Genetec issues alert on risks posed by legacy access control systems

“Many organisations are operating with access control systems that date back ten years or more,” explained Christian Morin, vice-president of product engineering and chief security officer at Genetec. “While these older systems still allow employees to ‘badge’ in and out, there’s a very high likelihood that they employ technologies now extremely vulnerable to modern cyber threats.”

Vulnerabilities in legacy access control systems can introduce cyber security weaknesses that may put an entire organisation at risk. Cyber criminals can exploit weaknesses in access control system credentials, controllers, servers, readers or workstations connected to the network. Once a cyber criminal has breached access control system credentials, they can then move on to an organisation’s network and gain control of other building systems, view or steal confidential information from internal records or launch attacks designed to take key systems offline.

Companies affected can pay a heavy price. The average cost of a data breach rose from US$3.86 million in 2020 to US$4.24 million last year. That being so, it’s never been more important for organisations to be educated on the risks associated with legacy systems and the advantages that new cyber secure access solutions can offer.

Best Practice

In order to improve the cyber security of access control systems, Genetec recommends the following steps:

*Upgrade the system. Older systems were not built to address today’s threats. When evaluating a new access control system or upgrading an existing system, make sure that cyber security is a key component of the vendor selection criteria

*Use advanced secure credentials and the latest communications protocols to secure data transmission since older credentials are easy to clone using readily available tools

*Educate employees and partners about cyber security Best Practice and ensure they are prompted to change passwords on a regular basis

*Regularly check for firmware and software updates and install once available

*Use a centralised identity access management system to ensure virtual and physical authentication and authorisation of employees for better control and more effective maintenance of systems

*Create a dedicated network for access control systems such that there’s clear segregation of networks based on their purpose   

*Choose a security provider who can demonstrate compliance with established security certifications

*Ensure that the access control system uses proven data encryption standards as well as multi-factor authentication

*Work with a partner that harbours strong supply chain risk management, a dedicated team to monitor cyber threats and ensures software is updated frequently and patched as and when necessary

Recent transformation

Access control technology has undergone a huge transformation in recent years. Customers are gradually freeing themselves from proprietary solutions and demanding more flexible, open solutions. Forward-thinking technology manufacturers have now introduced a new breed of more cyber secure solutions that offer benefits beyond locking and unlocking doors.

A unified access control system that uses the latest cyber security standards to secure communication, servers and data can not only protect an organisation’s assets and people, but also help to improve business operations and decision-making.

By choosing an open architecture, IP-based access control system, organisations have the flexibility to upgrade to the latest supported technology at any time, move at their own pace and work within their available budget.

*For more information, download the Genetec White Paper entitled Cyber Security: The Risks of Legacy Access Control Systems