Tether Technologies and Codelocks Americas Partnership…

CODELOCKS AMERICAS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH TETHER TECHNOLOGIES

Providing a fully comprehensive key management solution

Irvine, Ca – (October 30, 2019) – Codelocks Inc., a leading access control company that designs and distributes innovative, standalone keyless door locks and access products, announces a strategic partnership with Tether Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of digital tethering solutions for master keys and access cards. The challenge in the industry is to prevent keys from being lost while on the job, Tether Technologies’ focuses on ways to address and resolve human error associated with master key loss.

In 2015 Tether Technologies developed Gravity®, the only industrial-grade, digital tethering device that electronically ties keys to its user to remain in the proximity of the tether. Gravity works by linking cards/keys via an electronic signal to avoid keys being lost from the start. Upon breaching the approximately 20-foot radius – distance may vary depending on the building or wireless interference – Gravity’s unique alarm, vibration and strobe light are triggered to alert users to quickly retrace steps to recover the key unit.

When combined with Key Secure by Codelocks, a key control cabinet that utilizes coded access to authorized persons, it becomes a fully comprehensive solution. The key cabinet will store and manage keys, while Gravity helps to prevent those keys – when removed from the cabinet – from the risk of being misplaced. To connect keys, the user simply presses a button and lifts the Key Unit up and out from the Belt Unit. Once removed, Gravity activates and the Key Unit flashes once, indicating it is now in electronic communication with the Belt Unit.

“We understand the importance of having a complete key management solution, including preventing the potentially extreme cost associated with losing master keys,” states Matt Welty, general manager for Codelocks Inc. “We are committed to this product and uniting both of our key management technologies to help more individuals, campuses and businesses with their security systems.”

“We are excited to partner with Codelocks, a global company that is well-known and respected in the industry,” said Randy Neely, founder of Tether Technologies, Inc. “As the number of lost master keys continues to increase in an array of environments across the country, the joint presence of Codelocks and Gravity will allow this advanced solution to become standard equipment protocol in the world’s largest facilities.”

Codelocks is now an authorized dealer of the Gravity key tether solution. For more information on Codelocks and Gravity, please visit, Codelocks and Gravity by Tether Technologies

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About Codelocks Inc.

Codelocks Inc. designs and distributes a wide portfolio of innovative, standalone keyless door locks and access products for a range of growing markets. Products include stylish push-button mechanical locks, digital electronic locks, KitLock locker locks and smart lock solutions, which are developed for users to manage and operate using a keypad, card and smartphone. Codelocks’ Americas office is located in California, with headquarters in the U.K., distribution and office in Australia, and a worldwide network of distributors. For more information, visit http://www.codelocks.us/.

For more information, contact:
Lynda Murphy

Murphy Knott Public Relations, Inc.

[email protected]
(312) 867-9177

Master Keys for Prison Lost

The master keys that can open all the doors at the Ladysmith prison in South Africa were lost in May 2020. A massive hunt within the prison failed to find the keys. This prison houses approximately 700 prisoners. For the full article click here. The use of the Gravity by prison guards would have prevented such a concerning and potentially dangerous security issue.

Probe About Missing Prison Keys

An Illinois acting Assistant Warden lied about leaving keys in men’s restroom. The misplaced keys resulted in rape cover-up that is still under investigation. Click here for full article. This unfortunate incident could have easily been averted by placing the prison keys on a Gravity which will produce three distinct alarms when keys are separated from the user by a few feet. If the Assistant Warden had carried his keys on the Gravity, there is no way he would have left the keys in the men’s room and ultimately cost him his job.

Master keys for O’Hare Airport security access were lost, costing city in ‘five figures’

In April of 2019, a set of master keys that provides almost total access to O’Hare Airport were lost and never recovered. The keys granted access to roughly 100 perimeter gates, 150 other gates on the grounds and an “unkown amount” of doors, elevators and washrooms at O’Hare. There are only a handful of these clusters of master keys. They’re kept by Chicago Department of Aviation security officers who patrol the grounds, a line of defense against terrorists and trespassers. So they’re supposed to be closely guarded.

