CLIQ - ASSA ABLOY Access Control Softwares

One of the responsibilities of construction project managers is to account for risks during the initial planning for a project and mitigate them. With all the tools, construction materials, and heavy machinery during the initial stages of a project, the construction site is a dangerous place to be at. However, this is not the only risk that project managers need to protect a site from. With plenty of valuables both physical and virtual within a construction site, it is also a prime target for theft and arson. Improving the security of construction sites It is important now more than ever that construction business owners and project managers invest in improving the security of construction sites. After all, security on construction sites is for the protection not only of valuable assets but also of workers and members of the public. Investing in adequate resources for construction site security can prevent several issues, including: Theft of expensive tools and construction equipment Cybersecurity breaches leading to loss of sensitive information such as invoice data Arson resulting in loss of life and property Vandalism of construction site property Trespassing by unauthorised parties and exposure to construction site dangers Risks of injuries that can result in litigation and legal claims Identifying security issues Having a dedicated security team in place is a good first step in bolstering a construction site’s security. They will be able to prevent theft, vandalism, and deter unauthorised personnel from entering the site. They can also identify security issues that can potentially arise and even respond quickly to accidents and other calamities should they occur. Having a dedicated security team in place is a good first step in bolstering a construction site’s security For a better implementation of construction site security measures, it is critical that business owners and managers assess an assessment of the site itself. This will help identify both internal and external risks that can affect the site’s security and guide project managers in putting systems in place to address them. Construction site security checklist To guide you, here is a sample template that you can use to form your own construction site security checklist.  SECURITY COORDINATION  YES   NO  1. Does the site have designated security coordinators?     2. Are the security coordinators available for contact during non-business hours?     3.  Does the construction site provide a means to contact the police, fire department, and other relevant authorities in case of emergencies?     4. Does the construction site have a written security plan, including procedures for specific scenarios?     5. If so, are construction site employees aware of the security plan?       GENERAL MACHINERY  YES   NO  1. Are all machinery adequately marked? (Identification number, corporate logo, tags, etc.)     2. Have all the machinery been inventoried? (Serial number, brand, model, value, etc.)     3. Does the project have a list of the names of operators handling the machinery?     4. Are all the machinery fitted with immobilisers and tracking devices when appropriate?     5. Are all the machinery stored in a secure area with a proper surveillance system?     6. Are the keys to the machinery stored in a separate, secure area?      TOOLS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT  YES   NO  1. Are all power tools and hand equipment marked? (Identification number, corporate logo, tags, etc.)     2. Have all power tools and hand equipment been inventoried? (Serial number, brand, model, value, etc.)     3. Are tools and equipment fitted with tags and tracking devices when appropriate?     4. Are tools and equipment stored in a secure place?      INVENTORY CONTROL  YES   NO  1. Is there a system in place to check material inventory to ensure they are not misplaced or stolen?     2. Are there procedures in place for checking materials that go in and out of the construction site?     3. Is there a set schedule for checking materials and equipment?     4. If so, do the records show that the schedule is followed strictly?     5. Are all material suppliers arriving for delivery properly identified? (e.g license plates, driver’s license, etc)      CONSTRUCTION SITE PERIMETER  YES   NO  1. Is there a physical barrier in place to secure the site?     2. Is the number of gates kept to a minimum?     3. Are there uniformed guards at every gate to check personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the site?     4. Are security warnings displayed prominently at all entry points?     5. Are entry points adequately secured? (With  industry-grade padlocks, steel chains, etc.)     6. Is there an alarm system?     7. Is the locking system integrated with the alarm?     8. Is the site perimeter regularly inspected?     9. Are “NO TRESPASSING” signs displayed prominently along the perimeter?      LIGHTING AND SURVEILLANCE  YES   NO  1. Is there sufficient lighting on the construction site?     2. Is there a dedicated staff member assigned to check if the lighting is working properly?     3. Is the site protected by CCTV cameras?     4. Are there signs posted on site indicating the presence of security cameras?     5. Are there motion detection lights installed on-site?      INTERNAL CONTROLS  YES   NO  1. Is there a policy on employee theft?     2. Are employees aware of the policy?     3. Are employees required to check in and check out company properties when using them?     4. Are staff members encouraged to report suspicious activity?     5. Is there a hotline employees can call to report security lapses and breaches?      SITE VISITORS  YES   NO  1. Are visitors checking in and out?     2. Are vehicles entering and exiting the site recorded?      CYBERSECURITY  YES   NO  1. Are the construction site’s documents and other sensitive data stored in the cloud securely?     2. Does the company have a strong password policy?     3. Are asset-tracking data accessible online?     4. Are confidential documents and data regularly backed up?     5. Are employees well-informed about current cyberattack methods such as phishing?     Security is a serious business in construction. Because of the dangers already present on your construction site, a lapse in security can have devastating effects on your business’s operations. Not only do you risk losing money in a security breach, but more importantly, you also risk endangering the lives of your site’s personnel and third parties.  Business owners and project managers need to make a concerted effort to educate employees about security and double down on their best practices for protecting their sites.

