Posted May 29th, 2011 | No Comments
The value of cost effective ‘mechanical’ key operated security is undoubted, even in the current era of electronic access control.
High tech electronic security solutions are the accepted norm for convenient, secure and auditable systems in multi-user environments both in the public and private sectors, however most systems require some level of mechanical back up or override for times when the ‘convenience’ system is inoperative.
The application of restricted keys is essential in this case as anything less leaves the facility vulnerable to a breach of security with little chance of detection as unrestricted keys are able to be copied without any form of authority or identification being required.
Restricted keys, sometimes referred to as ’security keys’ should be used in any situation where key control is required, that is where the owner or manager of a facility would like to retain control of who has keys issued to them and who is authorised to obtain copies of those keys.
This is a simple cost effective solution to an age old problem, that of unauthorised people being in possession of keys to secure premises. Restricted key cylinders are available for most applications and at a cost of little more than some unrestricted options.
The security of Schools, Churches, Youth Clubs, Sports Facilities, Business Premises and even Domestic Homes is vulnerable when keys locking those premises are able to be copied by anyone, without the need for proof or authorisation. Whenever anyone is given a key it is no longer under the control of it’s owner. If so inclined the key holder may then attempt to obtain copies and if not restricted could return the originals to the owner and they would be non the wiser that other ‘illicit’ keys were in circulation. Restricted keys would foil the attempt to copy the keys and in some cases may even lead to the attempted duplication being highlighted to the owner.
Even without criminal intent, many unrestricted keys are copied by people who simply want the convenience of holding a key themselves, without having to ask the authorised holder for it’s use. Once the additional keys are in existence however, the systematic corruption of security is underway. Should anything untoward occur on the premises secured by those keys then it becomes almost impossible to identify the perpetrator as no one is exactly sure just who, or even how many people may have had access to the keys.
Restricted keys are low cost, readily available at most Master Locksmith’s Approved security retailers and an essential consideration for anyone responsible for the security of home or business premises.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering your security needs. You can be assured that our trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
Contact Authorized Access by e-mail or phone 0161 762 9936 for further information and a quotation.
Tags: Authorized Access, Business security, Crime prevention, High security locks, Home Security advice, Locks, Restricted keys, Security keys | Posted in Business Advice, Security Advice |
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Posted May 11th, 2011 | No Comments
Having been in business for over 20 years and a qualified Master Locksmith I am regularly asked why I always recommend the use of restricted keys when supplying locks to both Commercial and Domestic customers, in a wide variety of situations.
I, on the other hand am constantly amazed by people who leave themselves wide open to burglary by someone who has had access to a set of keys, eirther at home or at work and have had the opportunity to have those keys copied.
Most businesses and homes are locked by keys which can be readily copied at any convenient locksmith shop or heel bar, where the operators of those businesses are not obliged even to ask for proof of identity, never mind actual ownership of or right to access before making the copy.
Most people don’t consider the consequences of lending out a key; how many times have you left a key to your home with a neighbour while you you are away on holiday, or a cleaner, decorator or workman doing work while you are out? How many employees are key holders to their places of work, either officially or just for convenience?
In all the instances above, if the keys in question were not restricted then it’s possible they could have been copied, again for reasons of convenience or for purposes less than honest! It may not have been the person who you thought was in control of the keys that made the copies but someone else.
The fact is YOU DON”T KNOW!!
Restricted keys are available for most applications where locks are used to secure premisses, for use on wooden doors, uPVC doors, composite doors, aluminium shop door and padlocks for all kinds of use and can cost little more than locks that utilise unrestricted keys.
Some locks are extremely robust and provide adequate deterent against forced entry when ‘brute force’ is used but offer little deterence when locked by an Un-Restricted Key which can be copied without the owners consent or knowledge and used to simply unlock the door, often invalidating any insurance cover the owner may have because it becomes hard to prove that the ‘Minimum Insurance Requirement’ was met as there will be no sign of forced entry!
Typical applications where Restricted Keys enhance the security already in place:
- At home, if you ever allow other people to hold keys on your behalf (ANYONE!)
- At work, if you own a business and members of your staff hold keys.
- Churches/Schools/Youth Clubs/Sports Clubs or any situation where there are multiple key-holders.
- Landlords who let properties, commercial or domestic.
- Any situation where you might want to retain control of who has a key to your premises.
Retaining control of the keys and consequently the access to your property, whether at home or at work should be at the top of your list when considering security, it is fundamental and much easier than you might think!
Contact any Master Locksmith’s Approved Company for advice and remember advice should cost NOTHING!
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering your security needs. You can be assured that our trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
You can contact Authorized Access by e-mail or phone 0161 762 9936 for further information and a quotation.
