The Beauty Of A Keyless World - SimonsVoss

The Clash of the Titans; Physical Security and IT Security

IT departments are no strangers to turf wars, but is the one shaping up between those overseeing computer networks and those in charge of physical security about to get really ugly?

Unlike past tussles between say, voice and data communications teams, the contest between IT security and those involved in everything from fire alarms to video surveillance to door-lock access controls tends to involve people who might never have had any reason to cross each other's paths.

Converging physical and logical security: A good idea or not?

"It typically takes a C-level executive to force these organizations to work together," says Tom Flynn, director of marketing in North America for smart-card maker Gemalto. "The fact is there are different entities in a corporation for physical and logical security… We see turf wars happening."

Merging physical and logical security is seen by advocates as a cost-saving step and a natural evolution for facilities maintenance and guard operations, where door-access equipment and video cameras are increasingly IP-enabled, and a smart card-based badge could be used by employees to access both buildings and computers. But resistance to convergence runs deep among traditional physical security managers, who are wary of IT departments taking control. And even IT security experts voice concerns that it's risky, with some strongly opposed to the idea of physical security operations, such as video surveillance streams, riding on the same IP corporate network as the rest of the business.

"Physical security has been about closed systems, but with the move to IP-based systems and connecting campuses there's the need to have the IT and security department involved," says Steve Russo, director of security and privacy technology at IBM's global technology services group. He says there can be advantages in integrating physical security with logical and transactional systems to give management a better picture of what's occurring, especially in retailing. And although network capacity is a concern, it's possible to share an IP network for logical and physical security, he suggests.

"Is there a risk associated with combining it? Absolutely," Russo acknowledges. But he adds: "The logical-security people are looking at threats to the environment. And where we see the interesting spark is that they can take information about physical events and turn it into operational use."

But there's often a cultural rift existing between the physical security department for facilities management, with their isolated closed networks, and the IT department with its systems administrators and security specialists trying to keep scores of Internet-accessing computers and applications running safely.

"With IP-based access control, the 'turf wars' tend to be marginalized once the IT folks realize that a system like ISONAS' PowerNet reader is actually a network appliance," says Steve Rice, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Colorado based ISONAS Security Systems. "It demands little in the way of network capacity, resources to install and can be supported like any other IP device. The benefits of integrated video, access control and/or other building control systems include a combination of additional detailed information available from a set of closely integrated functionalities (ex. have a picture of personnel involved in an entry event plus network confirmation of the credential information timed exactly to the video feed) as well as the simplicity of dividing what functionality to integrate on a customer by customer basis. This is due to the relative ease of integration with a true network software-based system. So the physical security requirements are met with a minimum of IT resource."

These differences in viewpoint are often heard in the physical-logical security convergence debates. But one of the most ardent advocates for convergence might be Ray O'Hara, executive vice president of international operations, consulting and investigations at Andrews International, which is in the traditional physical security business of "guns, gates and guards," as he puts it.

"The traditional security person and the cyber-security side are both hands-on and doing things for the betterment of the organization," says O'Hara, who recently became president of the board of directors of ASIS International, an organization for security professionals.

But today the physical-security technologies are evolving to the point where "the traditional people need help from the IT people," O'Hara says. There is often discord and mistrust between the physical and logical security divisions. But that needs to be overcome by possibly combining reporting structures so they can more easily collaborate or by setting up a "risk council" to have regular discussions with business managers, he suggests.

IBM's Russo says protocol issues point to the need for standardized compression techniques and transport in physical-security equipment, as well as standard XML-based definitions so that important meta-data can be shared. "Physical security is transitional right now," Russo says, pointing to both the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance and OASIS as organizations trying to further interoperability standards that would add convergence and make it worthwhile.

But to date, Flynn says he is only aware of a handful of large enterprises in the oil-and-gas industry, such as Chevron and Exxon, and pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer, that have adopted converged smart cards for physical and logical security.

Financial Security Solutions with Simons-Voss

Whether it is the system, an organization, or people, your world revolves around integrity and verified trust.

