The Keyless Revolution

HERE AT Abloy UK, we recently surveyed our customer base to discover the reason why had they moved to CLIQ, our flagship access management system. Although we received a range of feedback about the benefits of integration and data collection, the overwhelming answer was a fear of lost keys.

That’s hardly surprising, though. Keys frequently top the list of the most commonly misplaced items and, while it’s bad enough to lose your house or car keys, absolutely no-one wants to be responsible for the costs and consequences of mislaying the keys for commercial or critical infrastructure sites.

Professionals operating in our industry will well remember how, back in 2012, the locks at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium had to be replaced after the police lost a set of keys just before the Olympic Games were due to begin. The cost of that replacement project ran into the tens of thousands of pounds, not to mention the reputational damage it caused.

Managing lost keys clearly remains a core issue for security teams, but how will this change as keyless systems and other complementary technology start to shape the access control market? Can new keyless options actually provide greater security and value for money? If so, does that really mean we should just be throwing all of our old keys away?

Keyless access control

Naturally, keyless access control systems don’t involve traditional keys and lock cylinders. Instead, they grant people access via a device such as a key card, fob or mobile. These types of locks are becoming significantly more common in all types of organisations as the technology evolves to be more sophisticated in nature and affordable for the end user.

Like their predecessors, a quality keyless access control system will provide physical security and link to a key management platform which generates audit trails and remotely grants and/or revokes access.

To reach their full potential, keyless access control systems should also integrate with cloud technology. Many of us often take for granted the fact that our everyday data, like our money and our e-mails, are all stored in the cloud. The name may vary, but if it’s a server that stores data or manages computing power and it isn’t in your own home or premises, it’s a cloud. 

The sector has been hesitant to embrace the cloud due to the nature and value of data that needs to be stored, in turn meaning that we’re trailing behind many other sectors in this area.  However, it’s a crucial part of the evolution of access control, and particularly so when it comes to discussions around keyless systems. 

Cloud applications further increase the flexibility keyless technology provides. You can be anywhere in the world and connect to the cloud, which means that you’re not reliant on running your own complicated networks between locations. Further integration with mapping software such as OS Cloud can create a live database which can be used to monitor and manage all sites.

Storing the data from keyless security systems on the cloud also has a huge cost advantage attached to it. In the main, this is because they use a multi-tenancy, shared production environment which means the costs are split across a large number of organisations.  

If you’re an end user, it’s important to ensure you’re working with experts so as to guarantee your critical data is protected, as they will have the skills and knowledge necessary to encrypt the data and issue software and firmware updates at the correct time.

Role of mobiles

The next generation of access control systems will also make much more use of mobile phones. Why not, indeed? After all, they’re such useful tools and capable of so many functions that have become an integral part of business’ network infrastructure – a piece of invaluable IT equipment like our laptops, in fact. 

Employing keyless technology that makes good and effective use of a simple-to-operate app, which is encrypted to the highest standard, can maximise the flexibility and efficiency of on-the-ground staff, particularly so when you’re talking to short-term contractors.

These types of advances could allow organisations to stop using traditional key management and key deployment systems altogether, as end users will deploy their mobile phones through a network to access restricted areas, including padlocked remote sites. This creates a more streamlined, flexible and efficient infrastructure whereby anyone, anywhere can receive activation codes through SMS, display a list of access credentials, connect to a lock and use their phone to unlock it, receive rights from back end services or even install a firmware update.

In order to absolutely ensure maximum security, keyless technology that uses mobiles should be backed by a number of authentication systems. These could include the correct electronic access and biometric authentication – such as a PIN or fingerprint respectively – to prove the identity of a given individual. 

Crucially, none of these should be dependent on Internet access. This is because many sites, such as Critical National Infrastructure locations, can be found in remote and rarely visited locations which lack the Internet connection to make use of online platforms. 

Creating a security ecosystem 

Thanks to the latest developments in technology, security experts can now create the perfect access control solution for any site. Traditional keys will always have their place, but digital advances are leading us more towards the creation of an overall security ecosystem rather than a single type of solution. 

In turn, this means that we should always be seeking to select the right security tool for the job – keyed or keyless – but at the same time ensure that they work with existing systems, are scalable, future-proof and, importantly, provide good value for money for the purchasing organisation.  

We also want to champion the convenience of keyless solutions without compromising robust physical security. All locking solutions should integrate maximum security and reliability into their processes. For its part, a keyless security system should still maintain the strict standards required by a physical security installation.

The overriding aim is to integrate robust and resilient physical locks with intelligent back end digital systems, while also linking them to security and access management platforms. This provides the capability to manage access rights, credentials, third party organisations and other metadata, which then creates a more efficient system, keeping sites thoroughly protected and compliant and enabling visualisation of those sites’ status.

Operating an intuitive security ecosystem can also bring about a considerable return on investment. The value of key-based access control systems which are solely mechanical can depreciate over each year of their lifecycle. That’s a truism exacerbated further for lost keys or when they become unfit for purpose due to a business’ changing organisational requirements. 

However, digital and electro-mechanical solutions which link back to a key management cloud system can be updated and evolve, while analysis of the data can provide further and significant cost savings.

Planning for the future

One of the biggest challenges facing the security world is that the rate of technological change in the last ten-to-20 years has been tremendous. After centuries of mechanical keys and padlocks, we’ve seen a strong rise of electromechanical and keyless or digital locking solutions during the last decade. That has meant a big change for many.

Recently, I spoke with one of our customers in the energy sector about their payment method preference for the security solutions we provide to the business. It turned out they were keen on a subscription model. 

Earlier, they would have paid for a mechanical piece of metal that would be used for the next 20 years. Today, no-one knows what their company’s infrastructure will look like in the next decade and this is an easy way in which to future-proof and implement keyless solutions.

Don’t fall into the trap of making your investment decision based on a snapshot of your operations today. Instead, try to see how the picture will look in the next five-to-ten years and leave enough wriggle room for change. In short, make sure the solution you commit to is future-ready.

‘Keyvolution’ in progress

We’re currently undergoing a ‘keyvolution’. This is an era of effortless connectivity achieved without a physical key, but it remains the case that there are no keyless locks: the key has just taken on some new forms. 

The traditional key will always have its place, but as a sector we’ve come on leaps and bounds with devices capable of integrating with intelligent access control systems and which can be tailor-made to meet the security challenges of any site.
The next generation of security solutions will continue to help organisations meet regulatory compliance, provide cost savings, improve operational efficiencies, reduce Health and Safety-centred incidents and ensure that assets are maintained and kept secure.

Whether it’s a keyed or keyless solution that your business requires, the most important point to bear in mind is that you need to partner with solution experts whom you trust and who will help you to create an access control ecosystem designed to evolve over time.

Pip Courcoux is Sales and Product Manager for CLIQ Systems at Abloy UK (www.abloy.co.uk)