Tags: Authorized Access, Business security, Crime prevention, High security locks, Home security, Key Control, Minimum Insurance Requirement, Multiple key holders, Restricted keys, security in schools, Security keys, Security Locks, security solutions | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted April 28th, 2011 | No Comments
Many Builders, Architects and Quantity Surveyors, using the services of an Architectural Ironmonger, automatically accept the locking solution offered by their supplier as the best option for their project.
In many cases Architectural Ironmongers have been supplying the same products for years; names known throughout the industry, tried, tested and well respected names but are they still the best value for money?
At Authorized Access Security Centres in Bury we offer the very best prices in Restricted Key solutions; Cylinders and Padlocks under Restricted Key Profile, Master Keyed or Keyed Alike to the configuration of your choice, with an absolute guarantee of Unique key differs, Master Keys and Key Control.
The benefits of working with Authorized Access:
- Guaranteed LOW Prices – You pay on order but secure the very best prices in the industry!
- Quick Lead Times – Premium Option for delivery within specified time scales!
- Unique Keys (NOT OFF THE SHELF SUITES) – Guaranteed key security for your client!
- Reliability and Integrity from a Master Locksmiths Company, 22 Years Established.
- We work to your specifications – Total flexibility!
- Speak to real people with a desire to satisfy your needs!
“We know the value of delivering service beyond our customers expectations, at a price acceptable to all parties. Our ethos is to provide a ‘WIN WIN’ solution for our customers and ourselves, that way everyone is delighted by the outcome and our customers come back time and time again!”
David Ramsden, Managing Director
AUTHORIZED ACCESS specialises in the supply of good quality, Restricted Key Solutions, either Keyed Alike or Under Master Key, in any quantity to suit domestic or commercial applications:
- One Key House for Builders, Door & Window Fitters, Home Owners.
- Master Suites for Architects and Quantity Surveyors designing commercial developments.
- Security/Operations Mangers in Commercial environments.
- Key control for Facilities Managers in Multi-Key Holder applications.
- Anyone to whom the control of keys is important!
Contact Authorized Access by e-mail or phone 0161 762 9936 for further information and a quotation.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering your security needs. You can be assured that our trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
Tags: coded keys, cylinder locks, High security locks, high security padlocks, Keyed Alike, Locks, Master Keyed Locks, Restricted Key Cylinder locks, Restricted keys, Restricted Padlocks, Security keys, Suited Locks, suited padlocks | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted March 4th, 2011 | No Comments
Securing your home or business against criminals is vital and need not be expensive or time consuming.
Most home owners would not consider restricted key systems when choosing locks for their home simply because they are NOT AWARE they are available, it is often considered a security solution only for businesses. Restricted keys enhance the security provided by any lock and without them, even ‘high security’ locks can be compromised by the keys being copied at random with little or no control.
At Authorized Access we will fit a security lock to your door then register its keys to YOU; this stops duplicate keys being cut without your knowledge, giving you total control of the keys to your home or business.
Restricted keys allow you to give a cleaner or other tradesman the key to your home and as long as you get it back, you know they will have been unable to obtain copies. At work, staff issued with keys to premises are unable to have extra keys cut without your express permission, again GIVING YOU TOTAL CONTROL over who has access to your premises.
Where would this be useful?
- Business premises with multiple key holders.
- Keep control and know which members of staff have keys
- At home where keys are made available to cleaners, neighbours, tradesmen etc.
- As long as you get the keys back you know nobody has been able to get copies made
- Churches, Schools, Clubs and Sports Clubs with multiple key holders.
- Nobody who is unauthorized will be able to get keys copied
- Any situation where key control is required.
- Stay in control of your security
IN BUSINESS
Looking after property, stock and the people who work within the business makes great business sense. It is vital that you make sure that the security measures taken are appropriate, realistic and cost effective. You need to keep criminals out while allowing your customers, suppliers and employees in.
Your business activity will guide your approach to security. In simple terms, high value products will attract more criminal activity and demand a higher level of security, however even those items with a perceived low cost value will be attractive to somebody. Taking a logical approach to securing your business will help ensure you don’t miss anything that might help deter crime. “In the current climate, the effect of interruption to business is greater than ever before.
By changing the locks and installing a RESTRICTED KEY SYSTEM you guarantee that you are in total control of who has keys and therefore access, to your property. Taking these simple steps now may save you from considerable heartache and upset later and costs little more than other non restricted options.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering restricted keys as a means of securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
For assistance contact AUTHORIZED ACCESS or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.
Tags: Business security, High security locks, Home security, Home Security advice, Locks, Locksmiths Bury, Master Locksmiths Bury, Restricted keys, security, Security keys, security solutions | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted April 22nd, 2010 | No Comments
Securing your home or business against crime need not be an expensive or time consuming exercise.
