Development of access control systems on the example of door locking locks

People have always tried to protect their property against access and interference by third parties or animals. Already in prehistoric times, people secured their places of stay with walls and doors. The first mention of a door comes from ancient Egypt, but it differed from the door that is used today. They were not part of the equipment of ordinary houses. You could see them in places such as temples - they were a symbol of luxury, were richly decorated and made of expensive, noble materials such as cedar, olive and cypress wood. The oldest surviving door is from Mesopotamia, about 2,000 BC. The form of the door, as we know it today, was not created until the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Fig. 1. The mechanism of operation of the first lock found in Egypt

Currently, an inseparable element of external doors is a lock. Although the unlocked door itself provided sufficient protection against the cold and animals, it was very easy for other people to break through. Our ancestors already knew about it. The earliest prototype of today's door lock was discovered in Chorsabad and was produced around four thousand years BC. The lock itself, entirely made of wood, is very different from today's mechanisms. It is shown in Figure 1. Thanks to the work of archaeologists, it is known that similar solutions were used by the ancient Greeks, who secured their houses with a wooden latch operated with a key inserted into a small hole in the door. The ancient Egyptians used a similar mechanism, but the key was much smaller. It was not until the years 870–900 AD that English craftsmen began to make all-metal locks. The principle of their operation remained unchanged throughout the rest of the Middle Ages. Photo 1 shows a typical solution from this era. It is not difficult to guess that for qualified thieves this security was not a difficult obstacle to overcome. Locksmiths and designers of the time made every effort to improve the locks by adding mechanisms to fire at attackers or cut off the fingers when the key was inserted incorrectly into the lock. In the Renaissance era, a new solution was puzzle locks imported from China - the door was unlocked by pressing a single button, hidden e.g. in a wall or ornaments. The origins of the castles known to us date back to the 18th century, when the first spring-loaded locks were developed in France, which were later modernized by English locksmiths such as Robert Barron. It was not until 1861 that the American engineer Linus Yale invented a cylinder lock, which became the standard door lock. The numerous improvements to this invention contributed to the founding of the Yale zipper company that exists today.

Photo 1. A typical castle used in the Middle Ages

For many applications, even quite complex cylinder locks are not sufficient. Keys are easy to lose or forge. With more demanding users and critical infrastructures in mind, combination locks were created for external and internal doors and, later, for doors in cabinets and chests of drawers. Initially, these were mechanical locks blocking access to the door until the user entered the unlocking code. The requirements for the construction of such locks are much more stringent - the mechanism must operate silently, and the housing must be resistant to x-raying and mechanical sabotage attempts, which is to prevent access by unauthorized persons. Due to the growing requirements, many new locks with different operating principles have been created. For example, a rotating magnetic field was used to ensure noiseless unlocking of the lock. However, many manufacturers do not want to disclose the details of these structures in order to reduce the risk of breaching the security.

Photo 2. Multiple authentication methods in the case of the CL5510 lock

The next stage of evolution was the introduction of electronic locks, which are now widely used in hotels, facilities with an increased risk of burglary, as well as in offices and private properties. They quickly gained popularity due to the convenience of use and the use of the latest user authentication techniques - now, in addition to the classic code, authentication can be performed with smart chip cards, biometric data (eye retinal scan, fingerprint) and codes generated in real time. NFC and RFID wireless data transmission systems are also used. Such a wide range allows users and system administrators to choose a solution tailored to their needs. Photo 2 shows one of the most advanced solutions - the CL5510 lock, which can be opened with a code, card or mobile phone. It is a product of the Codelocks company, one of the leaders on the code locks market.

The next step was the miniaturization of locks, which made it possible to secure individual cabinets or chests of drawers. Appropriate algorithms allow you to adjust the lock to multiple opening by one user, which is useful, for example, in the case of employee lockers, or to use one-time codes, which is useful, for example, in sports facilities. Photo 3 shows another solution by Codelocks - KL1200 designed for use in cabinets.

Photo 3. KL1200 - electronic combination lock for use in cabinets

A complete range of combination locks, adapted to various needs and even the highest requirements, is offered by ATLine sp.j. Sławomir Pruski. Combination locks improve the security of the facility and eliminate the need to carry keys, which eliminates the risk of their loss or counterfeiting by third parties. It is a convenient solution in the case of renting a premises, as the code can be easily and quickly changed. It's much easier than replacing a traditional lock.

The development of castles over the centuries shows how extremely important is your own safety and the protection of valuables. Locks are among the basic and most important security features. They are constantly being improved and more and more difficult to overcome. In the future, their further development and introduction of newer and newer methods of authentication of persons should be expected. Maciej PrelichA company ATLine sp.j. Sławomir Pruskimprelich@atline.pl