[hackerspaces] RFC: security alarm and access control systems in use

[Joshua Pritt]

I added Melbourne Makerspace's lock system to the wiki page.
Note that our front wall and door are all glass so anyone with a rock,
brick, hammer, thick skull can get in.
We do have an inner door that has a push button number lock so we have a
two factor, something you have and something you know authentication.
But like we all know, locks just keep honest people honest.  It's not going
to stop someone that's 100% motivated to really get in.
Even with a retinal scanner we'd still have some Mission Impossible people
coming in through the bathroom vents!

Our door lock is powered by a Raspberry Pi and a little RFID reader module
and interfaces with Seltzer via a custom REST query to check if the swiped
RFID serial is in our DB then checks if the key's owner has paid their dues
in the last 3 months.  If the key isn't found in the DB it gives an Access
Denied message on the little LCD screen AND emails our board members with
the serial number that was tried.
If the person hasn't paid their dues it emails the board members with that
member's balance.
If it's all good it will give an Access Granted! message on the LCD screen
and open the relay for the magnet lock.
We recently put a UPS on the system for power blinks, etc.

https://wiki.melbournemakerspace.org/projects/RFIDDoorLock





On Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 9:39 AM, Ron Bean <makerspace at rbean.users.panix.com>
wrote:

> >Also: why do so many of these hackerspace access control systems use RFID
> /
> >proximity cards? Hackerspace people are among the most likely to know how
> >laughable security is with them, yet so many hackerspaces use them?
>
> I haven't seen it, but I've been told that there is video of a member
> letting himself in with a slimjim when his RFID card didn't work. One
> could argue that it would have been easier for him to hack the system,
> but in his case I don't think so. (He's no longer around, but that's a
> different story. Also, the doors now have latch guards.)
>
> Anyway, this is one anecdote in favor of the idea that the people we're
> trying to keep out are unlikely to bother hacking the RFID system (for
> the same reason that burglars seldom bother to pick locks-- only nerds
> do that, and they're not interested in breaking in).
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
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>
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