Insider threat programmes started with counter-espionage cases in the government. Today, insider threat programmes have become a more common practice in all industries, as companies understand the risks associated with not having one. To build a programme, you must first understand what an insider threat is. An insider threat is an employee, contractor, visitor or other insider who have been granted physical or logical access to a company that can cause extensive damage. Damage ranges from emotional or physical injury, to personnel, financial and reputational loss to data loss/manipulation or destruction of assets. Financial and confidential information While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organisation Most threats are derived from the accidental insider. For example, it’s the person who is working on a competitive sales pitch on an airplane and is plugging in financial and confidential information. They are working hard, yet their company’s information is exposed to everyone around them. Another type of insider, the compromised insider, is the person who accidentally downloaded malware when clicking on a fake, urgent email, exposing their information. Malicious insiders cause the greatest concerns. These are the rogue employees who may feel threatened. They may turn violent or take action to damage the company. Or you have the criminal actor employees who are truly malicious and have been hired or bribed by another company to gather intel. Their goal is to gather data and assets to cause damage for a specific purpose. While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organisation. They can cause brand and financial damage, along with physical and mental damage. Insider threat programme Once you determine you need an insider threat programme, you need to build a business case and support it with requirements. Depending on your industry, you can start with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, NERC CIP, PCI, etc. Talk to your regulator and get their input. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a programme Next, get a top to bottom risk assessment to learn your organisation’s risks. A risk assessment will help you prioritise your risks and provide recommendations about what you need to include in your programme. Begin by meeting with senior leadership, including your CEO to discuss expectations. Creating an insider threat programme will change the company culture, and the CEO must understand the gravity of his/her decision before moving forward. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a programme and support it before its implemented. Determining the level of monitoring The size and complexity of your company will determine the type of programme needed. One size does not fit all. It will determine what technologies are required and how much personnel is needed to execute the programme. The company must determine what level of monitoring is needed to meet their goals. After the leadership team decides, form a steering committee that includes someone from legal, HR and IT. Other departments can join as necessary. This team sets up the structure, lays out the plan, determines the budget and what type of technologies are needed. For small companies, the best value is education. Educate your employees about the programme, build the culture and promote awareness. Teach employees about the behaviours you are looking for and how to report them. Behavioural analysis software Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support The steering committee will need to decide what is out of scope. Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support. The tools put in place cannot monitor employee productivity (web surfing). That is out of scope and will disrupt the company culture. What technology does your organisation need to detect insider threats? Organisations need software solutions that monitor, aggregate and analyse data to identify potential threats. Behavioural analysis software looks at patterns of behaviour and identifies anomalies. Use business intelligence/data analytics solutions to solve this challenge. This solution learns the normal behaviour of people and notifies security staff when behaviour changes. This is done by setting a set risk score. Once the score crosses a determined threshold, an alert is triggered. Case and incident management tools Predictive analytics technology reviews behaviours and identifies sensitive areas of companies (pharmacies, server rooms) or files (HR, finance, development). If it sees anomalous behaviour, it can predict behaviours. It can determine if someone is going to take data. It helps companies take steps to get ahead of bad behaviour. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered User sentiment detection software can work in real time. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered. The SOC and HR are notified and security dispatched. Depending on how a company has this process set-up, it could potentially save lives. Now that your organisation has all this data, how do you pull it together? Case and incident management tools can pool data points and create threat dashboards. Cyber detection system with access control An integrated security system is recommended to be successful. It will eliminate bubbles and share data to see real-time patterns. If HR, security and compliance departments are doing investigations, they can consolidate systems into the same tool to have better data aggregation. Companies can link their IT/cyber detection system with access control. Deploying a true, integrated, open system provides a better insider threat programme. Big companies should invest in trained counterintelligence investigators to operate the programme. They can help identify the sensitive areas, identify who the people are that have the most access to them, or are in a position to do the greatest amount of harm to the company and who to put mitigation plans around to protect them. They also run the investigations. Potential risky behaviour Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful programme You need to detect which individuals are interacting with information systems that pose the greatest potential risk. You need to rapidly and thoroughly understand the user’s potential risky behaviour and the context around it. Context is important. You need to decide what to investigate and make it clear to employees. Otherwise you will create a negative culture at your company. Develop a security-aware culture. Involve the crowd. Get an app so if someone sees something they can say something. IT should not run the insider threat programme. IT is the most privileged department in an organisation. If something goes wrong with an IT person, they have the most ability to do harm and cover their tracks. They need to be an important partner, but don’t let them have ownership and don’t let their administrators have access. Educating your employees and creating a positive culture around an insider threat programme takes time and patience. Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful programme. It’s okay to start small and build.

