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SECURITY
The Key System is the First Line of Defense

In the world of security there are a number of areas that need to be in sync with each other. One of those areas is physical security devices and your key system. Since 9-11 we have seen an increase in onsite security. This type of security is in the form of guard force personnel and early warning electronic detection equipment. Guard force security gives you more bodies onsite for a security presence. It is effective because seeing additional security guards and the numbers of electronic checkpoints are visual deterrents. In the world of terrorism any delay in movement helps decrease your chance of experiencing a terrorist act against your facility. I would like to direct you through the different areas of key system security. A number of these important areas are overlooked for one reason or another. What is the ultimate key system for facilities? Well, to be honest there are a number of key systems that will give you the protection you need to keep your facility safe and secure. Rather than give you a brand name, let me give you the requirement for a good keying system.

Evaluating your key system, a facilities first line of
defense should always be a serious undertaking.

High Security Standards
High security standards have been in use in the United States since the early 1960’s. This standard was developed for the alarm key switch market to protect your system. This was before digital push buttons and cards entered the market. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) started testing cylinders on how long it took to bypass and defeat the cylinder. Five manufacturers had their cylinders listed under this very difficult requirement. The standard for the past forty years has been has been UL 437. In the late 1960’s door lock cylinders were added to the growing number of UL 437 listed high security cylinders. Today that list has grown to over 20 manufacturers that offer UL 437 listed high security cylinders. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in conjunction with Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) is developing a new high security standard that will rate high security cylinders in three grades. Once this is approved, UL may change its testing standard to incorporate the most stringent standard of ANSI into the UL 437 rating.

Electromechanical High Security Cylinders
In today’s integrated security systems we have a new type of key and cylinder that can integrate with your HID Prox system and be a stand alone access control system for your key-bypass cylinders, and integrate with your mechanical key system. Even though you have a high security cylinder to protect your key-by-pass, it does not tell you what time that key accessed your by-pass cylinder and it does not identify the user of the key. This new type of key system integrates with your mechanical high security key system, integrates with your HID Prox access control system and maintains a stand alone access control system within these cylinders and keys and can tell you the date, time and user that accessed the door.

Sensitive Areas
Access to any of your electronic security control panels will render your electronic system inoperative. Not only do you need a secure door lock key system but the same or a similar key system for your electronic control cabinets. Most people feel that if the security control cabinet has a key then it is secure, you cannot be more wrong. The manufacturers of these cabinets use the most common inexpensive type of key cylinders, and 90% can be opened with a paperclip and offer you only about a second of delayed time before they are compromised. There are a number of high security lock manufacturers that offer high security cam and/or cabinet locks for securing cabinets and they can be keyed into the door lock key system. Look for the UL mark. The UL 437 is the standard for high security cylinders and this is carried over into cam and cabinet locks by all of the leading manufacturers.

Patented Technology
Patent protection offers the ultimate in key duplication restrictions. Patented keys are guarded and protected by the manufacturer that holds the patent. These manufacturers license locksmith dealers, distributors and end-user facilities to store and cut their own keys. It is not unusual to require a contract to be signed by all users of their patented system. This would be the same as a licensing agreement granting a manufacturer the right to fabricate patented products. When we say patented key system we do not necessarily mean expensive key system. If you compare a standard cylinder to a patented high security cylinder the list price is usually double but the difference is astronomical in benefits. Most high security cylinder manufacturers’ produce cylinders that will retrofit your existing hardware. This expense is then limited to the key cylinder. The manufacturer’s contracts give you the option to phase in the cylinders over three to five years so that your normal maintenance budget can absorb the conversion and sensitive areas are protected immediately.

Key Control
Another area of concern should be the key itself. Is your key unique to your facility? Who else has access to the key blanks? The truth is when you contract with high security cylinder manufacturers that offer patented key control, they can guarantee where your key is used. Because all high security patented keys are different in some uniquely patented way, there are different restrictions on their use by the licensees’. Some manufacturers can guarantee that your new facility key will only be controlled by you for a geographic area, like the state your located in and the surrounding states. There are also national restricted keys that give you the entire United States. If you are a North American company you may want a North American exclusive key for your use. If you are the Department of Defense with worldwide bases you would want to be assured that your key could not be duplicated in another country. Therefore you would want a worldwide exclusive key for your use. The manufacturers can do this because of the patented features built into their cylinders and/or keys. Most of the high security key manufacturers hold world patents on their products for your protection.