It used to be that a brass key was a powerful symbol of trust and protection, bu tin today's world most brass keys are easily duplicated and the locks that depend on them are easily fooled or bypassed. On top of that, managing these keys is expesnsive and the functionality of the keys is very low. Depending on mechanical keys to protect your responsibilities in today's world is like telling your customers that their mattress is a good place to keep their money.

Fortunately SimonsVoss has locks that are as sophisticated as today's financial instruments.

With a wide range of products for various applications you never need to modify the door or frame and yet you end up with a sophisticated electronic lock that can control access by time and day while tracking all usage. Even better, the credentials use an encrypted challenge-response wireless signal that cannot be duplicated or successfully recorded and replayed.

Important Concerns

• High cost of frequent re-keying.
• Keys are easily copied or duplicated.
• No record of which key was used or when it was used.
• No control of when keys may be used.
• Aesthetics are important to provide a warm inviting atmosphere to customers
• Leased facilities, temporary needs for security.
• ATM kiosks and small remote offices.

SimonsVoss Benefits

• Re-keying accomplished with the click of a mouse.
• Transponders are very hard to duplicate and very secure.
• SimonsVoss loicks provide an audit trail so you can see who used the lock and when that access was granted.
• All SimonsVoss locks and credentials can be limited to specific times and/or days at your discretion.
• SimonsVoss locks look like standard locks. No need to advertise your security precautions with big, ugly industrial-looking locks.
• Remove the mechanical lock, apply the SimonsVoss solution. When the need is over replace the mechanical lock and use the SimonsVoss lock for the next need.
• Standalone or networked, the SimonsVoss wireless solutions makes it easy to implement solutions for these applications.

The best news of all is that these locks can be deployed one at a time as standalone solutions or combined under a centrally controlled network so you are not limited by applications that are too small or large to benefit from this solution.

Digital Mortise Cylinder

• The Digital Mortise Cylinder puts electronic access control into the mortise cylinder. Now you can remove the mechanical mortise cylinder and replace it with a digital cylinder.

Digital RIM Cylinder Exit Bar Outside Trim

• The Digital RIM Cylinder puts electronic access control into the RIM cylinder. Now you can apply a digital lock cylinder in many applications where a RIM cylinder is required.

Digital Mortise Cylinder Aluminum Frame Door Lock

• This gives you control over who has access, when they have access, and can track that use for later reference. You can even remove access for a user without their credential being present.

Smart Relay Mag Locks/Cabinets

• Barriers, gates, rolling gates, automatic systems, revolving doors, elevators and alarm systems don't need to exist as separate entities.

SV1C Cylindrical Lock Office Doors

 

• The SimonsVoss SV1C Digital Cylindrical Lock can be applied anywhere a standard commercial cylindrical lock is used without additional holes or wires. 

 

Digital locking cylinder - Network Inside

We already have the unique WaveNet, which wirelessly networks the components in the Digital Locking and
Access Control System 3060. Until now, this process has required a separate wireless LockNode at each door in addition to the Digital Locking Cylinder 3061.


Now, with the help of miniaturisation, this LockNode has been so dramatically scaled down it can be integrated in the knob of the new “Digital Locking Cylinder 3061 - Network Inside”.


But not only that: At the same time additional functions have been implemented, so that the Network Inside cylinder can for example also be used as a “gateway” in the virtual network, transferring information
via the transponder. The transponder sends and receives information through the “gateway”; this information can for example be transmitted to other doors or made available to the system administrator. The following tasks should be particularly noted:

• time correction in the system
• tasks and access authorisations can be linked to dates and appointments
• forwarding of a cylinder battery warning as part of system status monitoring
• reading the access lists

In new buildings, the System 3060 can be networked wirelessly in a few minutes by installing a compact
special cylinder. In existing locking and access control systems from SimonsVoss, the wireless WaveNet network can be upgraded quickly and cost-effectively at any time by replacing the knob cap on the cylinder,
without having to change the door or door frame.

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PRODUCT VERSIONS.

• Version „network inside“ for direct wireless networking
• With integrated Lock Node
• Available with each profil and in all versions
• G2 locking cylinder with advanced functionality refer to G2 locking systems

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TECHNICAL DATA.

