Security and Convenience A Paradox on Campus

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1 Security and Convenience A Paradox on Campus by Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies Recent research shows the need for balance between safety, security and convenience on campuses The Background In May of 2011, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies commissioned an extensive research effort to understand the current requirements and perceptions of colleges and universities with regard to managing the safety and security of openings & identities on campuses within the United States. Three research projects were conducted among more than 1300 students and decision makers across 980 colleges and universities, both public and private, 2-year and 4-year. Students feel that safety and security is a shared responsibility. Learnings College administrators are challenged with providing a balance between the students desire for convenience and the need to provide a safe and secure campus. While colleges express concern about the security threat from tailgating or piggybacking (holding the door open to allow access), students are the polar opposite saying that it is convenient for them and a common courtesy. Students generally feel safe on campus and are typically not concerned unless an incident occurs. Students feel that safety and security is a shared responsibility between the college and themselves. They believe it is their individual responsibility to make smart decisions and avoid dangerous situations, but they also rely on the university to provide a safe learning environment. Students desire unobtrusive and transparent security measures that do not interfere with their normal activities. The convenience factor provided by technology is also critical for students. Most students have their cell phone within arm s reach 24/7. They currently use apps for both school and personal activities and say My cell phone is my everything. Many would love to be able to replace their ID card with a phone. Those who were not interested in using a phone as a replacement for an ID gave reasons such as poor internet service, dying batteries, hackers gaining access to their information and just not wanting a smart phone. 1

2 While the majority of colleges have some electronic locks on campus, lockdown continues to be a challenge. Threefourths of campuses manually lock points of access, which raises concerns about how quickly schools could respond, especially in a crisis situation. The usage for student issued ID cards continues to expand to include access to buildings, identification, cafeteria/food courts, library, bookstore purchases, printing and vending, in that order. Many of these card applications have become part of a campus One Card System, providing another popular convenience for students. Each new credential on the market key, magnetic stripe card, proximity card, smart card and biometric has come into use by being more convenient without sacrificing security. In fact, the new credential typically increases security more than the most used previous credential. Newer credentials are adopted quickly on some campuses while slowly on others, depending on who is the primary stakeholder. University Security and Safety Departments, the majority stakeholders on most campuses, view security quite differently than their students. Security and Safety Departments concentrate on access control tasks; students emphasize convenience and flexibility. Universities and technology companies should address these paradoxical needs on campus as they plan for the future. 2

3 Highlights SAFETY ON CAMPUS Students have positive perceptions about the safety and security on their campus. When asked, two out of three students state that their school is very effective at keeping the campus safe. And 92% feel safe on their campus. Students who do not feel safe cite recent crime incidents or poor security measures as reasons for having this perception. Among the small group of students that does not feel safe on campus, 84 percent are females. When asked about who should have the responsibility of safety and security, the majority feel that this is a shared responsibility between the student and the college. Students feel that it is their responsibility to make smart decisions and avoid dangerous situations but also rely on the university to provide a safe learning environment. Only 16% feel that the university has the sole responsibility of creating a safe environment. How effective is your school at keeping the campus safe (asked of students)? 5% 2% Extremely Effective (15%) 15% Very Effective (51%) 27% Somewhat Effective (27%) How many students feel safe on their campus today? 8% Yes (92%) No (8%) 51% Not Very Effective (5%) Not at all Effective (2%) 92% Who is responsible for keeping students safe and secure (asked of students)? 16% 4% Students (16%) School (4%) Both (80%) 80% More than half of students say that violence, rape, stalking, muggings and theft are among top safety concerns on campus. What are the top safety & security concerns of students on campus? 1. Gun & knife violence/murder/shootings 2. Rape/sexual harassment/stalking 3. Muggings/theft/identity theft 4. Protection from non-students/homeless people/outsiders 5. Crimes committed by fellow students (for example, fights, hate crimes, bullying, hazing and discrimination) 6. Unwelcome solicitation 7. Vehicle and traffic safety 8. Bomb threats/arson 3

