The need to protect people and resources means university facilities teams need to know where people are, whether secured areas are being accessed by unauthorised parties and ensure that sensitive environments are monitored. Robust physical security is essential for ensuring university communities are protected.
Universities may be seen as institutions of learning and research, but they are small cities with internal transport systems, offices, accommodation, and shops as well as secured areas. Higher education facilities such as universities and TAFE colleges face similar challenges to cities and towns. The need to protect people and resources means university facilities teams need to know where people are, whether secured areas are being accessed by unauthorised parties and ensure that sensitive environments such as laboratories and animal enclosures are monitored.
Managing the safety and security of such large facilities requires several strategies and tactics to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
“Managing physical security for a university is extremely complex. With many campuses servicing tens of thousands of students and staff across dozens of buildings and a range of facilities, each with its own specific risks and security challenges, the need for unified physical security platform that can integrate data from myriad devices is paramount.”
George Moawad is the Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Genetec
Students access universities by public transport, in cars and on bicycles and many universities also have on-campus residential facilities. These all need to be secured and with a unified security platform. Car parks, bike lockers and public transport hubs can be protected with security cameras for monitoring. The footage can be scanned by software that uses machine learning to detect anomalous activity in those and other areas to ensure students, staff and campus visitors are protected.
Understanding the ingress, egress, and movement of people at a campus is important for security and safety. At one Australian university, a network of over 1400 cameras monitor entry and exit points, lecture halls and other areas. While many areas of a university may be accessed 24/7, there may be times when an area is accessed outside the expected times. Security camera feeds that are checked using automated systems can prompt security teams to check areas quickly rather than only when there is a scheduled patrol.
As well as cameras, electronic door locks and other physical security devices provide valuable telemetry that can be used to understand where people are, their movements and whether there are attempts at unauthorised access.
Similarly, bicycle storage lockers need to be secured to reduce the risk of theft and to give students peace of mind that they are being protected when they may be in a vulnerable place or situation.
License plate recognition (LPR) is also a powerful tool. In areas that require stronger security, unauthorised vehicles can be quickly detected. An Australian university with a rural campus uses LPR to detect black-listed vehicles and to alert them should an unknown vehicle attempt to enter the premises.
Security guards can wear bodycams while on patrol to ensure there is an accurate record of incidents that may encounter. As well as being a tool for rapidly deploying backup, they ensure there is a record of any activity that can be used should a matter be escalated to law enforcement or the courts.
While all these use-cases and tools are important, the best possible return on investment for this physical security infrastructure can only be achieved if the data collected from cameras, door locks and other sensors is brought into a centralised platform where it can be collated and analysed. That platform needs to be open so the data from cameras, locks, LPR and other sensors that come from different manufacturers can be easily integrated, negating the need for security teams to manually review multiple systems.
Managing physical security for a university is extremely complex. With many campuses servicing tens of thousands of students and staff across dozens of buildings and a range of facilities, each with its own specific risks and security challenges, the need for unified physical security platform that can integrate data from myriad devices is paramount. That platform must be open so data can be received from different cameras, locks, and other sensors without locking the university into a limited set of hardware vendors. And the platform must be secure and supported by a developer that understands the importance of maintaining the software to the highest standards.
These systems can help prevent crime and ensure that any wrongdoing is swiftly detected. Staff, students, and university visitors are safer and valuable assets are protected. Robust physical security is essential for ensuring university communities are protected.
About the Author
George Moawad is the Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Genetec. Genetec Inc. is a global technology company that has been transforming the physical security industry for over 25 years. The company’s portfolio of solutions enables enterprises, governments, and communities around the world to secure people and assets while respecting individual privacy and the demand for operational efficiency.
