'Is 'chivalry' a danger to security?' blog discussion

mikki-b

I remeber when my little girl was at nursery, there was a door code to get into the building. We were told not to let anyoone follow us in and everyone had to close the door behind them, so every one had to entry the code themselves. However if it was another parent that you knew then it was OK to let them in. I did have other parents who didn't know me close the door on me, I didn't have a problem with that and neither did others One morning however, I entered the code and a man with baby in arms tried to follow me in. I didn't know him so told him I couldn't let him in. He got quite stroppy with me, and I said sorry but I don't know you so I can't let you in. He then said he didn't know the code. Even more reason why I can't let you in and shut the door. One of the other parents couldn't believe he'd got upset with me, after all he thought it was accpetable for me just to let anyone in. I did tell a member of staff straight away so they could let him in and they explained that parents are not allowed to let anyone else in for obvious safety reasons, apparently not so obvious to him. (He also didnt seem to know what the doorbell was for either and would have been stood there for ages if I hadn't told someone!!)

Obukit

All this "swipe card" security is really nonsense anyway as almost all of the door locks and turnstiles work on electromagnets, meaning a sharp pull or shove and you're past them anyway.

Works on my doors at work (easier than digging out my swipe card), and works on the turnstiles are my fiancee's office (easier than calling her)! I'm pretty certain if I know this then any ne'er do wells know the same - which is why any doors that need to be secured at my work are done so with a good old fashioned key .

misscryptic

Why does everyone think an intruder is going to blow up the building??
One of my Dad's colleagues once helped some people at the door to their shared offices carry some computers to a car. Turned out the next day they were stealing them...

london_saver

Only last month my friend was severely attacked and mugged after he did this. He lived in a housing estated with security doors to get into the indivdual bloks. He was chatting to the guy following behind him and he let the door open for him to follow in. He was then attacked, by this person and more people (maybe it was a gang), then mugged of his phone and wallet. Nasty business, but you have to be vigilant.

Jacka87

In my flat building we have a front door with a magnetic lock that means you need to have a key to get into the building.

Whenever their are breakins to any of the flats the door has usually not been closed properly (something that I make sure I do all the time) however a second issue is that people generally dont make others hunt for their keys and let them into the building.

I have thought about this issue before and now (probably wrongly) always make sure that I dont let anybody into the building that looks dodgy but all the burglars that look normal will have no problems!

So basiacally only be polite if the person looks like they are an upstanding member of the public. Or in Martins case cos they are from the opposite sex!

Nosht

Never let anyone in without a pass.


N.

cit_k

I have seen it before in a corporate enviroment, all and sundry let in without thought.

Not that it makes much difference, they usually use maglocks, which would not stop someone determined to just kick the door open.

mrcrazy04

I'm currently doing a degree in IT Security, and tailgating is a method commonly employed by hackers (and penetration testers working to test a company's IT security).
We had a guest lecturer who runs a pen-testing company, and he said he can get into quite a few companies just by dressing smartly and approaching secure doors with a coffee in each hand - as people will hold the door for him. He's then free to go and tamper with the computers as much as he likes.
So ideally you should shut the door behind you, if everybody adopted that culture it would be much easier, as everybody would then expect to not be let in by somebody else.

Fire_Fox

I live in a small apartment block with security door and go mental when people just buzz randoms in. Why? A couple of years ago we had vagrants living in the top of the stairwell who claimed to have been there for three weeks. They were drunk and abusive the first time a resident spoke to them such that we had to call the police. Recently two days running someone tried my front door handle and on the second occasion I used the peephole to see a female trying doors all down my corridor. :eek: Upon being challenged the girl initially claimed to be lost in the building then admitted she was homeless!

Presumably there are more incidents that I am not aware of, so it really DOES matter who you let in.

whirleyshirley

I lived in apartment block and several were broken into because residents held open doors to let in people they didn't know or buzzed in someone who rang their buzzers and asked to be let in. One day I was buzzed, it wasn't for me but someone asking to get in to see a neighbour, I told them to buzz the neighbour, on being told they weren't in, I asked why they still wanted into the building. Only to be met with an excuse they wanted to knock on the door to make sure. I told them if they didn't answer their intercom, there was a good chance they were out, or indisposed and that I'd not be letting them into the building, also not to bother ringing my intercom again.

I told the neighbour when I bumped into them sometime later, who told me that the people trying to gain access were non gratis and they had a restraining order out against one of the party.

Glad I didn't let them in.

Frequently other residents let strangers into the building, and there were a few robberies. Some residents were up in arms, so all were reminded not to allow access to strangers either via holding open the door or the intercom. It cut down the amount of cold callers at the doors, let in by someone else.