Growing up, I was surrounded by the military way of life as my father was a Captain in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and my grandfather and uncles all served in the military. Even from a young age, I knew I was going to serve our country. My 22-year career in the military includes serving in the United States Air Force, the California Air National Guard and as a reservist assigned to an active-duty Air Force unit. Training and development operations Over the course of my military career, I held a variety of assignments from starting out as a Gate Guard to becoming a Flight Chief and Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of a Security Forces section. I retired from the military as a Master Sergeant. After my deployment to Afghanistan, I joined Allied Universal as a security director. My 17-year career at Allied Universal encompasses roles including Service Manager and General Manager at the West Los Angeles Branch and leading the Training and Development operations and Fire Life Safety Division. In 2008, I was tasked to develop and implement the company’s Healthcare Division. Attaining meaningful employment opportunities Below are just a few reasons why the physical security sector is a natural fit for military veterans: Self-Discipline and Organisation Coveted in Security Sector - I believe that the skills learned in the military, such as self-discipline and organisation, have provided the necessary tools to be successful. I truly enjoy working with other veterans at my company as we all know that we can count on each other to get the job done right. This bond and sense of commitment to each other is always there. Multi-faceted Career Paths Available - The security sector also offers veterans the ability to attain meaningful employment opportunities with multi-faceted career paths. A veteran’s background and experience are highly valued in this sector and there are many positions to match our skill sets and expertise. The responsibility we have for those in our charge is really not any different than what we have learned in the military. Team Players - Teamwork is a lesson all military veterans learn. In the military, you live and work together, and are taught to support your team members and efficiently collaborate with the people around you. This is an invaluable skill in the security sector whether you are seeking an entry level or management position. No Military to Civilian Decoder Needed - Veterans need a ‘military to civilian decoder’ system to help explain the significance of their military skills and how they translate to the general employment landscape. The physical security sector, however, understands the language of the military and don’t generally require that military responsibilities be coded into language that non-military can understand. Securing mid-level appointments The physical security sector features a wide variety of jobs from entry level, middle management to senior positions. A retired veteran with a pension may look to the security sector for part-time or full-time entry level work. Other former military, who are not eligible for retirement benefits, may secure mid-level appointments with the goal of climbing the ladder to the highest rungs. The flexibility and opportunity are unparalleled in the security sector. Veterans generally enter the workforce with identifiable skills that can be transferred to the physical security world and are often skilled in technical trends pertinent to business and industry. And what they don't know, they are eager to learn - making them receptive and ready hires in physical security environments that value ongoing learning and training.

The CLIQ Go key-operated wireless access control system is built to make security easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It also offers a new way for locksmiths and SMB managers to work together for mutual benefit. When running an SMB, the budget probably won’t stretch to a security department or a dedicated facilities manager. Yet key management hassles faced are no different to those faced by a multinational company. CLIQ Go wireless access control CLIQ Go helps manage locks and access from the palm of the user’s hands — on the move CLIQ Go helps manage locks and access from the palm of the user’s hands — on the move, on the road, and from anywhere in the world. CLIQ Go is the access control system designed for SMBs, based on wireless locking cylinders and padlocks and programmable, battery-powered keys. After time- and cost-efficient, wire-free installation, a business director or admin assistant can manage their locks electronically from a smartphone, PC or tablet. CLIQ cylinders, padlocks and keys fit most standard types of interior and exterior opening. A CLIQ lock is powered by a battery inside every programmable key, so it works without mains power. Locking system management The CLIQ Go app manages the entire locking system. With a few taps and swipes of a screen, users can issue, revoke or amend the access permissions of any lock or key-holder. If a new employee needs front door or server room access, permissions can be changed and the amended rights sent to the system instantly. If someone loses their CLIQ key, they can blacklist it immediately and order any other user key to carry out system programming at the cylinder. With CLIQ Go, user’s smartphone becomes the security team for a powerful access system. Single mechanical coding for all systems For locksmiths looking to future-proof their expertise, CLIQ Go is a smart way to support SMB clients. To keep setup simple, there’s no software installation at the client end. A single mechanical coding for all systems enables locksmiths to retain keys and cylinders in stock. The locksmith simply programs and configures a new key for the SMB using the  CLIQ Express software The locksmith simply programs and configures a new key for the SMB using the  CLIQ Express software. Partnering with SMB clients in this way offers resellers an additional revenue stream: issuing, programming and dispatching new keys on demand. Because the small business probably does not employ specialist staff, a locksmith becomes a trusted security partner. CLIQ Go wins GIT Security Award In awarding CLIQ Go a GIT Security Award for “Access Control, Intruder Alarm & Perimeter Protection”, the prize jury stressed its facility to “carry out day-to-day access control management from anywhere. For locksmiths, just one mechanical coding for all systems enables them to keep keys and cylinders on stock, and to program and configure on demand.” “It is perfect for installers and resellers who want to offer quicker and more efficient services to their small- to medium-sized clients,” they concluded.