• Available as cylinder with Euro-profile according to DIN 18252/EN 1303, with Scandinavian Oval, British Oval or Swiss Round profile
• Battery lifespan: up to 150.000 lockings or up to five years stand by
• 3,000 operations can be recorded
• 5+1 time zone groups (G2: 100)
• Up to 8,000 transponders can be managed per cylinder (G2: 64,000)
• Up to 48,000 lockings can be managed per transponder (G2: 304,000)
• Various duration / opening modi (office function)
• Upgradeable firmware
• Additional technical specifications refer to profil and versions of the suitable cylinder

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Technical data of the network knob.

• Network knob as retrofit knob for networking of a TN4 cylinder
• Dimensions of the knob: length 26 mm, diameter 30 mm
• Power supply: 3V DC battery in the TN4 cylinder
• Power consumption with no data traffic: approx. 8µA
• Battery life: up to 5 years on standby or up to 150,000 activations
• Max. transmission power: approx 1 mW
• Sensitivity: -95 dBm
• Range from central / router node: up to 30 m, depending on building structure
• Only suitable for indoor use (down to 0°C)

What Is Lock Bumping & Should I Care?

Bumping, also referred to as "rapping" is not new. In fact, it's been around for at least half a century! When this method is used correctly it is extremely effective in over 90% cylinder type locks. As with any other lock picking technique it requires some time and patience to master. A bump key is a key in which all the cuts are at the maximum depth. Bump keys can be cut for standard pin tumbler type locks as well as "dimple" locks.

In the 1970s, locksmiths in Denmark shared a technique for knocking on a lock cylinder while applying slight pressure to the back of the lock plug. When the pins would jump inside of the cylinder, the plug would be able to slide out freely, thus enabling the locksmith to disassemble the lock quickly. The use of a bump key was not introduced until some time later and was first recognized as a potential security problem around 2002–2003 by Klaus Noch who brought it to the attention of the German media. After further examination of the procedure, a white paper was drafted in 2005 by Barry Wels & Rop Gonggrijp of The Open Organization of Lockpickers (TOOOL) detailing the method and its applicability.

A patent exists for a lock device following the same principle as the bump key from 1926–1928. The technique then attracted more popular attention in 2005 when a Dutch television show, Nova, broadcast a story about the method. After the method received further publicity from TOOOL presentations at security conference talks, members of TOOOL and a Dutch consumer group, Dutch Consumentenbond, analyzed the capability of the method on 70 different lock models and with trained and untrained users in a 2006 study.

At the same time, Marc Tobias, an American security expert, began to talk publicly in the United States about the technique and its potential security threats. In 2006, he released two further white papers regarding the technique and its potential legal ramifications.

High-quality locks may be more vulnerable to bumping unless they employ specific countermeasures. More precise manufacturing tolerances within the cylinder make bumping easier because the mechanical tolerances of the lock are smaller, which means there is less loss of force in other directions and pins move more freely and smoothly. Locks made of hardened steel are more vulnerable because they are less prone to damage during the bumping process that might cause a cheaper lock to jam.

Locks having security pins (spool or mushroom pins, etc.)—even when combined with a regular tumbler mechanism—generally make bumping somewhat more difficult but not impossible. Electronic locks, magnetic locks, and locks using rotating disks are not vulnerable to this attack.

Because a bump key must have the same blank profile as the lock it is made to open, restricted or registered key profiles are not any safer from bumping. While the correct key blanks cannot be obtained legally without permission or registration with relevant locksmith associations, regular keys can be filed down to act as bump keys.

Locks that have trap pins that engage when a pin does not support them will jam a lock's cylinder. Another countermeasure is shallow drilling, in which one or more of the pin stacks is drilled slightly shallower than the others. If an attempt were made on a lock that has shallow drilled pin stacks, the bump key will be unable to bump the shallow drilled pins because they are too high for the bump key to engage. Many bump-resistant locks are available which can not be easily opened through the lock bumping method.

Of course you can also prevent such worries with an access solution such ISONAS' PoE PowerNet IP or SimonsVoss' Digital Locking & Access Control System.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us here.

