Kurt Measom

Access control and security entrance integration is a specialized discipline. It is true that security entrances require only a dry contact and can integrate with virtually any access control system, but there are some things to be considered when researching the right access control system for your organization’s security goals. After 21 years’ experience in the security industry—four of those serving as an advisor for security solutions to dozens of Fortune 1000 companies—and a Lenel certification, I’ve seen a lot when it comes to security entrances and access control systems. Based on that experience, here are three mistakes I’ve seen too many times that I hope I can help you avoid. Mistake 1: Device Placement The placement of your access control device will not only affect the throughput of your entrance, but also its level of security or effectiveness at tailgating mitigation. If you are spending a significant amount of money on physical security entrances, you are going to want to know if your access control device is negatively impacting the entrance’s ability to provide the intended level of security. Some of the placement mistakes I’ve observed where throughput and security were impacted: Access control system placement in the hallway. Believe it or not, placement of a device on a wall to the left side of the entrance vs. the right. Most of the world drives on the right side of the road. That’s intuitive for most users, and that is why authorized users enter our security revolving doors to the right. However, I have seen companies place the access control device on the LEFT side of a hallway, opposite the entry point of the door. Unauthorized Entry To Buildings Here’s an example to illustrate this mistake: It is lunchtime, many people are coming and going through a security revolving door. There is a large group of people exiting the door while I am trying to enter. I have to cross through that oncoming traffic to get to the card reader on the left side of the hallway, scan my badge, and then maneuver through traffic to get back to the entrance of the door on the right side. This is far from an ideal set up for efficient throughput. There is also the chance that while I’m trying to make my way through traffic after authorization, someone else could jump into the door and make it through. What if that “someone else” was a person intent on doing harm? Faster access control devices could mean that there is a greater probability of the device saying someone is authorized when they are not Another placement mistake is distance of the device from the entrance. Let’s stick with the picture we have of the security revolving door in the hallway. The access control device is mounted on the right side of the hallway, BUT the device is 10 feet from the entrance of the door. That’s a lapse of several seconds between the access control device and the security entrance. During a busy time of day, like lunch, someone could march straight past the person who just authorized and enter through the door. Again, if this isn’t someone with credentials, you could have a serious problem on your hands. Mistake 2: Speed Of Activation Is Too High The faster the access control device, the higher probability of a false acceptance, or the device saying that someone is authorized when they really aren’t. When you think about it simply, any time that we as humans try to do something faster and faster, quality tends to suffer. The same is true of an access control device. There is a biometric device technology on the market that only requires a person to wave their hand through for authentication—no more actually placing your hand on the device for its geometry to be verified. While this significantly increases the throughput of the entrance, there is a greater probability of the device saying someone is authorized when they are not. Are you willing to take that risk? Verification On The Fly In order to speed throughput, lately we have heard of “verification on the fly” systems that recognize facial features as a person is walking up to the device. Manufacturers of these devices tout that their technology can recognize a specific face among a crowd from 15 feet away or more. While this is great technology, it isn’t really taking off because there is much room for error. To achieve the activation speed advertised, you’d be risking a higher level of false acceptance. Also, if three people approach and one is authorized, the entrance will unlock, but who is actually entering? The best way to ensure the right person passes through the entrance is to use two-factor authentication The best way to ensure the right person passes through the entrance is to use two-factor authentication. You could have the facial recognition device to start with, but you’d need to add a secondary reader right at the door to confirm that the same, authorized user is the one getting in. Mistake 3: Not Intuitive For Users So, when is intuitive use not very intuitive? There are two areas: Sophisticated devices and hidden placement. Is the access control device something that your employees will know how to use intuitively, like a card swipe reader? Or is it something that will require training, like an iris scanner or BLE reader? This does require achieving a balance. We know that card readers are low-tech and someone wanting to inflict harm can easily steal a badge and gain access. But, is the device so complex that your staff just won’t get it? Is the technology too new? Too new that it hasn’t been tried and tested? Secondly, where is the device placed? Is it underneath a black piece of glass, hidden from view? Is it on the left side of the hallway when someone is expecting to see it on the right? Placement must be as close to intuitive as possible. Access control systems and security entrances go hand-in-hand in preventing tailgating and unauthorized entry. It is crucial to think hard about which access control device you need, how best to install it, and whether it will it function appropriately to meet your organization’s unique security goals.