In a world where many electronic access systems offer greater convenience and flexibility than mechanical keys, what can really make the difference? Instead of being tied to mains electricity, what if one could carry the power with them? With a CLIQ wireless access control system, a battery inside each key powers all electromechanical CLIQ cylinders and padlocks. Authorised key-holders carry a single battery-powered key programmed with only their pre-defined access permissions. Keeping the solution’s power source independent of the locks and padlocks makes CLIQ management and operation more efficient. No need of cabling or electrical wiring Keys have a typical battery life of 5 years. When it is time to change the battery, anyone can do it. No expert needed, and no need to visit all CLIQ locks to reprogram or check their power. With CLIQ, all the power one needs is in their key. Because CLIQ devices are wireless and battery-powered, one does not need cabling around the doorCLIQ locks have other advantages, too. Because CLIQ devices are wireless and battery-powered, one does not need cabling around the door. There is no need for any invasive electrical wiring when one installs CLIQ key access control. And thanks to CLIQ’s menu of software options, one can decide how to manage users’ access rights. CLIQ Local Manager can administer their system via a local software installation; the CLIQ Web Manager runs securely in the cloud. ASSA ABLOY also offers a convenient Software as a Service solution option with round-the-clock support, maintenance and incident reporting as standard, and Service Level Agreements delivering data redundancy and up to 99.5% availability. eCLIQ wireless access system A fully electronic addition to the CLIQ portfolio, the eCLIQ wireless access system is built around secure microelectronics with AES encryption. Robust and durable, eCLIQ electronic cylinders are available for doors, cabinets, lifts, alarm boxes, machines and entrance gates. An integrated lubricant reservoir ensures they remain maintenance-free for up to 200,000 cycles. “This evolution of our award-winning CLIQ technology is already protecting businesses and public services across Europe,” says Stephan Schulz, CLIQ Product Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. “Organisations in a range of sectors, and with differing building types – from Italy’s Creval Bank to University Hospital Frankfurt – have learned that eCLIQ provides the control and flexibility their premises need.”

One can customise the way they want to run their own CLIQ® access control installation. The CLIQ® Web Manager makes it easy to program, reprogram or audit every CLIQ® key, cylinder, padlock or updater. And because the interface is accessible from anywhere with a Web connection, via secure login over https:// and multifactor authentication if required, one can manage access whenever and wherever they choose. ASSA ABLOY’s intuitive CLIQ® Web Manager boosts one's efficiency. One can filter access to specific locks according to the precise security needs of their site and users. For any CLIQ® system, one can create individual schedules for key-holders, doors or audit trails. Local software installation In a few clicks, a CLIQ® key or system can require users to revalidate keys regularly, making it safer to issue time-limited access to contractors or visitors. The Web Manager offers this same degree of customised efficiency when one manages CLIQ® electromechanical locks or fully electronic eCLIQ locks. The CLIQ® Web Manager has the flexibility to integrate with existing access control and other customer software It powers the interface between CLIQ® Connect keys and the Bluetooth-powered CLIQ® Connect app, for secure remote key updating for mobile workers and contractors — with added PIN protection. The CLIQ® Web Manager has the flexibility to integrate with existing access control and other customer software. Its architecture supports multiple administrators or sites, across different time zones if one needs. Workflows become easier. The Web Manager also gives the option to administer access in a self-hosted IT environment or completely free of local software installation with two different CLIQ® Software as a Service solutions. Manage access software For the highest levels of access security and scalability, the CLIQ® Web Manager comes with a Software as a Service (SaaS) option. When one opts for CLIQ® SaaS, they can select a Shared SaaS solution or Dedicated SaaS with hosting just for them, choosing maintenance schedules which suit their business best. Both SaaS options are hosted by ASSA ABLOY. They save businesses the cost of extending in-house server capacity or employing dedicated IT staff to manage access software. Security infrastructure budgeting becomes more predictable. With CLIQ® SaaS, the data benefits from complete redundancy, so it can meet regulatory and compliance requirements without stress. ASSA ABLOY includes round-the-clock support, maintenance and incident reporting in standard Service Level Agreements delivering up to 99.5% availability. And with a SaaS solution, the company’s CLIQ® software is always, automatically up to date — a big plus for cyber-security resilience. CLIQ® SaaS and the CLIQ® Web Manager saves one's time, money and worry.