To learn more about this breach in security at one of the major U.S. airports read the full article by the Chicago Sun Times here.

TRUE KEY LOSS CATASTROPHES AVERTED

TRUE KEY LOSS CATASTROPHES AVERTED with the GRAVITY

Let me clear up the confusion on key loss, key finder, anti-lost, key tracker devices: all of these devises are designed to provide help AFTER you have lost your keys except for the only pre-emptive key loss device designed for commercial use – the Gravity.

While it may be tempting to think a device like the Tile or Tile Pro costing $50 or less will provide adequate protection and will help find missing keys, this type of AFTER the fact key loss device is completely the wrong solution in a commercial setting.

For one the thing the Tile and devices like it require that it be used with a smart phone. Facility Managers and janitorial and security companies do not want to incur the expense of buying and maintaining smart phones for janitorial and security staff and prefer to use radios which are far more effective in buildings as cell signals are not always strong in basements and mechanical rooms. Furthermore, the radios are kept on site and there are no excuses about leaving smart phones at home, having low charge, or using smart phones for personal use.

Waiting till AFTER an employee realizes their master keys are missing, is problematic as keys can be lost in a significantly larger area (ie 1,000,000 sf building, large shopping center, hospital, etc.) and can cost hours of lost productivity and much more stress than simply misplacing keys in one’s home.  Also , while it is inconvenient to lose one’s personal keys, it can be a career-ender to lose master keys at work as your reputation is at stake as well as causing a huge liability.

Let me give you a true key loss story from a real event that could have been disastrous for the janitor, janitorial company and the property manager if the janitor had not been wearing the Gravity, the only pre-emptive key loss device on the market.

A distracted janitor for a large office building is holding her master keys in her hand along with a garbage bag and unknowingly throws her keys along with the garbage bag  into an outside dumpster and walks away.  Thankfully, after only walking a few steps away from the dumpster, the belt unit of the Gravity device she was wearing starts vibrating and audibly alarming and she is notified immediately that she has been separated from her keys.  She retraces her steps and can hear the key unit alarm and looks into the dumpster and because the key unit LED light is also flashing she easily spots her keys in the dumpster and retrieves them.  Key loss catastrophe averted!

Let’s play out this same event as if she had the tile on her set of master keys.  It would only have been when she needed to use her keys again that she would have noticed her keys missing and she could have been anywhere in the large office building. How long would it take her to retrace her steps? Would her cell phone work adequately in the building and would she have enough charge to walk around searching for her keys? Would she be able to hear the ping of the device over the sound of vacuum cleaners? Would she have found the keys before the outside dumpster had even more trash put into it? Would she have been able to hear the ping if the dumpster was full of garbage bags? What if she continued her shift, afraid to let anyone know she lost her keys and the outside dumpster had already been picked up and contents were on their way to the dump? AFTER the fact key devices are completing inadequate in a commercial setting.

This type of key loss/misplacement happens quite often as janitors are being asked to clean more square footage and to clean faster to keep their companies fees competitive.

The Gravity electronic key tether can save jobs, contracts and reputations and is the optimal commercial-grade key preventions solution that is used by prestigious universities, hospitals, national security and janitorial companies that don’t want to risk master key loss.

Key Cabinet and IOT (Internet of Things)

What do key cabinets, electronic key tethers and IOT (Internet of Things) have to do with key loss prevention?  Check out the February edition of Locksmith Ledger International’s article on Institutional Application of Key Cabinets.   The article details a variety of institutions from colleges and universities to health care facilities to government agencies and their unique requirement for key control. A variety from  simple to complex key cabinets are also featured with cost per key ranges and features to aid in selecting the best key cabinet to provide security to valuable master keys.  The article also features the Gravity electronic key tether which is a  beneficial supplement to key cabinets. While the key cabinets secure master and critical keys while not in use, the Gravity secures the master and critical keys to the user and prevents key loss while in the field.  The combination of a key cabinet that fits the needs of the institution plus the utilization of the Gravity by personnel in the field provides the ultimate in key control protocols.