Alcatraz, developer of secure frictionless access control products, and Boon Edam a global renowned provider of security entrances and architectural revolving doors, have announced an integration that delivers touchless access control with facial recognition for mantrap portal circlelock units, and similar entrance solutions used in a variety of industries. “The Boon Edam and Alcatraz technology partnership is huge,” said Boon Edam Vice President of Technology and Product Support, Kurt Measom. Alcatraz Rock facial recognition access control solution Kurt adds, “The Alcatraz Rock delivers a touchless facial recognition access control solution for our products like the mantrap portal circlelock unit. With it, we can provide a quick seamless entry point into highly secure areas like data centers.” Alcatraz Founder and CEO, Vince Gaydarzhiev said they developed the Alcatraz Rock with renowned security entrance control providers like Boon Edam in mind. Secure, frictionless access control platform Vince further stated, “We knew that facial authentication would enhance Boon Edam’s existing entrance control solutions by giving them the option to easily incorporate secure, frictionless access control into their security regardless of the access control provider they use because we developed the Rock to work with all of them.” The Alcatraz Rock delivers a frictionless and secure physical access control platform that detects tailgating and works with any access control system. It replaces or augments badging as a credential with facial recognition, 3D sensing, and artificial intelligence to enable highly secure and frictionless entry into physical locations. The Rock uses passive 3D sensing, machine learning for increased security The Rock uses passive 3D sensing, machine learning for increased security, and accurate tailgating detection while intelligently enrolling employees as they are badging in, creating onboarding magic. Automatic security entrance products “When used with Boon Edam automatic security entrance products like the mantrap portal circlelock unit, the Alcatraz Rock enhances security and improves flow," said Measom, adding “We have found that the Alcatraz Rock performs better than other biometrics we have used in that it’s seamless.” Measom further said, “Some biometrics can take more time because a person’s face has to be directly in front of an iris scanner, for example. But with the Rock, it’s quick and intuitive. It recognizes users very quickly and takes no time at all.” Alcatraz and Boon Edam integration “Integration like this between Alcatraz and Boon Edam is really a game-changer for those industries that require the ultimate in security like data centers.” stated Gaydarzhiev Vince adds, “We’re excited to partner with Boon Edam and help them increase security in the variety of verticals they specialize in.”

Video is widely embraced as an essential element of physical security systems. However, surveillance footage is often recorded without sound, even though many cameras are capable of capturing audio as well as video. Beyond the capabilities of cameras, there is a range of other audio products on the market that can improve system performance and/or expand capabilities (e.g., gunshot detection.) We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How does audio enhance the performance of security and/or video systems? 

When a fire or other emergency occurs in a building or facility, first responders depend on every available resource to ensure a safe and orderly evacuation and response. One element in any response plan is the facility’s physical security systems, including access control, video surveillance and intrusion detection. How can these systems contribute to an orderly response to a chaotic situation?  We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the role of security systems in the event of a fire or other emergency evacuation?

Boon Edam Inc., a pioneer in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, is proud to announce that their Speedlane Lifeline optical turnstiles have been certified as compatible with the new iRox-T Turnstile Reader from Essex Electronics. “Our Speedlane Lifeline optical turnstiles with the integrated iRox Turnstile Readers deliver a multitude of benefits to users,” said Kurt Measom, Vice President, Technology and Support, Boon Edam Inc. “This integration is one more way Boon Edam continues to create solutions to address the growing demands for security in busy lobbies without sacrificing speed or functionality.” Support For Multi-Technology Applications Supported technologies include standard proximity, iCLASS, iCLASS SE and MIFARE, DesFire, and EV1 & 2 for a range of access control manufacturersBy integrating iRox-T readers with powerful embedded HID iCLASS SE technology, Speedlane Lifeline turnstiles offer users a greater readability range with support for multi-frequency, multi-technology applications including HID’s most secure SEOS technology. Supported technologies include standard proximity, iCLASS, iCLASS SE and MIFARE, DesFire, and EV1 & 2 for a range of access control manufacturers. The low profile of the iRox-T readers allow for optimal placement in the Speedlane Lifeline turnstiles to support maximum convenience and throughput. This support of multiple technologies makes the Speedlane Lifeline optical turnstiles ideal for use in multiple-tenant applications, because each organization can use their preferred access credentials. This approach also supports simple migrations from existing low-frequency card systems to the latest, most secure credentials available today to strengthen and enhance facility security.

