Undercover Evaluation Finds Security Breaches at Chicago Area Schools

Undercover Evaluation Finds Security Breaches at Chicago Area Schools

A security firm’s recent evaluation of Park Ridge –Niles School District 64 schools revealed visitors were allowed to enter buildings without permission, walk around unattended and even take photographs.

In a Jan. 23 report to the board of education, Paul Timm of RETA Security, a Lamont-based school security consulting firm hired by District 64, outlined the security breaches that occurred when undercover RETA employees visited the schools and attempted to gain access.

Timm said that the breaches occurred at the sic schools that do not have locked entry vestibules.

Timm reference incidents where undercover security team members where buzzed into schools, but did not report to the main office, giving them full access to the school building. He described how two of the team members gained access to the building by following behind a visitor who was being buzzed into a school through the main entrance, allowing them to enter the building without stating their purpose for being there. All the members who gained entry this way wondered through the schools without any question why they were there.

"No one addressed those two individuals, a male and a female, the entire time they were in the building, which was probably 10 minutes, taking photos of boiler rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias," Timm said. "In four instances, the female RETA security person did hit the intercom button from the outside and was asked to state a purpose for being there. She stated she was there to visit a former teacher and was granted permission to come into the building. She did not report to the office in any of those cases."

Timm reported that one team member was allowed to enter the school through an exterior side door. He said the door was opened by a teacher’s aide with “no questions asked.”

Timm suggested the lack of locked vestibules gave schools a higher chance of a breach as they were not able to cherry-pick who comes and goes. In some cases, a schools’ main office may be down the hall from the main entrance. In a best case scenario, a person would have to come into the vestibule and enter into the main office right away to check-in or state their purpose for being there.

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.