Key Loss Solution: Tile Mate vs. Gravity

The Tile Mate a small plastic square you hook to things likes your keys  (among anything else you want to attached it to) and supposedly is designed to prevent key loss . However, you must have a cellphone with you and have the smartphone app. It is only AFTER you mark your keys as lost on your cell phone app, that the chip in the tile will ping (audible alarm only) your phone when you’re within 150 feet of the lost keys.

So in order for the Tile Mate to work, (1) you have to have a cell phone and (2) use the app AFTER you notice your keys are missing. Also, you can’t change the batteries and once they are dead, you must get a new Tile Mate. Perhaps a decent solution for your personal keys but if you are responsible for master or critical keys at work, the Tile Mate is inadequate.

With the Gravity, you don’t need a cell phone, and you are notified via THREE alarms  (vibration, audible and strobe light) BEFORE you are separated more than 10-15 feet from you keys.

In summary the Gravity is the ONLY preemptive electronic key tether device on the market. It alarms three ways BEFORE you lose your keys. Batteries last 6-9 months and the Gravity comes with a one year warranty. The Gravity is an industrial grade product for janitors, security officers and building engineers – anyone that is responsible for master or critical keys.

Key Control an Issue for Custodial Contractors at Chesterfield Virginia School District

Complaint forms via the Freedom of Information Act were obtained by the Chesterfield Observer showing Chesterfield Virginia school system staff sometimes has no knowledge of where master keys are.  In addition to unsecured exterior doors, the documents suggest “key control” also has been an issue for the custodial contractors. One entry notes a school’s set of master keys disappeared and wasn’t found for more than two weeks. Keys to interior and exterior doors also have been misplaced at multiple schools.

Under terms of the contract all four custodial companies signed in April, the school system is permitted to charge $250 for each exterior door the contractors’ employees fail to lock prior to completing their assigned duties and leaving the building.

Tim Bullis, a spokesman for the school system, said in an email last week that it “continues to work on a corrective action plan,” but didn’t offer specifics about what such a plan might entail. The inability to secure exterior school building doors overnight is not a new issue in Chesterfield. The school system’s first two custodial contractors each were cited for dozens of such instances, among many other performance-related problems they encountered over the first four years of the outsourcing program.

Click here for the full article.

Comments:  Unfortunately, this issue of lack of adequate key control in school facilities is a common one that we frequently hear of.  Any Board of Directors, school Principal or staff, or concerned parent may contact me directly at [email protected] to receive a free copy of “The Key to Keys” which outlines a prudent and cost-effective protocol for properly securing keys to protect our schools and students. 

Card Keys are the Ultimate Solution to Key Loss – A Myth

For years there has been a prevailing myth that card keys are the solution to preventing the serious consequences to losing master keys.  Those who are seasoned property/facility managers know better.  There is always a physical “brass” or “hard”  master key behind every card key to ensure against demagnetization of card keys, power outages and computer failures.  Now there is another threat to card key systems – hacking.

Earlier this year, Finnish security experts discovered a software flaw that allowed them to create a master key card from any hotel key card, even expired ones!

To find out why a surprisingly large number of hotels are sticking with metal keys instead of card keys click here.

The Gravity is the perfect addition for any facilities key control program. View The Gravity’s  fail-proof key control here.

 

Oberlin College Misplaces Master Key

ResEd Misplaces South Hall Master Key

Dual-degree sophomore Corley Friesen-Johnson and Conservatory junior Maggie King hanging out in South Hall. A master key to the dorm went missing toward the end of the Spring 2018 semester.

Editor’s note: Editor-in-Chief Nathan Carpenter is a student staff member for the Office of Residental Education, and was uninvolved with the reporting and editing of this story.

A master key to South Hall, one of Oberlin’s largest traditional housing facilities, has been missing for several months. This key is able to access any room in South Hall, which has a capacity of 220 students.

“The College became aware of a master key being missing toward the end of the [spring] semester,” said Andy Sadouskas, assistant dean.