In today’s highly interactive and interconnected world, cybersecurity is not restricted to the IT department – it threatens and affects every connected device in every department. As connectivity continues to expand, the risks will increase. In this environment, surveillance and physical security systems will continue to play a critical role in keeping organizations, staff and visitors safe. It is vital to understand what the cybersecurity threats are to physical security systems, how protections from cyber-attacks can be implemented and how security professionals must plan for incident recovery and ongoing protection. Combating Cyber Security Risks At ISC West, on April 11, 2018 from 3:45-4:45 pm located in Sands Room #309 - Level 1, a panel discussion of industry experts, comprised of renowned executives representing surveillance, cloud access control, biometrics, identity management, and other categories will address these important cybersecurity topics. The ISC West Education Session, ‘Another Brick in the Firewall: Security Leaders Discuss the Elements of Complete Cyber Protection’, will include discussions about how individual countermeasures help to build an overall protection system. It’s critical that cybersecurity countermeasures are implemented to create a proactive and effective cyber defence" The panelists will include Rick Caruthers, Executive VP for Galaxy Control Systems; Stuart Rawling, Director of Business Development for Pelco by Schneider Electric; Kurt Meason, VP of Technology and Product Support for Boon Edam; Simon Morgan, CTO of SureView Systems; Shiraz Kapadia, CEO and President for Invixium; James West, CEO and Co-Founder for Manything, and Bud Broomhead, Chief Executive Officer of Viakoo. It will be moderated by Tim Purpura, VP and Group Publisher of Security Systems News. Effective Cyber Defence “Cybersecurity risks continue to be an ongoing and increasing threat to installed surveillance and physical security systems, as well as organizations’ data,” said Rick Caruthers, Executive VP for Galaxy Control Systems. “It’s critical that cybersecurity countermeasures are implemented across physical and logical infrastructure to create a proactive and effective cyber defense.”

Boon Edam hired Kurt Measom and Dale Gigandet for the USA and Juan Manuel Perez for southern Mexico Boon Edam Inc. recently announced the hiring of new sales staff and the creation of new roles and departments to meet continued high demand for its security entrance products and revolving doors. The company has experienced record sales in the past four years, much of the growth coming from the sales of security products to Fortune 500 companies. “Today’s large corporate customers are installing security entrances for a wide variety of applications in the US and globally,” said Greg Schreiber, Vice President of Sales. “With this strong momentum in sales alongside our mission to deliver outstanding customer service, we are taking this opportunity to develop new and roles and responsibilities with more focused levels of support and expertise. In addition, we are investing significantly more resources to meet the expanding growth we are experiencing in Latin America.” Effective immediately are the following new hires and re-assignments: In the USA – Kurt Measom, a 16-year veteran of the company and formerly the Vice President of Technical Services at Boon Edam, will now assume a new role as Vice President Technology and Product Support. Mr. Measom’s mission will be to drive product development to meet the needs of end users and dealers, including working closely with access control providers to develop enterprise-level integration solutions for Boon Edam products, standardized technology platforms, modular architectures and other technologies. Boon Edam has hired Dale Gigandet, PE, CPP, CISSP, as the new Business Development Manager for the Northeastern United States. Mr. Gigandet is a seasoned, 30-year veteran of the security industry having held sales and management positions covering access control integration and video surveillance, most recently for companies such as Eaton, Bosch, Xtralis and Securitas. Joel Johnson, the previous Business Development Manager for the Northeast, will focus on continued business development exclusively in the New York City Metropolitan area. "Today’s large corporate customers are installing security entrances for a wide variety of applications in the US and globally" The company has chosen customer service representative Mr. Joshua Jones to launch a new Aftermarket Sales and Services department. Mr. Jones will be focusing on assisting existing customers with purchasing parts, service contracts, and retrofits and upgrades for previously installed products.    Customer Service Representative Sara Harris has been appointed to the new position of Enterprise & National Accounts Customer Service, to support the efforts of Mr. Mark Perkins, Senior National Accounts Manager, in driving further business development with national and global corporations.  In Latin America – Boon Edam has hired Juan Manuel Perez from Mexico City as a new Business Development Manager for central and southern Mexico. Mr. Perez has over 15 years’ experience in the field of security, both integration and distribution, serving a variety of engineering, sales and project management positions covering access control, fire detection, closed circuit television, among others. Magdalena Reyes will continue to serve as Business Development Manager for Northern Mexico, based in Monterrey. Jeannette Sweat, previously working as Inside Sales Support for Latin America, has been promoted to Business Development Manager for Latin America and the Carribbean. Additional support for Latin America are Myriam Martin, Inside Sales, and Sam Nussman,Technical Services and Training for Latin America. All Boon Edam support and classroom training sessions for Latin America are conducted in Spanish.