5 Ways to Protect Your Telecom Shelters
Lock
Locks are probably one of the easiest and most cost-effective measures to prevent accidental entry into a telecommunications cabinet. Organizations also have plenty of options when it comes to door lock systems.
Depending on the manufacturer and offering, the enclosure may be factory equipped with a lock built into the door/latch mechanism. Locks may be key-operated, or they may have a combination entry.
Organizations can easily purchase padlocks to put on their enclosures if the lock is not part of the standard enclosure package. Before buying a bunch of padlocks, telecom organizations should talk to the enclosure OEM to determine which style will work best – some latch configurations require longer padlocks to work properly.
Whether locks are standard equipment or added later, telecommunications organizations should carefully consider how to secure equipment in remote situations.
Vanma Lock is widely used at remote sites because it looks like a mechanical locking system, but Vanma Lock is an electromechanical access control system that combines mechanical and electronic systems to provide contractors with traceable access control.
RFID Systems
RFID systems are a great way to keep cabinets locked without worrying about keys or combinations falling into the wrong hands.
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, which uses electromagnetic fields to identify tags, such as personnel cards, and open cabinet doors.
RFID is especially beneficial because it not only eliminates the need to track keys or combinations, it also records everyone who visits the site using the system. This provides great oversight of on-site activities for company employees and independent contractors. For contractors, another benefit offered by RFID is that organizations can provide contractors with personnel cards that are only on-site for a limited period of time specified by the organization. When time runs out, the company can cancel access to the personnel card without redoing any settings at the site.
Alarm System
Locks are great, but how do organizations know if someone has forced their way over a remote site’s lock? With an alert system, organizations can instantly know about intruders.
As with RFID systems, alarms are not a standard feature, but enclosure manufacturers can provide these features by designing and building magnetic or mechanical door alarm contacts. Telecom organizations will then need to set up systems to alert key team members in the event of a break-in.
Equipment Monitoring
While not necessarily called a security feature, device monitoring solutions can help telecom organizations keep tabs on what’s happening on-site at the chassis.
Alerts alert organizations to tampering with doors, and device monitoring solutions can alert organizations to tampering with internal or external equipment.
Equipment monitoring solutions typically track equipment temperature and/or operating cycles. The monitoring system can send alerts if something goes wrong, such as a broken system and no longer functioning or some internal equipment going offline. While not inherently a security feature, it’s a great way for organizations to learn more about what’s going on with their telecom enclosures.
Fence
Fences are another great way to enhance site security. Obviously, it all depends on the telecom organization.
Chain link fencing is the most common type of fencing, except where surrounding community regulations require different due to area aesthetics. It provides at-a-glance visibility into the site, so if an intruder gets in, they have nowhere to hide. Plus, it’s very durable.
Organizations can further increase the effectiveness of the fence by using barbed/blade wire on top of it to keep people from climbing the fence.
