The latest features on offer from modern Access Control systems.
On this page we are providing some insight in just how easy it is to gain Access to Garden Squares. Publishing such information is always comes with moral considerations, though most of the information below is 1 or 2 Google Searches away.
We provide it here so Garden Managers can quickly upskill, and hold their Access Control Providers accountable. If we can help, please get in touch.
The Incentive to Clone
Access to the majority of Gardens is either Geographically Restricted, or reliant on paying a revocable subscription costing £100s/year. On some of London’s Great Estates, adding Garden rights to a property’s title can cost £10,000s.
Against that backdrop, it is hardly surprising that some people will look for cheaper ways to access a Garden, be it buying a key/fob off a bad actor, asking a friend with access to “lose” (i.e. give them) their key/fob and pay for the replacement, or find a way to borrow a fob in order to have it cloned – including renting any of the 450 airbnbs In London appearing to offer access to Exclusive Garden Squares
In our view, Garden Managers have a responsibility to ensure the only people gaining befit and use from a Garden, are the people paying to maintain that Garden.
Physical Keys Offer Little-to-No Protection from Access Abuse
Most Garden’s typically charge £50-100 to replace a key, compared to £300-2000 in ratepayer demands each year.
Say a property wants access to a nearby Garden. They can rent an Airbnb offering access, or ask a friend with access for the key – then merely “lose” the key, and cover the cost of the replacement. They will likely gain access to the Garden for several years, whilst paying a mere fraction of the average ratepayer demands. Losing Keys, therefore carriers a clear economic incentive.
Fobs Should Provide the Answer; Most Don't
Key Fobs are meant to solve this access by being:
- Hard to Clone – but most can be cloned locally for £15 or less2.
- Easy to Deactivate when Lost – but so many systems are difficult to manage and poorly maintained3.
- Tracked to Individual Users – but so few systems/installers offer tracking, let alone for free and/or in an accessible format.
Most of these issues stem tend to stem from two issues:
- Access Control companies using outdated fob systems that require more hands-on, chargeable maintenance.
- Most High Security Systems are prohibitively expensive to install /maintain – not ours…
Cloning Most Fobs is Easy; Penetration Test Your Own Garden
A walk down any London Highstreet will likely pass several DIY Stores and Locksmiths promoting Fob Cloning for as little as £10. Even the big players like Timpson offer the service.
In London there are several specialist providers, easy to find on Google, who will promise a 95-100% success rate across dozens of different types of fobs. There are also handheld tools costing £20-175 online that will successfully clone many fobs.
If you believe you fob might be cloneable, we suggest you try your own simple penetration test, going to any local locksmith and seeing if they can successfully clone your fob, and if not, trying one of the specialists found on google.
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The minimum functionality your access control system needs to be able to identify abuse.