Durability
There is nothing worse than investing in a new key system only to have the keys bend, twist, and even break during normal use. High security keys inherently are thicker, larger, and are more durable than their counter-part standard keys. Some of the leaders of these high security keys guarantee their keys for the life of the key system against key breakage. You might ask yourself, “is this important?” If the manufacturer guarantees that their keys will not break, then you can be assured that these types of keys have been tested and the factory stands behind its product with seventeen to twenty years. Asking when the patent expires on the key system before you purchase it is very important, but also ask how the company handled their old patented system when it expired. Was the transition to the new system costly? Did it require additional labor to upgrade? And of course the most important question, exactly what is patented. Is the key patented, the cylinder, or both. This is very important to maintaining key control. If the cylinder is patented but not the key, nothing stops someone from fabricating the key and gaining access to your facility.

Usability
Does your existing key system meet all of the demands of security and maintenance? When you review your current or a potentially new system, look for these questions to be answered. Do I have future expansion built into my keying system? A good rule of thumb would be a minimum of 25% of your current system. Do I have the correct level of master keying for our needs? Is there cross keying in the system that could cause us a liability problem? Cross keying is when two or more individual keys operate in the same lock cylinder. Cross keying should always be kept at an absolute minimum. Your system designer can tell you where cross keying appears in your system. You should eliminate all cross keying for these reasons, excessive wear on the cylinder, and keys that are not part of the cross keying operating the lock cylinder (big liability problem). When the factory keying department adds cross keying to a master key system they remove all key combinations that would unknowingly operate that cross keyed cylinder. This in turn reduces the number of usable keys in the master key system. Master key systems are mathematical formulas that are built on the characteristics of the manufactures keying specifications. All manufactures are not equal in keying capacity of their systems. A good rule of thumb is to ask how many usable keys you can have under a single master key section. Here are some common answers, 200,000; 150,000; 90,000; and 3,000. The latter is what standard key systems can give you. If your facility has 15,000 keyed doors then the 3,000 number will not work for you. So ask the question.

Convenience
The only way convenience becomes a part of a master key system is when interchangeable or removable core cylinders are used. What is an IC or RC cylinder system? Interchangeable Core (IC) means that the core will go into different manufacturers lock sets that are set-up for IC. Removable Core (RC) means that this type of core only goes into the lockset of the core manufacturer. There are two types of IC/RC and they are large format IC/RC and small format IC/RC. The main difference is the size of the key that will enter the core. Why are these type of cylinders used in facilities. The only answer is convenience of maintenance to remove the core cylinder at the door and insert a new core cylinder. You might ask yourself, does this type of cylinder offer more or less security? The only secure IC or RC cylinder is a high security IC or RC cylinder. The non-high security IC and RC cylinders are to easily compromised. Look for the UL mark on these cylinders as well. UL 437 cylinders give you the best protection against unwanted access even for IC and RC.

Key Tracking
Key tracking is very important at facilities today. Security officers should ask this important question, does the manufacturer of our key system offer key tracking software? Can the system I purchased from the manufacturer be downloaded onto their tracking software? In most cases the answer is yes. This is an important part of physical security. Cutting keys to a secure system and giving them out without knowing who has them is very irresponsible and another liability problem. Tighten up your security by controlling key distribution. There are two types of key tracking systems, one for the locksmith to know where the specific key code is being used and the hardware on that door opening. This type of system does not keep track of key users. The second is for security to track the users of the key system. Both are very important in their own right. Some key tracking systems give you both so that each department can track what they want in the system. Random key auditing should be done as part of your security level, but not less than semi-annually. Lost keys to a secure keying system is just as dangerous as leaving the door open. Always know where your keys are at all times.

Managing Your Key System
All of the high security cylinders manufacturers are set up to manage your master key system. That does not mean that you must contact the factory every time you want to issue a key or pin a cylinder. What the factories do is write and maintain your key system in a secure facility. When a factory designs and pins your cylinders they take on the liability of your key system. This is important because the key records manager assures that there are not unknown interchanges in your system that would compromise you security. All of the keying records are maintained in secure rooms within a secure facility. Paper keying records are coded with a system number only and must be crossed-referenced with the facility name that is kept on a secure computer in another secure room. These levels of security are designed to keep any causal observer from viewing your records. Video surveillance is maintained 24/7 in secure rooms and access control with audit trails are used to track anyone that is entering these rooms. Managing your key system is a partnership between the manufacture and your facility to make sure that you always have what you need to fulfill your security needs.

