S 1.17 Entrance control service

Initiation responsibility: Head of Internal Services

Implementation responsibility: Internal Services

Establishment of an entrance control service has far-reaching positive effects against a number of threats. However, this presupposes that some fundamental principles are observed in the performance of entrance control.

• The gatekeeper observes and/or monitors all movements of persons at the gate and at all other entrances.
• Remote doors and windows can also be monitored and controlled by the gatekeeper by means of video surveillance (see S 1.53 Video surveillance).
• Gatekeepers must know the staff members. It is recommended that known persons also prove their identity to the gatekeeper, i.e. show their in-house ID card. If an employee terminates his/her employment at the institution or changes his/her position at the institution, the gatekeeper must also be informed of the date from which this member of staff is to be denied access of if access authorisations will change.
• Unknown persons ("even the new boss") will have to prove their identity to the gatekeeper.
• Access of external persons to the building can be recorded in a visitor log. Issuing of visitor cards or visitor's accompanying cards must be considered.
• Visitors will be escorted to the person to be visited or will be met by the latter at the entrance. If visitors are allowed to access the building unaccompanied, it must be verified in advance that this is possible without security concerns. The corresponding framework conditions must be documented in advance. For example, it is possible to keep a list with trustworthy regular visitors that are allowed to enter the building unaccompanied after being issued a visitor card.
• If the entrance is manned around the clock, notifications from the alerting and monitoring technology could always be forwarded to the entrance or only out of the usual service periods. Based on alarm lists for the notifications, the notifications are forwarded from the entrance to the responsible stand-by employee or the responsible external bodies.

The working conditions for gatekeepers are to be designed with due regard to the tasks to be performed. The description of tasks must precisely define the tasks of gatekeepers in support of other security safeguards (e.g. building security after business hours, activation of the alarm system, checking of outside doors and windows).

When defining the tasks it should be ensured that the allocated tasks do not create any security lapses. If an entrance is only manned with one gatekeeper and this gatekeeper is not able to temporarily lock the entrance, such gatekeeper must not be instructed to escort visitors to the person being visited.

Review questions:

• Are the tasks of the entrance control service clearly documented?
• Are the employees and visitors required to prove their identity at the gatekeeper?
• Are visitors escorted to the person to be visited and/or are they met by the latter at the entrance?
• Are gatekeepers informed on any changes of access authorisations in due time?