Page 50 - Security Today, January/February 2022

INDUSTRY
With Kim Rahfaldt
A Security Deposit
Afull-service bank with op- erations spanning numerous states across the United States and several international of- fices found itself in an all-too-common situation regarding its access control so- lution — too many different systems. The bank needed a cost-effective enterprise so- lution to change over and upgrade 71 sites and several disparate databases.
With many of the bank’s access control systems reaching end-of-life, it was time to find one that would work for all locations. The bank chose AMAG Technology’s Sym- metry Access Control system for its ease-of- use and minimal service upkeep. By using AMAG’s SR retrofit option, the bank not only considerably reduced costs when replac- ing their legacy hardware but also upgraded technology and achieved some needed inte- grations as well. The solution helped central- ize operations, reduce compliance vulnerabil- ities and cut costs during a massive overhaul of their security’s software and hardware.
CASE STUDY AT A GLANCE
Challenges
• 71 different sites with 16 access control hardware and seven different software solutions
• Aging systems no longer supported.
• Concerns about database vulnerabilities
• Compliance issues that were complex to meet due to the number of different systems
Solutions
• Symmetry Access Control reduced seven disparate systems down to one
• Symmetry integrates with intercom and video systems
• Plans to add Symmetry CONNECT identity management and GUEST visitor management
Results
• A single solution across all sites that requires minimal maintenance
• Simplified standardization and compliance
• Centralized system that can be adapted to each location’s access control needs
The project was implemented over phases. The bank’s integrator increased the number of access control readers for each site, compiled site surveys, and did the preprogramming and inventory of the parts and pieces. Many of the sites trans- ferred over to the new system in a day, but the larger sites with 100 or more card read- ers took a bit longer.
Theprojecttouchedretailandadminis- trative physical locations nationwide. While converting all the locations, the bank con- solidated 16 access control systems to Sym- metry and that touched 71 sites, 200 access control panels, upgraded 1,100 card read- ers and approximately 15,000 cardholders. The project took 12 months to complete, and with the proper planning in place, no site took longer than four days.
Several sites were using an outdated system that urgently needed replacing, and many others that were in dire need of up- grades. Some systems were very old with no support left, and no expertise, because of age; and the platforms had compliance issues from an IT perspective.
It was also important to upgrade for regulatory and compliance reasons. Sym- metry allows them to provide the required reporting from a centralized location in- stead of 16 different locations. Before, any time reporting was needed, the bank had to visit different systems; now they can better answer those requests, show they
are in compliance and who has access to what. The bank can pull reports from one system, saving time and money while meeting compliance requirements.
Concerns over data security and pri- vacy also led to a consolidation of the database. The bank needed to ensure ac- cess was granted only to those who needed it, therefore performing a large database clean-up. A few sites had more than 10,000 users, and the bank was able to cut the number to 2,000.
As the rollout of the upgrade progressed, the bank not only added panels and read- ers as needed, but also upgraded technology and achieved some much needed integra- tions — including laying the foundation for future plans. The resulting solution includes multi-class readers with several different card technologies, as well as biometrics in certain environments, such as higher security areas requiring two-factor authentication.
The bank plans to install AMAG’s Sym- metry CONNECT identity management system to assist with onboarding, off-board- ing and access request changes, which will help it meet more compliance regulations. Symmetry GUEST visitor management is slated after CONNECT to automate the visitor process, creating an audit trail which is also necessary for compliance.
Kim Rahfaldt is the director of media relations at AMAG Technology.
PROFESSIONAL
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | SECURITY TODAY
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