Blog / Katy, Bar the Door – Literally
Perhaps THE most common problem we see has to do with standard door locks, especially on glass doors. Many government and corporate facilities have glass entry doors – or glass doors to departments. We have even seen glass doors on server rooms. More often than not, they have a single (keyed) dead-bolt. A single dead-bolt has a key on one side (outside), and a rotating knob on the other side (inside or protected area). The idea is simple; you need a key to enter the facility, but anyone can lock/unlock the door from the protected side by rotating the knob.
Except that is it s very simple matter to break the glass and reach in to unlock the door.
A more secure system is a dual dead-bolt. With a dual dead-bolt, the inside rotating knob is replaced by a key cylinder. It can use the same key as the outside lock. The door remains unlocked during the day, making it safe in case the building needs to be evacuated. It is locked at night.
An alternative is a Safety and Security Windows film made by 3M. There are several grades of this product, but the essential idea is that once applied, the glass will not shatter, but break more like a car windshield. This makes it difficult to penetrate and gain entry.
Of course, there are more sophisticated options available, including many electronic locks that can be monitored and controlled remotely – usually from a SmartPhone APP. However, I would caution that you choose this type of product carefully, as many consumer-grade remote locks that have SmartPhone APPs are themselves security risks, as it is entirely possible to hack the application to gain control over the locks.
For more information on Cyber Security assessments, and tips on protecting your data, contact Bradley Siddell, Director of Cyber Security at bsiddell@trinustech.com.
With a few simple measures, you can avoid having a modern-day Katy barring your doors.
