High-security locks have long been a staple in the arsenal of security integrators; however, recent improvements and product updates have led to a resurgence in their use across several verticals.
In this exclusive Q&A from fellow SecurityInfoWatch Media Group brand Locksmith Ledger, editor Paul Ragusa sat down with Mark Berger, general manager of Securitech Group, an ASSA ABLOY company, to discuss the advances of the technology and how they are being leveraged by locksmiths and integrators to break into new vertical markets while strengthening some of the more established ones.
Ragusa: What trends are you seeing within high-security locks – forced entry or otherwise?
Berger: Interestingly, we are seeing increased use of crowbars and other old popular tools becoming more prevalent, but the biggest trend is how mechanical locks now are all being “belled and whistled.”. Now, they have signal switches and communicate effectively with cameras and security systems. Because of that, we are seeing real integration between mechanical locking as a part of a full-monitored security solution.
Especially in the critical infrastructure market, we are seeing an increase in the protection of exterior buildings against forced entry, as many [end-users are focused on] keeping out transients or other people who do not belong there.
We are also seeing mantraps – or interlocks – being used a lot more.
With locks becoming more connected, what related features are customers asking for?
Berger: We're seeing a lot of requests for remote multi-point lockdown capability with just one button. There are two tiers to that functionality – one for forced entry, and the other for full lockdown, which also locks out access card entry. The people behind the protected wall need to determine when to lock the door, or when to let people in.
Customers are also asking for deadbolt monitoring, where the security system will not arm unless the deadbolt is sending a signal that it has been projected. Deadbolt monitoring is also being used, for example, to monitor how long a restroom has been locked. After 5 or 10 minutes, a blind signal goes to a cashier or someone else responsible for monitoring the area. [Securitech] has a deadbolt sensor that is in the strike plate [for this application]. Another of our deadbolt sensors uses an optical switch instead of a traditional mechanical switch.
School security has always been a primary vertical for high-security locks. How is that market evolving?
[School officials] are beginning to understand compartmentalization a lot better, and forced-entry products are finding their way onto the perimeter of both school buildings and individual classrooms.
Higher education has traditionally concentrated on the perimeters of buildings. Now, they are focusing on protecting interior spaces. The K-12 mindset has moved into [higher ed] and I think part of it is that kids have become conditioned to a certain minimum level of security that they have seen throughout their K-12 years. When they get into the university world, [the students are uncomfortable] if they don't see the ability to lock a door down if something happens.
One of my standard stump speeches is that whatever security product you recommend to an organization must be supportive of its mission. If you bring locksets into schools, they must be done in a way that doesn't frighten kids, but makes them feel comfortable, or empowers them and helps them learn better.
What about other emerging vertical markets?
High security has been embraced by the cannabis industry, especially the need for forced entry protection. [Cannabis businesses] are locking up merchandise behind glass sliding doors during the day, and [criminals] are coming back at night with crowbars.
The cannabis market has a similar growth pattern that we saw with drug stores 20 years ago. They went from mom-and-pop stores to Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, which bought the smaller regionals and standardized their level of security. While the small operations do things differently, their respect for code compliance and implementing high-security measures has grown.
Do you see biometrics, mobile access, or AI impacting the high-security lock market?
Berger: When I board Delta at JFK, they have mobile ID, and I don't need a boarding pass or my license. I walk up and somehow, I get through security to get on my plane. Yes, there are technological advances related to what we're doing. I'm not saying that they are in [the high-security locking] space just yet, but those technologies are going into other areas of security.
For [younger professionals], what may have been high security when they first started now becomes the ground floor in terms of expectation. That's why we're seeing a lot of advances in the technology.
Still, we should be aware of the overuse of technology in certain markets. Some products are ebing placed into the school environment, for example, that have no business being there. Frankly, they are “security theater” and put a black mark on the security industry. We must remain vigilant and educate people.
What is the top issue for high-security locks moving forward?
Berger: Code compliance remains critically important. I am the chair of the Codes and Government and Industry Affairs Committee for the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA), and there has been a lot of work to make sure that our codes enable the use of the latest technology and are not restricting advancements.