Restricted key systems are available for home use as well as business. Restricted keys enhance the security provided by any lock and without them, even ‘high security’ locks can be compromised by the keys being copied at random with little or no control.
At Authorized Access we can fit a security lock to your door then register its keys to you; this stops duplicate keys being cut without your knowledge or say so and provides you with total control of the keys to your home or business.
Restricted keys allow you to provide a tradesperson the key to your home and as long as you get it back, you know they will have been unable to obtain copies. At work, staff issued with keys to premises are unable to have extra keys cut without your express permission, again giving you total control over who has access to your premises.
Where would this be useful?
- Business premises with multiple key holders.
- At home where keys are made available to cleaners, tradesmen etc.
- Any situation where key control is required.
Looking after property, stock and the people who work within the business makes great business sense. Being responsible for the security in your business, it is vital that you make sure that the security measures taken are appropriate, realistic and cost effective. You need to keep criminals out while allowing your customers, suppliers and employees in.
Your business activity will guide your approach to security. In simple terms, high value products will attract more criminal activity and demand a higher level of security, however even those items with a perceived low cost value will be attractive to somebody. Taking a logical approach to securing your business will help ensure you don’t miss anything that might help deter crime. “In the current climate, the effect of interruption to business is greater than ever before.
By changing the locks you can guarantee that you are in total control of who has keys to your property
Choosing a Lock- Things to consider:
- Insurance requirements-Does your lock need to conform to British standards for insurance purposes BS3621
- One Key House/Business – Would I like all my locks to be operated by one key? This avoids having bulky key rings, never loose the back door key again!
- Master Keying of locks- makes great business sense. Only give access to areas of your business to people that need to be there.
- Speciality Locks- Do I need locks for a special purpose eg escape function.
- High Security Locks- Do I need locks with enhanced security features eg Restricted keys, having control of who can copy your keys, locks with anti pick and anti bump features.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering restricted keys as a means of securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
For assistance contact http://www.authorized-access.co.uk/contact-us or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.
Tags: High security locks, Home security, Master Keys, Master Locksmith, Restricted keys, Security keys, Security Locks | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted July 20th, 2009 | 2 Comments
Effective security at home and in business does not always mean spending a lot of money. The use of Restricted Keys is a great way of improving the security of traditional door locks.
What is a restricted key?
A restricted key is a key which may only be coppied (cut) with the express permission of it’s owner.
This means that if you have locks fitted to your home or business which have restricted keys, then you can be sure that nobody will be able to have keys cut without your permission.
The advantages of this are:-
- Any key loaned to a neighbour, friend, tradesman (painter & decorator, etc) which is subsequently returned will not have been able to be copied.
- If you ever lost or missplaced your keys but then had them returned, you would be confident that nobody had been able to have copies cut.
- If a family member, child, etc. or employee lost their key, they would be unable to simply borrow another and get it cut without your permission.
- You will know exactly how many keys to your property are in existence.
- Nobody who should not have keys to your premises will have them.
Locks that use Restricted Keys
Locks which are operated by restricted keys are usually of the type which can be ‘re-keyed’, meaning that the locksmith who supplied the locks would be able to change the pinning arrangement within the lock to enable new keys to be issued for it and invalidate existing keys.
The advantages of this are:-
- If keys are lost or stolen, the locks can be re-keyd at a fraction of the cost of buying new ones.
- Locks can be ‘keyed alike’ or made to work by the same key, meaning fewer keys to carry, for ease and convenience.
- The ‘One Key House’, all doors in your house could work with the same key for convenience.
- Additional locks could be added to your suite at a later stage, thus allowing your security system to grow with you.
- Locks can be Master Keyed to offer tiered levels of security within a commercial environment or in Churches, schools or other multi user situations.
Are these locks expensive?
Locking systems with restricted keys have become much less expensive in recent years. Some reputable locksmiths now have access to keys with a ‘unique profile’ which means that the key blanks that fit their locks are only available to them, ensuring that unauthorized key cutters are not able to cut their keys illegally. These locking systems are relatively inexpensive and can in some case be provided at no more expense than readily available unrestricted systems.
Always use a Master Locksmith’s Association approved locksmith to supply your locks and associated security products, that way you will be sure that your supplier is legitimate and works within the guidelines of the locksmith’s industry lead body, who vet and regularly inspect it’s member companies.
Tags: Home security, Lock change, Master Locksmith Bury, Registry keys, Restricted keys, security, Security keys | Posted in Security Advice |
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The value of cost effective ‘mechanical’ key operated security is undoubted, even in the current era of electronic access control.