by HID*
Any precaution is little for Banco do Nordeste de Brasil (BNB). And when it comes to protecting the physical integrity of its staff and corporate information, BNB goes beyond the rules established by the audit institutions and adopts its own security measures.
As a state-owned financial institution, which acts as a catalyst for sustainable development and promotes the economic progress of the northeastern region of Brazil, in addition to offering banking services to the general public, the institution has countless reasons to resort to technology in order to counter the threats faced by any bank in the world.
Given this situation, at the end of 2008, BNB decided to strengthen the physical access control system of the administrative offices in Fotaleza, Ceará. After evaluating several security devices, the bank opted for contactless smart card solutions from HID Global, a company with an international reach, whose implementation services, contracted through a bidding process, were carried out by the Brazilian integrator company, Interative Tecnologia Ltda.
"Our corporate security policy is based on three pillars: reliability, integrity and availability. And during our market research, we determined that HID is a company recognized for these principles," says Mr. José Boileau, executive manager of corporate security at Banco do Nordeste.
Banco do Nordeste determined that the high level of security of HID's iCLASS® contactless smart card and reader technology provided the ideal platform to control access to strategic points of the bank's administrative offices at the headquarters in Fortaleza, Ceará. The legal and finance department, the data processing center and the security room received priority in the first stage of the project, for a total of more than 50 controlled points.
"Banco de Nordeste has a qualified security team with a vision very oriented to take advantage of technological advances. That explains why they chose contactless readers and smart cards," said Marcelo Antunes of Interactive Tecnologia.
Taking into account the specific needs of the bank, the integrator company suggested using iCLASS R10 and RWK400 readers with keyboard, as well as the iCLASS RWKLB575 biometric reader, which meet the security levels required in each area. These devices, together with 2Kbits smart cards and software from the Brazilian manufacturer Commbox Tecnologia, replaced the old proximity system (which did not work autonomously) and the existing access control software (which was integrated with the automation system of the property).
"Commbox's SafeAccess software allows BNB to integrate access control, alarm monitoring, CCTV and human resources. In addition, it makes it possible to customize the design of the card and the printing of credentials, create reports and, in general, provides many options for future expansion, "adds Mr. Antunes. Based in Rio Grande do Sul, Commbox also provided the MCA10 controller and made the adaptations to create a tailor-made solution.
In addition, in its mission to raise the level of security, Banco do Nordeste decided to take advantage of the advantages offered by HID Global's Corporate 1000 Program and created an exclusive format for the institution. Credentials are programmed by HID with a unique card identification number, which is tracked during the production process to prevent duplication.
The results
Almost two years after the project was launched, Mr Boileau is fully satisfied with the system installed. "We had no installation or availability issues, and we struggled with product performance. This is a robust solution," he says. And it highlights that the cards are used intensively in the institution, not only as part of the electronic system of access control to controlled environments, but also as an identification credential of employees, even with a photo. "Before we could not generate reports on access, we did not know precisely who had entered each area. Now we can analyze in detail the accesses to different environments," he says. Currently, the cards programmed by HID are sent to an external company that personalized them with the data of each user. However, in the coming months a process of recredentialization will be carried out on site, due to the fact that the bank is changing its visual identity.
The transparency with which the implementation was carried out and the achievements in terms of security, motivate Mr. Boileau and his team to talk about the future. "We already have a benchmark to implement a centralized physical access control system in almost 200 banking agencies, located in 13 states, including the Federal District," he says.
With the celebration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Banco do Nordeste will face a new challenge due to its physical proximity to the venue of the games in Fortaleza, the Castelão stadium. Access control at all entry points will be adapted to new traffic conditions, with the installation of automatic gates and turnstiles, with a view to offering greater security to its officials and visitors. HID and Commbox solutions will be essential for this next stage, says Mr Boileau.
* If you want to know more about this article write to Juliana Nicacio Smith, Marketing Communications Manager of HID Global Corporation, at the email: [email protected]
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