Hands Up

Security technology protecting banks has taken big steps

• By Tom Barry
• Mar 02, 2007

IN most old Western movies as well as new ones, like the remake of “Ocean’s Eleven,” bank robbers are usually successful. That Hollywood success rate has changed in the real world.

In the movies, outlaws simply go to the home of a bank president take their family hostage while the outlaw’s sidekick opens the safe. The bandits get away successfully stealing the loot.

Time locks, which are still in use today, are designed to easily and successfully thwart this type of crime. The technology limits the time of which a bank vault can remain open. Modern, electronic time lock technology allows users to program intricate time lock schedules.

Today, three out of four bank robbers are caught within 18 months of their crime, according to Steven Kodak, an FBI special agent and spokesman.

Handy Technology
FBI and local law enforcement efforts are aided by financial institutions using current technological advancements, including enhanced surveillance cameras, state-of-the-art recording units, professional prevention equipment, along with specialized training and practices by bank employees.

“Incorporating biometrics is the latest evolution in banking security with safe deposit boxes,” said Brian Costley, a 36-year veteran employee and certified Master safe technician at Sargent and Greenleaf, a manufacturer of locking technology and a Stanley Security Solutions company.

Sargent and Greenleaf recently introduced the TouchVault™ Biometric Safe Deposit System. It is designed to decrease intensive labor costs by providing unescorted access and control, eliminating the current use of keys, which remains predominant throughout the industry.

“Fingerprints employ one of the highest levels of authentication since they cannot be lost, stolen or shared,” Costley said. “And this respective system provides pertinent information in recording a comprehensive audit trail, which is provided by the reporting software.”

Bank customers are provided a unique PIN and register their own fingerprint in the system when signing up for a safe deposit box.

“Our technology uses an ‘active capacitive’ sensor technology in our biometric pad,” Costley said. “This active capacitive technology reacts to the presence of live skin and creates a mathematical template of a finger based upon the ridges and valleys found in the human finger. To boost security, this template is stored and encrypted to prevent possible reconstruction of the fingerprint.”

The customer accesses the system by going to the terminal, entering their PIN and placing their finger onto the reader, where it is authenticated. The customer then pulls an encrypted, doorknob-like device from the terminal which flashes green when ready. The customer inserts the knob into their safe deposit box, rotates it and opens the box. Upon closing the box, the customer removes the knob and returns the unit to the terminal.

The system is designed to prevent a customer from opening another safe deposit box. If attempting to open another box, the knob flashes red, the audit trail is documented and access is denied.

Delay of Game
According to the FBI, in 2005, there were 6,019 commercial bank robberies in federally insured financial institutions across the nation. An FBI spokesman said most current bank robberies involve the use of notes being given to a bank teller.

One of the key deterrents of reducing attempted bank robberies and keeping customers and employees safe is buying time. The longer it takes to access the cash through procedures, the more time is provided for security and law enforcement to respond to foil the attempt, said Costley, who is only one of nine people to hold both Master locksmith and certified Master safe technician credentials in the country.

In 2005, the FBI noted 6,525 incidents occurred at the counter. There were 384 occurrences reported in the vault/safe area and 26 events at safe deposit areas.

Current technology can effectively reduce a significant amount of robberies in the teller area by incorporating a silent alarm. A bank employee can comply with the robbery request and access funds from a secure drawer or teller locker.

The employee can use a slightly altered access code to immediately alert bank security of a robbery in progress while simultaneously notifying local law enforcement. Another deterrent is a locking mechanism equipped with a duress feature capable of sending a silent alarm signal, Costley said.

The American Bankers Association said bank robberies across the nation have fluctuated in the past 20 years and seem to go up when the economy heads in a downward trend. The money stolen in the average bank robbery currently averages approximately $4,600, according to the FBI.

Despite all of the ongoing technological advancements, some things have not changed. Bankers can still be conservative when it comes to investing money to incorporate the latest and greatest technology. These significant advances often come with a stout price. Purchasing decisions are typically weighed after conducting a cost-benefit analysis.

As with every industry, security and safety of customers and employees is of utmost importance. However, to some, it is surprising that some banks and other industries continue to use low-tech surveillance equipment.

Low-tech cameras still being used are unable to capture distinguishing features of pertinent suspects. In most cases, frequently used and recycled recording tapes are unable to assist professional law enforcement in identifying potential suspects. Saving a few pennies can often be proven to be foolish when it comes to investing in reliable security.

Passing the Test
In 1923, UL first tested safes for burglary resistance. The first bank safe was tested by the organization in 1925. UL began product testing in 1894, said John Drengenberg, an engineer at UL for more than 40 years, sharing that the organization’s label appears 19 billion times a year on products.

Chisels, wenches, screwdrivers, power saws, cutting torches, crowbars, abrasive cutting wheels, jackhammers and even specified amounts of nitroglycerin are just a few of the tools Underwriters Laboratories technicians use during a safe attack.

“UL’s safe attacks are conducted by a team of two technicians who examine the blueprint and attempt to create an opening large enough to withdraw valuables, activate the locking mechanism so the door opens or to cut as many bolts from the door as necessary to pry it open before the time specified and the rating requirement expires,” Drengenberg said.

UL also rates safes for fire resistance protection.

Currently, some financial institutions technology incorporates biometric recognition. Many banks use high-resolution surveillance while other authentication advances are used in its main locations and branches.

The ABA noted there are currently more than 80,000 branch banks throughout the country. Many of the locations are housed in supermarkets.

Much attention and financial resources at banks is being focused to enhance security efforts relating to Internet technology. The Internet is where the largest amount of fraud exists with an ever-growing volume of transactions. Another area of increased security interest and concern are the frequently used ATMs, within the bank premises and in remote locations.