Key User Responsibility
Key users have a responsibility to keep security and/or maintenance informed when a lock starts acting differently, i.e. key is hard to turn, cylinder loose, knob/lever falling off the door, door hard to pull open, door slamming when closing, and lastly, any lock or door parts missing. Never operate a lock cylinder if your key is broken, bent, or twisted. Using a key in this condition will damage the lock cylinder and may jam or break off in the lock cylinder causing a security violation. As a key user you have a big responsibility in maintaining the security of your keys. Your company and personal keys should never be left in your car or unattended. If you treat your keys like your wallet you will never misplace them or have a security violation. Missing a lock cylinder is one on the most serious security violations because the cylinder can be taken apart and a usable key can be made to gain access to your facility. In the case of a small format interchangeable core system, losing one of these cores is a serious violation of security because the core removable key information is contained in every core. Once this control key is made, violators can move through your building at ease by removing your core and installing their own core stopping you from following them and taking over the facility. Always insist on a UL 437 removable core system with a patented key.

Training
Always insist that training be conducted onsite. There are a lot of advantages to this approach to training. First, you can train all of your maintenance and security people at one time without loss of work due to traveling and overnight stays. Second, the trainer will certify your personnel on your equipment, very important. Third, the trainer can see first hand the type of conditions your people need to be trained to work with. And lastly, there is a level of comfort for the students to be training at home. Follow up training should be done at the factory. This way your senior locksmiths can be brought to another level. This training includes advanced master keying layout and design of your existing system to help you manage the system. You will be introduced to new advanced product that will enhance your existing system. Training is an important part of security, schedule it and require everyone attend.

Reliability and Dependability
Go with a high security cylinder manufacturer that produces these cylinders as their main product line and not as an extension to existing lower security cylinders. Most of the high security cylinder manufacturers have been in business for over 20 years and have references that can be checked. If you are in the security field, you can conduct your own investigation through security people at different agencies for what they like and do not like about different systems. Before you grant the high security cylinder manufacturer the right to supply you with patented controlled cylinders and keys, visit their plant and see for yourself the security that they impose upon themselves to protect your controlled products. Read their printed guarantees to make sure that you have achieved a safe comfort level before moving forward. Bringing onboard a patented high security cylinder and key should be viewed as a partnership with the manufacturer. Communication between your key security and maintenance people, and the factory are essential to a successful secure facility. All manufactures experience production quality problems from time to time. There is no manufacturer that has not had a problem along these lines. The important question is how did they handle the problem. Did they ignore your questions about problems? Did they make every installation excuse in the world before they finally admitted that they had a problem? Or did they step up and say they had a problem and we need to fix it right away. If a study needs to be done on your problem, will the manufacturer supply you with replacement parts at no charge in the interim study period?

To Rekey or Not To Rekey
Once you lose control of your key system, rekeying is not a choice but a necessity. Key tracking is very important so you know who has what key to what door. When an individual key is missing, rekeying only the cylinder with the missing key is not a big job. The lock cylinder can be rekeyed within your master key system and new keys issued. Your old key combination will then be marked and removed from the system so it can never be used again. Where rekeying becomes a big job in when a master key is missing. The number of cylinders that will need to be rekeyed will depend on the level of your master key. Each level of a master key controls a specific number of cylinders. A floor master key only controls the cylinders on that specific floor, where a building master key controls all of the floor masters and every cylinder in the building. The absolute worst key to loose is the great grand master key also known as the TMK (top master key). This key controls all master keys and cylinders. So you can imagine the expense in rekeying everything that this key controls. You will understand why this key is never given out and is closely controlled. Rekeying your facility is like getting a tune-up and if you maintain your system the tune-ups get father apart.

Evaluating your key system, a facilities first line of defense should always be a serious undertaking. Decide whether to use high security, patented technology, or a combination of each. Your first concern should always be the safety of your employees and visitors and right behind that is the security of your facility and everything contained within. Using physical key control will insure a safe secure working environment. Always remember the rule of ones. For every one thousand unauthorized key duplications you will have one hundred minor incidents, and from that you will have ten major violations that will result into one catastrophic liability problem. Stop key control problems early by setting up good standards in key control. Do not forget your electronic control cabinets and secure them as you would your doors. Your key system should always have durability, usability, and convenience built in so that you have flexibility. Key tracking, managing and key user awareness is very important in keeping your facility secure. You cannot maintain a key system without factory training. Knowing how to service and maintain your system adds years of good reliable, dependable service. Rekeying your key system is very import if you have little to no control over keys. Always remember a secure facility is a safe facility.

Thomas R. Demont, AHC, CIL, CML, CSI has been in the security field for over 50 years. Ten years in the US Navy as a master locksmith and senior security specialist. Presently Tom is the director of sales and marketing for ASSA High Security Locks in New Haven, CT. He is also the past president of the High Security Lock Manufacturers Council, a board of director for the International Investigative Locksmith Association and the World Industrial Security Locksmith Association. He is also a Certified ACE Instructor for the Associated Locksmiths of America.

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