Building Security: Preventing and Detecting Unauthorised Access

Every business, building or site is different. The best Access Control Equipment for you may not be the same as for the business next door. The best way to prevent and detect unauthorised access is by identifying and understanding your particular security weak spots.

So what are the most common weak spots for unauthorised access into buildings and how do you prevent them?

Tailgating

Tailgating is probably the easiest way to gain access to a building without authorisation. The perpetrator just waits for someone to enter and follows behind them. Many people will even hold the door open for an unauthorised person out of politeness.

Training your staff on this matter is a good prevention method. Creating a culture in the office of politely questioning anybody they don’t recognise will reduce the risk of unauthorised access. This does leave significant room for error however and in larger companies, may not be realistic.

Turnstiles or Flap Barriers are a good way of eliminating tailgating. They only allow one person to enter at a time which slows foot traffic down and allows front of house staff time to observe and identify people as they arrive.

Turnstiles with swipe cards, camera or intercom features will add the extra level of security by only allowing access to authorised personnel and eliminating an intruder’s opportunity to tailgate behind them.

Door Propping

Humans are always looking for the most convenient way to do something, it’s in our nature. You could invest in the most high-tech control access equipment but if people are propping the door so that they don’t have to keep opening it, your systems are suddenly redundant.

Some access control systems can now detect when a door is propped open and alert security accordingly. Another way to resolve the issue is to invest in automatic doors complete with state of the art door sensors.

Keys and Access Cards

Giving keys to staff members makes you vulnerable to human error. People lose keys, misplace them or they can easily be stolen. Many people also have key-rings with the company’s name on them which makes it easy for burglars to identify your building as a target should the keys fall into the wrong hands.

Access cards are the more advanced version of keys as they are registered to a particular person. Cards can track who entered the building and when and can also be used as identification if a photo is included. It is usually easier and cheaper to block access to a card than it is to replace all of the locks should a key or card be lost.

Cards are however still susceptible to human error. To minimise the risk, ensure that the company name or address is not visible so that if it is lost, misplaced or stolen, the building cannot be identified.

What Access Control Equipment Should I Use?

Ultimately, most types of security systems have their own weak spots and your best option may be to utilise multiple security measures in conjunction with each other in order to truly minimise risk. Look at our catalogue of security and access control equipment to find the right combination for you.

What are your weak spots when it comes to Building Security? Leave a comment below, or for expert advice on the best security measures for your building, contact us today.