Biometrics

Fingerprint readers for Cougar

by Mark Rowe

Cougar Monitoring have secured their alarm and CCTV monitoring centre with biometric fingerprint readers. Cougar’s centre in Cradley Heath, near Birmingham, is staffed 24-7 as it provides live security surveillance for deployment of mobile response units and notification to emergency services to people and property nationwide.

The security system specified by Securenett for the centre also required different levels of access. Due to the confidential nature of several clients’ business, only authorised personnel with appropriate permissions could access some areas and equipment.

Cougar also sought an alternative system to traditional card and fob entry control, due to concerns that secondary credentials can be lost, stolen or shared. The security firm required a system that would be able to prove security standards to clients. Installed were ievo fingerprint readers for use with the Paxton Net2 access control system to provide biometric access control. CPNI-approved ievo ultimate readers are used at external access points; while ievo micro units provide internal access control points around the centre.

Operational areas were given different access zones, and employees working in different areas were all assigned the required access permissions applicable to the zones controlled by ievo fingerprint reader identification points. ievo desktop registration units are kept onsite to cater for new registrations.

Eric Roberts, CEO of Cougar Monitoring, said: “Any security system is only as strong as its weakest link so it was imperative that we could demonstrate an infallible system at the Control Centre to potential clients. We are an NSI category 2 ARC/RVRC company so our security policy and regulations require the most secure solutions. The ievo biometric readers enable us to restrict access in the right areas and lock down access to unauthorised areas.”

Craig Gwilliams, Operations Manager at Securenett, added: “We chose a biometric solution to remove the reliance on identification credential that can be easily lost, stolen or shared, and can cause a drain on costs and resources. Also, the benefits of a biometric solution are that only those who have registered can gain access, and there is a considerable convenience to the user in that they (or their fingerprint) is the authorisation tool, not a card or PIN, which also reinforces the security of the facility. Since the installation was complete and all staff trained on the correct use and functionality of the system, including how ievo systems process and store biometric data for data protection (to ease concerns on staff provided a fingerprint), the system has been praised for its simplicity, effectiveness and security improvements to the facility and has proven to be very efficient and also cost-effective.”

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