Securing and safeguarding semi-public facilities such as schools, hospitals or convention centers can be a challenging task for security professionals. Goals associated with keeping an environment safe for the occupants are dependent upon shifting technological and cultural influences and the line between fortress and freedom can become easily blurred.

Answers to today’s security challenges can also be shifting in nature. One solution for a secure building that remains constant though is the use of an automated key control system. Keys to buildings, rooms and other valuable stored assets that are held in a locked, password-access only key cabinet can be better managed and ultimately provide for a safer, more secure environment.

Tamper-proof cabinets designed specifically for key management help eliminate building vulnerability. Key cabinets can only be accessed by authorized users with pre-programmed PIN codes, access cards or biometrics. Access to the electronic key cabinet and to individual keys is under the control of facility management and/or security, and they decide who has permission to remove each key. And, with advanced communications capabilities in today’s systems, management always knows who removed any key and when it was taken. Online monitoring and easy to use, time-saving features such as illuminated key slots help management keep keys under control while making the process more manageable.

Key control systems that allow integration with other building or operational physical security systems add to a heightened level of security. For example, key control systems utilizing proximity cards or biometric identification can be integrated with access control systems that feature the same user identification technology. A user who has taken a specific key from a key control cabinet can be denied egress from the facility until the key is returned – and selected management can be alerted via email or text if a key has not been returned on time.

For semi-public buildings, today’s automated key control systems remain a critical component of a physical security system. It’s the solution that delivers more value, more convenience and control -- and more peace of mind.