SAN ANTONIO – If you own a business, you know just how important it is to make sure you're taking all the right steps to keep it secure and make sure your employees stay safe. But there may be people out there working just as hard to gain access to your workplace, or even worse, cause harm.
Jeremiah Talamantes, with Red Team Security, trains business owners on how to keep criminals out.
Talamantes, who calls himself an "ethical hacker," can use a homemade device concealed in a bag to duplicate your key card, which runs on radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology. All he has to do is stand within two to three feet of a key card to duplicate it.
“I could impersonate you and the privileges you have throughout the facility.” Talamantes said.
To help against this, Talamantes suggests storing your key cards in an RFID blocking wallet. They cost about $10 online and can be purchased at many brick-and-mortar retailers, as well.
Another way to protect your business is by installing doorknobs with security pins inside. You can ask for them at local hardware stores.
For doors with handles, criminals can use what’s called an “under the door tool,” which looks like a long metal stick with a string attached. It can be slipped under the door and maneuvered to pull the handle from the inside to allow access. Installing protective strips at the bottom of doors can help protect against this.
All of the materials Talamantes used to break in are legal and can be purchased online for under $50. Those are reasons why he said it’s important to outsmart those trying to gain unwarranted access to your workplace.