An access control system is simply the method of managing entry and access into specific buildings, locations and areas within buildings. Knowing who, and how, different people can access property is a fundamental concern of any business owner.
The traditional type of access control system is lock and key. However, with advancements in security system technology access control has moved beyond a metal lock and business owners now have the ability to control accessibility into their facilities with electronic keycards, keypads and touchscreens that provide different levels of access and security, based on individuals’ access needs.
Access control systems give business owners and building managers an extra layer of security and control of their property. Depending on the type of technology you use to manage your system, access to property can be granted or denied in real-time and your system can log exactly who accessed your property and when.
Using an advanced access control system provides greater security detail and a number of benefits to traditional security methods.
Top Benefits for Commercial Access Control Systems
You Can Manage Individuals’ Access to Specific Areas of your Business or Property
Every business has a hierarchy of employees. Some employees need to be able to access sensitive equipment, like a secured network server, while others simply need access into the main office in order to their jobs. An access control system allows business owners to put sensitive equipment into different rooms of their business and only give access to those areas to employees that need to be able to use that equipment.
Access History Logs and Automated Environmental Controls
In addition to managing employee access to different rooms and buildings, access control systems log all entry into secured locations so that business owners can review who has been into specific areas, and when, if a problem or potential threat ever arises. Access control systems also allow for adjustments in the environment such as turning on the lights in a secured room or adjusting the temperature when someone scans to enter. The simple touches such as automatically changing the environment can lead to long-term energy bill savings.
Enhanced Efficiency for Security Needs and Changes
Never change a lock again. Keys often get lost or stolen, leaving your business vulnerable. On top of that, employees come and go. When employees leave, especially employees that previously had access to sensitive information and equipment, changing locks and re-securing areas of your business can be a hassle. With advanced access control systems, access can be granted or removed very quickly and electronically so that business owners don’t have to worry about legacy access becoming a threat.
Enhance Safety for your Business and your Employees
Business owners can use access control to restrict access to dangerous equipment or sensitive systems to prevent any unnecessary tampering and potential for accidents. Less accidents, mean less hours spent dealing with workers compensation forms and even lawsuits. Also, security experts in Information Technology will tell you that the first thing they review is ways around physical security with the intent to access a server room. Once they have access, it takes no time at all to setup a remote connection to leak sensitive customer and employee data.
Deter Criminal Activity
Criminals can recognize an access control system and know that it is not only more difficult to break into, but the chances are much higher that authorities would be notified immediately if a break in were to occur. Access control systems are a signal to potential criminals that this business has a more mature security system, and very likely has cameras rolling to record activity, too, making it an undesirable target.
Advanced access control system give business owners a more secure business while also providing convenient, flexible and cost-effective means of maintaining that security.
Knowing when it’s time to upgrade your home security system is an important part of keeping your family, business and property safe. However, life changes can often creep up on you, and you never know what precautions you need to take until it’s too late. Discover some of the top reasons our customers choose to upgrade and see if you’re in the same boat.
Your Equipment is Outdated
Start by making sure you aren’t using a security system still running on the 2G spectrum. If you are, that system is no longer capable of keeping your family secure because it is being phased out in favor of the newer, faster systems. The 2G devices will not contact emergency services because they no longer have a functional network to contact. (Note: If you are an existing customer, we have already reached out to you and had any units replaced.)
Next, determine if your security system is still working with your lifestyle. The latest alarm system technology lets your home stay more connected to you, and the authorities, than ever before. Your security system equipment should be able to communicate not only with first responders, through things like cameras with video alarm verification capability, but also with you through your smartphone and smartphone apps that notify you immediately if the security of your home is at risk.
Upgrades or Additions to Your Home
Have you recently replaced any doors or windows in your house? Or, maybe you’ve added a room or redesigned the exterior of your home? Any home improvements or updates you’ve done to your house could warrant an overhaul to how your security system works and the best placement for sensors or cameras.
New Family Members in the House
Maybe you’ve recently moved your elderly mother into the home, and her eyesight isn’t great. You could make it easier on her and yourself with a larger, more visual experience of the Honeywell Tuxedo panel. Also, if you’re dealing with a loved one that has memory problems, a security camera would allow you to check in on them from time to time to ensure they haven’t fallen or decided to leave the house unexpectedly.
Additionally, if you’ve welcomed a new child into the home, you’ll want to keep a closer eye on them with a security camera — accessible from wherever you are thanks to Honeywell Total connect.
Crime Has Increased in the Neighborhood
Has a recent wave of crimes hit your area, and no one has caught footage of the thieves? Be the hero of your neighborhood and add a surveillance camera to your property to capture footage that you can send to your neighbors on the Next Door app along with the local authorities. In the process, you’ll keep would-be criminals from picking your house as an easy target. It’s a win-win situation because they know if they hit your home, the footage is going to end up online, and the last thing they want to do is get caught!
If you need an upgraded home security system, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can help you pick the upgrades to solve life’s little changes and challenges.
Do-it-yourself home security systems have become increasingly popular over recent years. Homeowners, and renters, see DIY home security systems as an easy and inexpensive way to protect their home and their belongings. And, with a slew of home security products on the market, and thousands of DIY YouTube videos, an entire DIY system can be purchased and set up in a matter of hours. Sounds pretty easy, right?
Buyer beware! Many DIY home security systems can bring on more headache and hassle than security and can leave homes and families more vulnerable than they were before the system was installed.
To find out why DIY home security systems might not be the best solution for your security needs, we’ve compiled the top concerns and problems we hear about DIY security.