Creating a Keyless World with Simons-Voss

SimonsVoss has taken it upon themselves to make living and working with their system more secure, easier, more convenient and more efficient. In doing so, they've revolutionized classical mechanical locking media by applying digital technology and access control features. Their idea of a digital transponder instead of keys has been globally accepted. They've successfully and consistently turned their vision into reality with a radio-controlled, wireless locking and access control system.

SimonsVoss is the undisputed technology leader in the rapidly growing marked for digital, battery-operated locking and access control systems. More than 56,000 systems have been installed all overt the world proving that their vision has already become a reality. Below, you'll find a list of some of the most frequently asked questions about their innovative access control system.

Do I need both an RF lock and a SmartRelay for a Door?
No, the two components work independently of one another and have different tasks in the system. The RF Lock operates a mechanical latch. The SmartRelay operates a solid-state relay. As a result, you need only one of these components at a time.

Can the transmission of data over the radio link be tapped and reproduced?
The radio transmission is based on a method tested by the military. It is a constantly changing code sequence (crypto codes), which is not reproducible. Even renowned test institutes such as VdS and BSI, for example, couldn’t crack the code.

How is the system protected from attack?
The components are designed to resist mechanical, electrical and magnetic attacks.

Can I add a wireless network at a later date?
Yes, the system is designed to add a wired, wireless or virtual network at any time.

Can the lock system be expanded at a later date?
Yes the modular hardware components and the flexible lock plan software allow a modification or expansion of existing systems at a time.

Which components must be programmed?
All components, transponders and locks, must be programmed.

How can the digital locking cylinder’s battery be checked?
The status  of the battery can be displayed form the host computer through the SmartCD or wireless network.

Can the lock read HID cards?
Not yet. That technology is passive and does not transmit well through metal. However, a reader interface is being developed and other technology breakthroughs are being considered.

What happens when the battery dies?
There is a three-stage process of battery management that ensures authorized access. In all the years of operation access has never been denied due to battery failure.

Is there a mechanical override?
The deadbolt on the mortise lock can function as a mechanical override for mortise locks. The SV1C cylindrical lock does not have a mechanical override.

What certifications does the lock have?
These products are certified by the FCC not to interfere with other RF-based products. The US RF Locks have all been tested to ANSI Grade 1 standards. The locks are also approved by UL to meet the 10-C standard for fire doors under positive pressure.


Do you have a lock for a glass storefront door?
Yes. The Digital Mortise Cylinder (DMC4) can be used with the most popular aluminum storefront door locks.

How many transponders are supported by each RF lock?
Each RF Lock can support up to 8.000 transponders currently and will be upgradeable to 64,000 sometime in 2010.

What is the anticipated life of the batteries?
The batteries in the locks are certified for 150,000 cycles. The batteries in the standard transponders are certified for 1,000,000 clicks.

When using the wireless network, what is the range between the Central Node (computer) and the door?
The distance between each radio span (Central Node to Router or Lock Node or between routers) is a maximum of 150 feet. The distance is based on the RF environment and can be reduced by the surrounding materials.

What is the radio range for the signal between the Lock Node and the RF Lock?
The Lock Node must be located with 12” of the RF Lock. There is an optional external antenna for the Lock Node to extend this range up to 16 feet.

What are the environmental ratings of your locks?
The operating temperature of the SimonsVoss RF Lock is rated for -4 - +140 degrees Fahrenheit at non-condensing humidity of less than 90%.

Can the lock detect the position of the door?
SimonsVoss Technologies RF locks do not include a traditional door status switch. This capability is not significant to a standalone door with no real-time communications. When the 915 MHz wireless network is used, the Lock Node can monitor up to three input points.

What is the range between the SimonsVoss Technologies transponders and locks?
The maximum measured range is 20”. This distance is based on environmental elements such as the material of the door, the walls, and other radio products in the area.

Is it possible to use the SimonsVoss Technologies locks with an existing third-party access control system?
Yes, you can do this by using a Switching Transponder (TRA.SCHALT) which has wires that are connected in parallel to the button of the transponder. These wires are then connected to the relay terminals of the third-party access control panel. When the relay closed it activated the transponder just as if the button was pushed, opening the SimonsVoss Technologies RF lock.