Residents were not informed about the potential security risk, and the locks have not been changed since the discovery of the missing key. Instead, Oberlin Facilities and Operations simply replaced the key.

“I feel lied and cheated to by ResEd,” said Birsa Chatterjee, a former RA and current South resident. “They do nothing but f**k students over. There is so much wrong with our living situations. It’s not fair for students to pay so much, to live in a building like this, and have them do nothing about the key.” Chatterjee was employed as an RA at the time the master key disappeared.

“I was still in the group chat. We knew the key went missing. The protocol is that all the locks should be changed. I have a lot of valuables in my room and a lot of robberies have already happened in South,” Chatterjee said.

Many South Hall residents are worried about their security and the security of their personal belongings.

“Not being informed is terrifying. Someone could steal something, or hurt me or one of my quad mates,” College sophomore Reet Goraya explained.

“I think it would have been nice to be told about it. If something happened in my room, I would want to know what the first possibility would be,” Conservatory junior Colin Anderson said. “I will be more secure about where I put things in my room.”

“Some people keep necessary medications in their rooms. If someone has a key like that, that medication could be taken from someone who really needs it,” said College junior Connor Swan.

Other South Hall residents feel that the disappearance of the key is not a pressing threat to their safety.

“If someone has it, it could be bad. I feel pretty safe around here, but it may scare other people,” first-year Nico Moreta said.

“I do not care. I lock my door, but there are so many other rooms in this building,” said College senior Eliot Sernau.

EmmaLia Marriner, a College senior and lead RA of the FEAST cluster, which includes Fairchild House, East Hall, South Hall, and Talcott Hall, believes that ResEd recognizes both the importance of security on campus and the costs of obtaining security.

“I know that they [Residential Education Staff] really prioritize security on campus. They are always looking for ways to increase security on campus, whether that be ID swipes, keys for rooms, things like that. It is a major concern for campus. However, those kinds of materials are very expensive. So they always have to weigh the benefits of security and the somewhat incredible costs of paying for that security. With a master key lost, there is no way to know if someone has that key or if they ever want to use it malevolently. But the cost is incredible; You have to justify what kind of risk losing a master key like that poses and if it justifies the cost.”

Facilities did not provide an estimate of the cost involved in changing the locks in South Hall. However, the Office of Residential Education Housing and Dining Regulations details that students will be charged “at least $60 per lock change.” There are nearly 150 rooms in South Hall.

Andy Sadouskas assured that the College will continue to pursue precautions to enhance security.

“The College is always looking for ways to improve processes. We will be making requests to purchase new key boxes with either ‘trap keys’ or card access so we know who is accessing master keys. We will also advocate for replacing all keyed spaces with keyless locks as keyless cards can be shut off if lost.”

The whereabouts of the master key remain unknown. No new locks have been installed, but an additional key has been created to replace the misplaced one.

USPS Master Keys aka Arrow Keys Are Stolen

Two arrested in Granite Bay with bogus credit cards allegedly stole 39 identities

Men Pose as Maintenance Workers, Steal Master Keys to Back Bay Building

BOSTON – Two men pretending to be maintenance workers stole a set of master keys and got into a Back Bay apartment building, according to police. The two men, a 59-year-old man from Medford and a 30-year-old man from Cambridge, were arrested at a Commonwealth Avenue apartment building around 10 a.m. Monday. The men were found in the building, according to police. Boston police say the men used a set of stolen master keys to get in while posing as maintenance workers for the building’s management company. Both men have been charged with breaking and entering and possession of burglarious tools. – August 29, 2018

Comment: While this article provides no information on how the thieves obtained the apartment building master keys, we can presume there was either a breach in key control protocols or their key control program was not fully developed.  In order to verify that your key control program is adequate and  master keys are not in jeopardy of being lost or stolen, please refer to Chapter 7 of “The Key to Keys” by Randy Neely which details the Components of a Successful Key Control Program. – Anne Gareis, Director of Operations for Tether Technologies.