1.Thieves Can Easily Hack into Your DIY Systems
Far and away, the number one problem with DIY systems is that they can be easily taken over, turned off or manipulated by thieves and crooks. Instances like these have been well documented – by Forbes, Business Insider, SecuritySales.com, and more.
According to an article from Forbes last year, many mass market security devices can be easily hacked into and compromised. “Anyone who can locate a SimpliSafe owner can use basic hardware and software, bought for between $50 and $250, to harvest customer PINs and turn alarms off at a distance of up to 200 yards away.”
2. Faulty Installation Can Mean A False Sense of Protection
Another problem with the DIY’ers and YouTubers of home security systems is that a 20-minute installation video can make a very important security feature install look much simpler than it really is. Professional technicians go to school and receive extensive training for this very purpose. Protecting your home and your family shouldn’t be left to chance, and by attempting to install your own system, you run the risk of setting up equipment incorrectly or in the wrong places, and leaving your home unprotected.
3. Customization is Key to Properly Securing Your Home
Every home is different. Everyone’s family and lifestyle is different. Your home security system needs to protect both, and that’s why one simple system won’t work for everyone.
How many entry points does your home have? How many windows do you have that are easy for potential burglars to access? How many exterior blind spots do you have that are hidden from view of the street or your neighbors? Or, maybe you need more lifestyle sensors, like remote keyless entry for school-age children and cameras that let you know when they’ve safely come home from school in the middle of the afternoon?
All of these are problems with solutions easily provided by professional home security systems. Don’t try to piece together different products and create your own unique (and overly complicated) DIY system. Let an industry expert identify the right types of products and setup for your specific home and lifestyle needs.
4. Poor Security Equipment Quality
Products created for mass market consumption can often sacrifice quality to make production and costs of goods decrease and keep prices low. This means that a lot of the out-of-the-box home security products that you can buy at retailers or online will be of a much lower quality than products provided and relied upon by professional security system providers.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Check out what consumers and have said about SimpliSafe, LiveWatch, and others.
5. No Smart Home Technology and Integration
Ok, so that’s not exactly true. There are ways to install and rig DIY security products for SmartHome use, however, this can definitely lead to vulnerability issues and faulty performance when not done correctly.
You also have far fewer options to integrate with a DIY system than you do with a system setup and installed by a team of professionals. And, as with any new technology and integrations, you want to be sure to leave yourself ways to upgrade and enhance the tech as newer, “smart”er versions become available, which can be limiting with specific manufacturers and product lines.
6. Monitoring Can Be Tough
Think about it. Do you really want a minimalist, low-grade service responsible for safely monitoring and responding to your family’s security needs?
The marketing message of $10/month, no contract “monitoring” service sounds attractive, but remember, you get what you pay for.
With a professional services company monitoring your home, you’re guaranteed a 24/7 central monitoring service that can dispatch police, fire and medical aid immediately.
Want to learn more about your security system options? Contact Fortress today.
A thief can get away with a lot in a successful home invasion. So imagine what a typical office could offer – Jackpot!
A burglar might need more people for the heavy lifting but an office is filled with a wide array of pricey products including: computers, printers, displays, servers, copiers, and fax machines. A robbery of a company’s warehouse could possibly wipe out all of the inventory and a business in the process. What makes a place of business an easy target? Well, it is a place of business, and most likely closes every day. It is easy for a burglar to case it and decipher normal work times. Is the parking lot empty? Check. Is it after 8 PM? Check. Are the lights off? Check. According to buyerzone.com each year companies lose billions of dollars in theft, both internal and external. So what does a commercial security system cost? What are the costs of protecting your company?
Standard Cost of a Commercial Security System
The standard cost of a commercial security system depends on how complex a system you need. An office security system to protect your assets can range from being relatively inexpensive to costing quite a bit. It mostly depends on the how much equipment is necessary to protect your assets, and the size of your space.
Your milk is about to expire. How do you know? Your smart fridge just let you know. This technology isn’t available at most houses yet, but it will be soon. Every day, an average of 5.5 million smart devices are being connected in homes around the world. According to Gartner research there will be 6.4 billion of these “Internet of Things” devices by year’s end, and 20.8 billion devices by 2020. Automated homes are the wave of the future, and the future is here.
Smart home door locks, smart home thermostats, smart home security systems and cameras: you’ve heard the phrase smart home be thrown around, but what does it mean?
A smart home means an automated home. Tasks are done automatically without the owner manually having to do anything. No more leaving the key under the mat. You can remotely unlock your door from an app while at work to let in your housekeeper. Your smart thermostat “learns” that you leave for work every day at 8:30 AM. Following this pattern it turns down the air while you’re at work and then cycles back on so it’s the perfect temperature for when you get home. Saving you money, around an average of 33% (using this smart thermostat) in the process.
Simply put, an automated home security system means your home is programmed to your lifestyle needs, wants and preferences. Want your lights to come on when the sun goes down, regardless of if you’re at home or not? Maybe you need to let someone in, but you can’t get to the door? Or, for budgetary reasons, do you want to set your home’s temperature to optimal settings only when someone’s in the house? All of this, and more, are some of the conveniences that come with an automated home system.
With a smart home and an automated system, you can arm and disarm your security system and camera system according to a schedule, remotely control camera monitoring and recording, manage your temperature settings, turn lights on and off, lock and unlock doors, and manage major appliance controls. Just set it and forget it.
Thanks to technology, it seems every corner of the communications realm has been universally altered. This includes security monitoring, which has evolved since the early days of home security equipment.
During this evolution process, we’ve learned that two technologies are better than one. But how exactly has home security been impacted by the changing times?
Here’s how Security Monitoring works— from the olden days to our modern approach. Read More »
