EKA | CyberLock

Department of Transport and Main roads

CASE STUDY

ACCESS CONTROL CHALLENGE

The G20 summit is a big deal for any city to host. The 2014 summit in Brisbane was no different with 22 world leaders and more than 4,000 delegates attending. Brisbane left no stone unturned to guard against all forms of disruption and ensure everyone was safe. One particular area of concern in the transport infrastructure space was roadside traffic signal controllers which could potentially have been used to conceal a form of attack on a motorcade.

Prior to G20, the controllers were secured by a carriage style lock that is opened using a square drive key or cam lock, like those used on most letterboxes. These locks could be opened by a screwdriver or filing cabinet master key so offered very little security.This created an urgent requirement to secure the controller cabinets located along the VIP routes in the vicinity of the G20 summit venue in South Brisbane and the VIP’s accommodation. The Department of Transport and Main Roads had to find a solution to provide comprehensive auditable control and be completely undertaken within eight weeks, including identifying the solution, sourcing the equipment, installation and testing.

ACCESS CONTROL SOLUTION

Establishing a new master key system was considered as a possible solution. However, it was determined that this would not provide comprehensive control as the reproduction of keys is not all that difficult these days given the availability of 3D printers that can replicate some mechanical master keys.

After extensive research and consultation with other state road authorities across Australia to identify the locking systems they were using and feedback they had to share, it was decided the solution should be managed in a similar way to conventional access control. The system needed to be auditable at all levels, lost keys must be easily deactivated, and the system must be able to be easily installed into the existing controller cabinets.

EKA CyberLock system offered a superior range of benefits including;

  • There was a raft of reference sites demonstrating how the system was already proven.
  • The CyberLock cylinders could be simply and quickly installed with the cylinders retrofitted with the pre-existing locks.
  • The entire system is managed almost exactly in the same way as conventional access control utilising CyberLock communicators and the current network to communicate with the CyberKeys.
  • The entire system, setup, installation and commissioning could be achieved in the allocated timeframe.
  • Access privileges could be customised to each users’ requirements.
  • The system delivered comprehensive audit trails of every process.

ACCESS CONTROL RESULTS

The 2014 Brisbane G20 summit was a huge success and the EKA CyberLock solution for ensuring the safety of Brisbane’s traffic signal controllers definitely contributed to this success. The system offered significantly improved safety and security of the traffic signal controllers and vastly improved the control of access to the cabinets. It also provided a whole new level of reporting with the comprehensive auditing capabilities.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads decided to roll out the system across its wider network. They have separated traffic signal controller cabinets into two sections, low voltage and extra low voltage, therefore granting access based on the access rights of the user.

The EKA CyberLock system has delivered the ability to add and delete users and their key via a centralised software management system which guarantees key control and has enabled the Department of Transport and Main Roads to tightly control access to their roadside cabinets delivering a level of security.