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Using Web access to tighten a company's security

In the business world, security is of paramount importance, and the first line of security is that of access control; if you have a good access control system, securing the vital elements of your business is that much simpler.

The new GSC ProxNet-Pro system is designed to tighten security at a large organisation while at the same time making control of that security that much easier for the security manager.

An advanced version of the original ProxNet system, the new version supports up to 10 000 controllers, 25 000 readers and 20 000 card holders, making it ideal for those businesses that have multiple offices or disparate sites that need to be controlled from a centralised security office.

According to Zane Greeff, technical director for Elvey Security Technologies, the sole distributor of GSC products, a major departure from the previous system is that ProxnetPro is a Web-based product, meaning that all programming, viewing of data and reports are available on the network using a standard Web browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer.

"No special software is required at the user's PC, just a standard Web browser, although for security reasons, every user is required to log-in with a username and password, and each user's access to the data is fully configurable," Greeff says.

"Triggers are a new set of features built into this system, and these allow for specific output actions to be created, based on input events. For example, the system can be configured with schedules for locking and unlocking doors based on time or other conditions."

Erich Glatz, marketing director of GSC, says that other uses for these triggers could be things like car park control, allowing one to define a system variable and then allow or deny access to the parking area based on the value of this variable; it could be used to arm or disarm an alarm based on an area count, a designated card or access at specified reader; it could switch airconditioners or lights on and off based on time or access transactions.

Glatz says that another improvement is the development of an anti-passback control, which prevents people from simply passing back their access tags to another person in order to both gain access from a single card.

"ProxNet-Pro designates zones and defines these in terms of the cards going in and out. So if a card is already designated as being in the zone, it will not allow it in again until it has been read as leaving that zone.

"The primary means of access with this system is the access card or tag, but this is nonetheless supported by other security measures, such as a personal identity number (PIN) of three to eight digits that must be typed into a keypad, and the system is even compatible with third party biometric readers."

Glatz says card expiry can be controlled by time and date and the system also provides support for visitor cards, with the visitor history kept in the database.

Greeff says that the real benefit to the new offering is the fact that it is much more flexible, since you are able to individualise permissions and levels of access to a much greater degree than before.

"I believe this solution is ideal for the larger and more distributed environments one finds in business today, although it has also proved useful in smaller, but more intricate sites.

"For example in multitenant environments, where each tenant requires exclusive control and access to data pertaining to them alone, this system is ideal, as it can be partitioned according to the requirements of each tenant."

Another new feature is the copy-protect tag, which works in a similar manner to the transponders found in modern car keys.

Not only does it transmit a unique ID in the same way any other RFID tag does, but it also supports signature-based interrogation. This means that there is a second level of security hidden within the card and it means that even if someone was able to copy the tag, this second level of security would prevent it being any use in accessing the business.

"Naturally the new system is backwards compatible with the original ProxNet solution, although one would need to replace the controller and software and perform a firmware upgrade on the readers, but cost-wise, the new solution is similar to the old one, except for the fact that the software may be a little more expensive.

"In all honesty, the advantages of this new system make it an ideal solution for just about any security-conscious business; after all, where else will you find support for remote sites, links to multiple controllers, flexible permissions, complete building management, remote management of centralised control and platform independent access via the Web, all in a single comprehensive security solution?" concludes Greeff.

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