Access Control: A Lesson In School Security

This is how it once was in schools: the janitor in his grey overalls, carrying a heavy keychain in his pocket, was lord over the locking and unlocking of doors throughout the school. Apart from him, just the teachers and the cleaners had keys to the main entrance and the classrooms. When other keys were issued, this was usually recorded in a handwritten log. But today it is no longer possible to know what keys exist and how many copies have been made for the many old, mechanical locking systems that are still in daily use in primary and secondary schools. The teachers are usually issued with a master key and one for storage cabinets. But it is difficult to keep track of the continually changing army of supply teachers or the ‘springers’ from the ‘mobile reserve’. If a teacher forgets to lock the computer lab, the chemistry lab or the workshop for example, it is completely unprotected.

One ID Device Per Person

The special situation of schools and other training establishments with many people coming and going each day demands an intelligent, flexible and centrally controlled system. Unauthorized entry to the school grounds by strangers must be prevented all the time. Protection against theft, burglary and vandalism is also an important consideration alongside possible emergency situations, such as a fire.
SimonsVoss, a specialist for digital lock technology, has a solution for schools and other educational establishments in the form of the 3060 networked lock and access control system. This is secure, easy to maintain and to operate, and only one identification medium is necessary per person. The conversion from mechanical to digital technology can be carried out without interruption to normal operation.

Individual Rights

The situation changes in schools with the start of each new school year with new room plans, teachers and timetables. Various different groups of people – among them the teachers, children, cleaning staff and technicians – need access at different times to different areas of the buildings. A trend is also now developing whereby certain rooms become multifunctional, and some are even rented out to external clients. This could be the cafeteria for events, the music studios to bands, classrooms for evening classes or the use of the sports hall for clubs. Keeping control over access rights is particularly important in such cases.
The 3060 system can not only administer the main entrance, side doors, corridors and doors but also elevators, lockers and cabinets. So for example, the main entrance can be open for everyone during school time and then restricted outside this time just to people authorized to enter, such as teachers and cleaners. In emergency situations, all the doors can be unlocked at the push of a button, and doors can even be unlocked remotely. Specific floors can be made accessible for certain people via the elevators.

Door Monitoring

The Door Monitoring function provides surveillance of all external doors and also internal doors to high-security areas. Transparency and traceability are ensured by the continuous recording of locking/unlocking events. Any alterations to the system are also recorded so manipulation is impossible. A practical aspect of the identification media: besides the robust and long-lasting transponders, existing smartcards, such as student IDs, can also be used as a digital key. Lost ID media can be quickly barred with a single click of the mouse to prevent misuse. The system is managed by the facility management using the LSM software that SimonsVoss provide in various versions to suit every type of school application.

Networking Option

The 3060 systems can be run offline, virtually networked or operated online if required. In online mode, all the functions and updates to access rights are carried out centrally with the LSM software and sent over the network in real time. There is then no need for any programming to be done on site. Online operation is very convenient and provides the highest level of security. Offline systems can also be upgraded to networked online operation later. In contrast, virtually networked systems have changes to their access rights distributed via strategically placed gateways to the ID media and to the locks.