made on a weekly basis. An SLA, outlining a planned maintenance programme, was implemented to ensure that the client was cognisant of the project progress at all stages. Feedback received from the National Treasury underlines the success of the project and the complete achievement of the primary and secondary goals outlined in the original project specification.

Schneeberger emphasises that clients should ensure that the technology solution they select matches their requirements. In addition, the system should be embedded into their business processes to ensure acceptance and sustainability.

For more information contact EOH, +27 (0)11 607 8346, kedibone.sehume@eoh.co.za, www.eoh.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Future trends for electronic safety and security in mining
Fang Fences & Guards Mining (Industry) Integrated Solutions AI & Data Analytics
The mining industry is ever evolving, driven by technological advancements and the growing need for enhanced safety and security measures, with significant innovation seen in turnkey electronic security for mining operations.

Read more...
Unlocking enhanced security for mining
Mining (Industry) Integrated Solutions
In the dynamic landscape of African mining, security remains of paramount concern as threats evolve and challenges persist, and mining companies seek innovative solutions to safeguard their operations, assets, and personnel.

Read more...
A constant armed struggle
Technews Publishing XtraVision Editor's Choice Integrated Solutions Mining (Industry) IoT & Automation
SMART Security Solutions asked a few people involved in servicing mines to join us for a virtual round table and give us their insights into mine security today. A podcast of the discussion will be released shortly-stay tuned.

Read more...
Access and identity in 2024
Technews Publishing Gallagher HID Global IDEMIA Ideco Biometrics Enkulu Technologies neaMetrics Editor's Choice Access Control & Identity Management Integrated Solutions
SMART Security Solutions hosted a round table discussion with various players in the access and identity market, to find out what they experienced in the last year, as well as their expectations for 2024.

Read more...
Advanced security solution for high-risk areas
Secutel Technologies Surveillance Integrated Solutions
The need for a sophisticated intrusion detection system is paramount when faced with persistent security challenges, particularly in isolated battery rooms or high-risk areas prone to vandalism, cable theft, and battery theft.

Read more...
Vumacam and NAVIC enhance SafeCity initiative
Integrated Solutions Risk Management & Resilience
Vumacam and NAVIC, two of South Africa's most respected surveillance technology and vehicle intelligence providers, are proud to announce an alliance that will greatly expand the coverage and impact of the SafeCity initiative across the country.

Read more...
Gallagher Security’s achieves SOC2 Type 2 recertification
Gallagher News & Events Integrated Solutions Infrastructure
Gallagher has achieved System and Organization Controls (SOC2 Type 2) recertification after a fresh audit of the cloud-hosted services of its integrated security solution, Command Centre. The recertification was achieved on 21 December 2023.

Read more...
Integrated transportation security
Guardian Eye AI & Data Analytics Integrated Solutions Logistics (Industry)
HG Travel installs an AI-powered camera system integrated across 115 vehicles throughout a fleet comprising 160 vehicles of different sizes, along with predictive and self-monitoring tools to track tyre condition, fuel consumption and theft, and overall vehicle maintenance.

Read more...
Embracing next-generation surveillance for safer cities
Surveillance Integrated Solutions AI & Data Analytics
With the South African government highlighting the importance of building smart cities by integrating advanced technologies to make them more resilient and liveable, the role of next-generation network video and surveillance technologies cannot be ignored.

Read more...
Gallagher Security releases Command Centre v9
Gallagher News & Events Access Control & Identity Management Integrated Solutions
Richer features, greater integrations, with the release of Gallagher Security’s Command Centre v9 security site management software designed to integrate seamlessly with various systems and hardware.

Read more...