Can I use third-party access control cards with SimonsVoss Technologies locks?
SimonsVoss has a reader that can read Mifare cards and use that information to send the proper user ID to the lock for the access decision. Extending this reader to other card technologies is currently in development.

New 3061 digital locking cylinder from SimonsVoss:

Up to 300 000 activations without a battery change

SimonsVoss, a market and technology leader in the field of battery-operated electronic locking and access control systems, is presenting the latest generation of its digital locking cylinder 3061.

One of the main features of the new cylinder is that it is powered by a battery with a significantly longer service life. SimonsVoss guarantees that the cylinder can be activated up to 150 000 times with standard button cell batteries, while the special variant can even be activated up to 300 000 times. With the 3061 digital locking cylinder, frequently used central doors can be operated for years without the battery having to be replaced.

With the introduction of this new generation of digital locking cylinders, SimonsVoss Technologies AG is setting new standards for the future of locking and organisational technologies. SimonsVoss transponders and cylinders far outstrip any other comparable locking technologies on the market in terms of battery life.

With respect to its aesthetic design, the cylinder features small, elegant symmetrical knobs. The inside of the cylinder has been completely revolutionised, because the 3061 digital locking cylinder can now be updated using a network or programming device, allowing users to simply ‘download’ new software-based features.

The new generation of digital locking cylinders can also store 3000 access authorisations as well as administering 64 000 transponders per cylinder and 320 000 cylinders per transponder within a single locking system.

And of course, the system also features various convenient ‘permanently open’ functions and a full range of remote diagnosis options.

The new generation of digital locking cylinders from SimonsVoss, like its predecessor, allows for wireless networking and is available in all variants: for example half-cylinder, anti-panic cylinder, VdS-approved, free-rotating, pushbutton control, multi-ratchet version or waterproof versions. We are also developing a version that can be addressed using high-frequency radio signals from standard radio routers (as defined in IEE 802.xx).


SimonsVoss presents new battery-operated and network-compatible Q3008 biometric wall reader


The Q3008 integrates seamlessly into existing SimonsVoss locking systems, because the ID assigned to each fingerprint can also be used for all other SimonsVoss locking components. This allows digital locking cylinders, Smart Relays, furniture locks, half cylinders, lever cylinders, shunt locks and cabinet handles to be activated by fingerprint recognition.

And the fingerprint reader is just as easily integrated in SimonsVoss networks, which means that IDs assigned to a fingerprint can be transferred to other fingerprint readers without having to physically walk to each biometric reader. The data can even be transferred to other locations, so that a fingerprint scanned in Munich will even work in Singapore, for example. The reader can store up to 50 different fingerprints and can be mounted on a plaster wall without the need for cables. Up to 80 000 operations are possible using a single battery.

The new Q3008 biometric reader complements the current Q3007 portable biometric solution from SimonsVoss, which combines the convenience of a transponder with the added security of biometric fingerprinting.

The ‘master finger’ function allows all SimonsVoss biometric readers to ‘learn’ new fingerprints quickly and easily.

You decide which door opens when and for whom.
And with just the press of a button.


With the digital Locking System 3060 from SimonsVoss, you can implement locking systems of varying sizes and complexity. You can make modifications, expand the system, block transponders – in short, handle all individual access authorizations – easily by pressing a button. At the same time, you can allocate up to three mutually independent locking systems to any given transponder. Thus, for example, you need only a single key to open the doors to the office, the private home or to the club facilities.

You can assign and activate each lock and transponder conveniently, quickly and reliably by using either a programming transponder or a combination of PC and PDA with the SmartCD programming device. Furthermore, you can connect the components with one another over the cablefree network – even some time down the road. This allows you to administer the entire System 3060 conveniently from a PC.

Programming in Small Systems

The Programming Transponder 3067 allows the quick and economical programming of the digital Locking Cylinder 3061 and the Transponder 3064. Without a PC or special system software, you issue or change access authorizations in small systems with the simple press of a button, for example, if a key is lost or if there are changes in the locking plan.

