Badge readers on the police evidence room unlock automatically when power fails. What facility access design principle should the security architect enforce?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Fail-open on an evidence vault is a free pass whenever the lights blink. Design those locks to fail secure so a power cut does not equal an unlocked door—and still plan lawful egress separately. Leaving the room unlocked or taping the latch open for convenience is not access control.
Full Explanation
Physical access devices protecting high-value assets should fail secure where unauthorized entry would compromise evidence integrity or chain of custody, while life-safety codes still require safe egress paths that are engineered separately. Fail-open readers convert outages into uncontrolled access windows. Removing controls or propping doors during business hours abandons continuous protection of facilities and devices. Access design must balance security failure modes with safety without defaulting to permanent unlock.