4 MANAGING STUDENT ACCESS Surprisingly, college administrators rate themselves low at being able to manage the access rights to specific door openings and in their ability to know who goes where. Only 18 percent believe they are very effective at granting or denying access to appropriate individuals. Over 95% of all colleges and universities are using mechanical locks, exits and door closers to manage the opening. Electronic locks in conjunction with a card, fob or token reader are also used in 86 percent of them. 1% How effective is your university at managing safe and secure openings and identities (asked of college administrators)? 23% 9% 18% Very Effective (18%) Somewhat Effective (49%) Neutral (23%) 49% Somewhat Ineffective (9%) Not Effective (1%) CAMPUS LOCKDOWN It is especially interesting that while students are most concerned about violence on campus, in a lockdown situation, three out of four colleges are still manually locking some of their points of access. What is used for the lockdown process on campus? Manually Lock Points of Access 75% Networked System Activated On-Site Networked System w/ Remote Activation 38% 45% Other 3% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% % of Openings Respondents 4

5 CREDENTIALS ON CAMPUS Overall the great majority of colleges still deploy picture ID cards, magnetic stripe cards, mechanical keys and barcodes for access control on campus versus the newer, more secure technologies such as proximity and, especially, biometrics and smart cards. Indeed, 76 percent of colleges still use a magnetic stripe card, even though students are the leading adapters for new technologies. What credentials are being used to manage identity on campus? Picture ID Card Magnetic Stripe Card 78% 76% Mechanical Keys Bar Code On a Card 43% 51% Proximity Card 31% Proximity FOB or Token Biometrics SMART Card Other 16% 10% 9% 3% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% % of Identities Respondents USE OF STUDENT ID CARDS Access to buildings, identification, cafeteria/food courts, library and bookstore purchases are the most common applications for which American college students use their school-issued cards. The average college student uses a credential for 6.86 activities. It s not surprising that visual checks of ID cards tend to be used most often at the residence halls and cafeteria. The list of places doing visual checks is longer than some might expect and requires a fair amount of labor and time. For what types of activities do students use credentials? Access to Buildings Identification Cafeteria/Food Courts 80% 85% 90% Library 68% Bookstore Purchases 55% Printing Vending Debit Card On/Off Campus Laundry Resource Checkout Retail Off Campus Time & Attendence Transportation Secure Computer Log-In Historical/Student Records Other 38% 36% 34% 31% 31% 22% 22% 14% 12% 11% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% % of Identities Respondents 5

6 STUDENT CELL PHONES AS CREDENTIALS Students say that their cell phone is their favorite personal electronic device. My cell phone is my everything is a consistent response among students. Indeed, 91 percent of all mobile users keep their phone within arm s length day and night. In addition, nearly half of all students interviewed use their cell phone to use the apps provided by their college. Typical campus apps include managing class work, checking grades and communicating with professors. When asked if they would be interested in using their cell phone as a credential or ID, two thirds of students responded favorably. They feel they are less likely to lose their phone than an ID card, plus they know that ID cards are shared; phones are not. In fact, people will almost always notice that their phone is lost faster than knowing a card is missing. A quick call to the phone service provider and the phone is shut off. That lost card could be used by another individual for some time. What are students favorite personal devices? Do colleges and universities provide cell phone and computer apps? 21% Cell Phone (49%) Computer (30%) 49% Other (21%) 54% 46% Yes (46%) No (54%) 30% Would students be interested in using their cell phones as credential? 33% Yes (67%) 67% No (33%) 6

7 Ingersoll Rand s Security Technologies Sector is a leading global provider of products and services that make environments safe, secure and productive. The Sector s market-leading products include electronic and biometric access control systems; time and attendance and personnel scheduling systems; mechanical locks and portable security, door closers and exit devices, steel doors and frames, architectural hardware and technologies and services for global security markets securitytechnologies.ingersollrand.com 2011 Ingersoll Rand 10/11