The Configuration of Extensive Locking Systems


You can set up extensive locking plans by checking off entries in an easy to view lock-user matrix on a PC or laptop. You can make modifications, expand the system, block transponders – in short, handle all individual access authorizations – by mouse click in a graphic user interface under Windows. You can also transfer the prepared locking plans from the PC to a PDA. Then the handy PDA, with the wireless SimonsVoss SmartCD, takes over the programming of the locking components and transponders for you.

Cablefree Network


In large locking systems, actions such as monitoring individual doors, reprogramming or reading out the access logging is usually time-consuming and therefore cost-intensive. The convenient Network 3065 offers online programming of the entire locking system or selected doors from one or more PCs. The network node, installed in a flush socket device, takes over the cablefree radio communication to the locking components and to the PC . This does away with the need for expensive, time-consuming installations on the door and doorframe.

Control done over the network nodes offers real-time monitoring and, optionally, makes it possible to drive integrated external systems and to switch on lights or heating systems automatically when doors are used. Using the radio-based network, you can even monitor buildings from a distance, for example, by modem or Internet.

The Event Manager in the Networked Locking System


The Event Manager allows you to define the most varied events in the locking system, along with any number of reactions. For example, if a door has been opened but no regular entry has been determined, an alarm can be triggered. Other potential reactions would be to send an E-mail to an alarm control center or an SMS alarm message to the cell phone of the locking system administrator. We save on the keyhole. And we save you a lot of money.

Low life-cycle costs, minimum administration and maintenance efforts and a useful life that is pleasantly long offset the investment in a digital locking system. Incidentally, you can also save on the investments in additional access control systems, because this function has already been integrated into the digital Locking and Organization System 3060 from SimonsVoss. Especially friendly to the budget: The modular construction allows the system to be expanded step by step. If you then also include the enormous timesavings for the planning, administration and documentation of a digital locking system, it all adds up to a good investment after only a few years.

Simons-Voss Technologies. Creating a Keyless World.

SimonsVoss Technologies.  Creating a Keyless World.

SimonsVoss Technologies design access control for facilities that is as easy to install as mechanical locks, while providing the features and flexibility of electronic access control.

They’ve taken classical mechanical locking media and applied digital technology and access control features creating more efficient, convenient and secure systems that are very easy to use.

The idea of a digital transponder instead of keys has been globally accepted, and SimonsVoss has successfully turned their vision of a “Keyless World” into reality with a radio-controlled, wireless locking and access control system.

As a leader in the rapidly growing market for digital, battery-operated locking and access control systems, SimonsVoss has developed and installed more than 5,000 systems all over the world.  Clients utilizing these systems include; TCF Bank, The Drake Hotel in Chicago, the University of Texas-Dallas, St. Catherine’s School of Racine (Wisconsin), and Volkswagen.

Almost a million SimonsVoss transponders are already activated worldwide:  quietly, energetically, carefully, and quickly.  The digital locking system guarantees reliable security and cost-effective access and building management everywhere.

SYSTEM 3060.  No Keys, No wires. No Limits.

Mechanical locking systems quickly reach their limits and become a costly security risk if keys are lost or copied. SimonsVoss Digital Locking and Access Control System, or simply System 3060 offers a secure and efficient alternative.  It is comprised of locks, credentials, software and an optional communication network which are controlled solely by radio frequency, without cables.  Just press a button and the door is unlocked. Every access is logged for later examination.  Benefits of System 3060 include quick wireless installation, easy adaptability, seamless security, central control, and it’s highly economical.

Formed in 1995, SimonsVoss Technologies, a German-based company, set out to develop user-friendly locking system applications.  Their main focus was on the development of extremely low-energy electronic boards for use in system components (without external cabling as far as possible), innovative mechanical functions and active transponder technology as the core for operating all system components.  In 1998, SimonsVoss reached a breakthrough with the world’s first digital locking cylinder without external cabling.  By 2005, the company expanded with regional sales offices in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Dubai, the Netherlands, and France.  Currently the company employs a staff of 225 at the headquarters in Munich, Germany, and maintains a manufacturing facility in Petersberg, Germany along with several international sales offices.