How to Balance Security and Convenience in Physical Key Management

We expect convenience in every area of life: from ordering groceries to collaborating with colleagues. In fact, in a Proofpoint survey, 71% of working adults admit they've risked cybersecurity for convenience (44%), time savings (39%), and urgency (24%). This mindset can carry over to physical security practices as well. When sacrificing secure key control for convenience, you risk consequences like theft, liability claims, data breaches, and compliance violations. Yet a rigid, inconvenient process also isn't practical since employees expect ease of access. You need to strike a balance between the two extremes.

Here are five steps to get started:

1. Analyze Your Key Control Requirements

To understand your organization's key management needs, answer questions such as:

• How many keys do we have?
• What valuable assets do we need to track?
• Where do we keep our keys?
• Who has access to our keys?
• Are there key control compliance standards we need to meet?

After assessing your organization's requirements, evaluate your current processes to identify gaps. You can learn from how other organizations approach key control. For example, check for news about security incidents caused by lax physical key control. Examine what went wrong and consider what you could do differently.

Finally, consider asking industry peers for insights on improving key management efficiency without sacrificing security.

2. Determine Employees’ Preferences

Next, determine your employees' expectations for key accessibility. Consider these factors:

• Access Habits: Do your employees have a history of taking keys freely? Or are they accustomed to a more structured system?
  
  
• Workflow: How well does your current key control process fit their daily workflows? Are there manual processes that create bottlenecks?
  
  
• Generational Preferences: Do you have tech-savvy millennial or Gen Z employees? Are there employees from earlier generations who prefer paper-based processes?

The important thing is to understand their behaviors and motivations. In an interview with Dark Reading, Matthew Anderson, founder of a productivity app, recommends gathering user feedback through interviews, observations, and surveys.

3. Implement the Right Key Control Solution

Once you understand your requirements and employee preferences, you can choose the right key control solution for your organization. There are two main approaches: manual processes and electronic key control systems.

While manual processes using pegboards and logbooks are common, they’re cumbersome and easy to manipulate. For example, Nancy Guevara, a property manager for a Utah apartment community, explains her experience using a standard key cabinet and paper log earlier in her career:

Having to manually look up which of the 375 keys we needed and then find it on its hook in the box was so inefficient. You had to trust that people were signing the keys in and out when they were supposed to.”

Electronic key control solutions address these issues by combining high security with convenient, user-friendly features:

• Automated key tracking and tamper-proof audit trails
• Secure storage cabinets that only authorized individuals can access
• Visibility into key transactions and status
• Easy configuration to align with your unique processes and workflows
• Remote management

Guevara, who now works at a property that uses a key management system, says:

It’s so quick. All a staff member needs to do to check out a key is scan their individual fob and select the key they need. The correct key slot then lights up, making it easy to locate. Returning the key is as simple as signing back in and placing it in any available slot.

4. Train Employees and Users

Even the most powerful key control technology will fall short if your employees don’t buy into it. Make comprehensive training an essential part of your implementation, helping staff understand the security risks of improper key control. To get the most from your training sessions, use a variety of training methods to cater to different learning styles.

In addition, point out features that can make employees’ jobs easier. For example, if your key control system has a mobile app, employees can reserve keys in the app and scan a QR code at the system to check them out.

5. Audit Your Processes and Technology

Securing your organization's keys without affecting ease of access is an ongoing effort. On a regular basis, audit your key control environment:

• Review automated key transaction reports.
• Perform key audits.
• Survey employees for feedback on what’s working well and what’s not.
• Inspect equipment.
• Ensure keyholders follow processes.

These steps will reveal opportunities to not only improve security but also enhance convenience. Technology is constantly evolving, so check with your key control provider about new system features, upgrades, and integrations.

By following these five steps, you can create a balanced approach to physical key management. Don’t sacrifice security for convenience.