The challenges associated with lost and stolen physical keys are often top of mind when security teams start thinking about keyless options. However, there are many more benefits to consider if you’re thinking about going keyless.
What do we mean when we say “keyless access control”?
Obviously, keyless access control solutions don’t require traditional metal keys. But people often refer to access control systems that require a card or fob as “keyless”. While this type of access control solution is becoming more popular, when we say “keyless”, we mean that the solution doesn’t require any physical thing to control access rights: no keys, no access cards, and no fobs. The keys are virtual; digital tokens are stored in mobile devices and automatically transmitted over the air.
The benefits of going keyless
Control
Digital keys allow you to control not only who has access to your assets and infrastructure, but when. Concerns about bad actors getting their hands on master keys are alleviated, and there are none of the headaches associated with retrieving keys from departing staff. Virtual keys pair access with identity, so you know exactly who is accessing your sites.
Security
Securing your assets is important to protect your assets, but it is equally important for the cybersecurity of your network. A keyless access control solution designed with security at the forefront is an order of magnitude more secure than traditional locks and keys. Virtual keys are much harder to duplicate than mechanical keys, and can’t be lost, stolen, or misplaced. And because digital keys are matched to a specific user, people tend to behave better when they know their name is attached to an access event.
Scalability
With explosive growth in some sectors, and unprecedented circumstances related to the recent pandemic in others, no one knows what their business will look like one, three, or five years from now. Keyless access control allows you choose whether you want to start with a few test sites or go for your whole network, and then effortlessly scale access with your business. Whether you’re looking to scale with acquisition of assets or employees, or adding more, or more remote sites, to your portfolio, digital keys provide scalability without exponentially compounding operational expenses. Virtual keys future-proof your access control strategy.
Operational Insights
Virtual keys, backed by a cloud infrastructure, provide insights into operational processes across your assets and organization. These insights can help refine strategies from everything to resource planning to reconciling billing with contractors. It’s often challenging for operations teams to understand the actual processes being undertaken at remote or satellite sites. Access logs and audit trials provide the intelligence needed to make better business decisions and understand process gaps.
Compliance
Keyless access control goes beyond securing your sites and assets. Regulated industries require identity management and the burden of proof falls on organizations to prove regulatory compliance to governing bodies. Keyless access control, backed by a robust cloud solution, allows organizations to create defensible audit trails, safeguard regulated assets and processes, and assure compliance with industry requirements. We envision a world where the access control strategy drives innovation in the areas of regulatory and safety compliance.
The benefits of cloud
Most of the benefits of a truly keyless solution are found in the integration with cloud technology. A good cloud implementation makes customer adoption easy. With a cloud solution, there are no costly servers to install or maintain on-site. The cloud infrastructure manages everything from issuing and revoking keys to the capture and storage of data related to the access control solution.
As with any cloud solution, you need to make sure that your data is protected and appropriately encrypted. The right partner for your keyless access control solution will put security at the forefront of their platform, and ensure that the software is kept up to date to comply with evolving security standards.
The benefits of mobile access
Issuing virtual keys to mobile devices ensures that keys get to the people who need them, when they need them, and for however long they need them. Whether you’re issuing a key to a long-standing employee or a service contractor, to a site in the city, or 500 miles away in the middle of nowhere, the experience is the same.
Sera4’s keyless solution is powered by Teleporte, a proprietary app which uses multiple methods of authentication to ensure that identity and permissions are verified. These authentication methods provide a more secure, compliant access control solution than traditional locks and keys, and Teleporte is also able to capture attempted accesses, not just successful opens.
No network? No problem. Teleporte isn’t dependent on live network access. It’s important that users be able to access sites and infrastructure, no matter how remotely located, so the app doesn’t require internet access to open a lock.
Moving from a point solution to a strategic initiative
With advancements in keyless technology, and the growth of cloud infrastructure, access control is now considered an integral part of the overall security strategy. Keyless solutions allow the creation of holistic, cohesive access control systems, where the access mechanisms integrate with each other, as well as with existing systems and applications.
Sera4 provides all the convenience and benefits of a keyless solution without sacrificing security or reliability. Our solutions are purpose-built to provide secure, scalable, and reliable access control across all of your assets and sites, from cabinets and cages to outdoor enclosures. Our hardware is built to withstand the harshest environments, and our software is elegantly designed to manage identity, generate audit trails, prove compliance, and improve operational efficiency.
While we don’t envision a world without mechanical keys, keyless solutions provide flexibility, scalability, and customization that just isn’t possible with traditional locks and keys. Different industries and sites face different security and access control challenges, whether due to number of access points, number of users, or the remoteness of a site. Cloud-based access control systems can be configured to meet any need.
To learn more about Sera4 keyless access control solutions, book a demo with our team.