Doorway Configuration for a Manned Facility with Automatic Locks

B.

Access controls are meant to protect facilities and computers as well as people.

In some situations, the objectives of physical access controls and the protection of people's lives may come into conflict.

In theses situations, a person's life always takes precedence.

Many physical security controls make entry into and out of a facility hard, if not impossible.

However, special consideration needs to be taken when this could affect lives.

In an information processing facility, different types of locks can be used and piggybacking should be prevented, but the issue here with automatic locks is that they can either be configured as fail-safe or fail-secure.

Since there should only be one access door to an information processing facility, the automatic lock to the only door to a man-operated room must be configured to allow people out in case of emergency, hence to be fail-safe (sometimes called fail-open), meaning that upon fire alarm activation or electric power failure, the locking device unlocks.

This is because the solenoid that maintains power to the lock to keep it in a locked state fails and thus opens or unlocks the electronic lock.

Fail Secure works just the other way.

The lock device is in a locked or secure state with no power applied.

Upon authorized entry, a solinoid unlocks the lock temporarily.

Thus in a Fail Secure lock, loss of power of fire alarm activation causes the lock to remain in a secure mode.

Reference(s) used for this question: Harris, Shon (2012-10-18)

CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition (p.

451)

McGraw-Hill.

Kindle Edition.

and Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21)

Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 20249-20251)

Auerbach Publications.

Kindle Edition.

In a manned facility with automatic locks, the configuration of the doorway plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of the premises. The correct answer to the question depends on the security requirements of the facility and the objectives of the security administrator.

A. Fail-secure configuration means that the door remains locked even in the event of a power outage or system failure. This configuration is suitable for high-security facilities where the priority is to prevent unauthorized access. In this case, if the power goes out, the door will remain locked, and no one can enter the facility without manual intervention. However, this configuration can also pose a safety risk in emergency situations, such as fires or other emergencies that require people to evacuate the building quickly.

B. Fail-safe configuration, on the other hand, means that the door unlocks in the event of a power outage or system failure. This configuration is more appropriate for facilities where safety is a top priority. In an emergency situation, people can exit the building quickly without any delay. However, this configuration also poses a security risk, as unauthorized individuals can gain access to the facility in the event of a power outage or system failure.

C. A door delay cipher lock is a type of lock that requires a code to be entered to unlock the door. The code must be entered within a certain time frame, and if not, the door remains locked. This configuration is useful for preventing unauthorized access and can be combined with fail-secure or fail-safe configurations to enhance security and safety.

D. Piggybacking is when an authorized person allows an unauthorized person to enter a restricted area by holding the door open or swiping their access card for them. To prevent piggybacking, the doorway can be configured with an access control system that requires each person to enter their own access code or use their own access card.

In conclusion, the configuration of a doorway in a manned facility with automatic locks should be based on the specific security and safety requirements of the facility. The choice of fail-secure or fail-safe configurations depends on the priority of security or safety, while a door delay cipher lock and access control system can be used to enhance security and prevent unauthorized access. Preventing piggybacking is also essential for maintaining the integrity of the access control system.