Customized authentication for high-security bank keys
Bank-of-England
logo_bank-of-england

Customer

Bank of England

Market

Banking & Financial Services

Company Size

Enterprise

Country

United Kingdom

The Bank of England manages the monetary policy of the United Kingdom as its central bank and safeguards a significant portion of the global gold supply. It employs over 5,000 people in a network of 22 high-security locations. In its London vaults, it stores approximately 400,000 gold bars. Securing these locations requires physical access controls that are strict and verifiable. The Bank had hundreds of facility keys for these locations, and tracking them manually was proving to be a considerable challenge. They worked with ecos systems to deploy networked key management cabinets at its 22 locations to automatically manage key access that could apply multiple layers of access control.


ecos-key-cabinet-product-used-by-customer		  

Key cabinets

 

The challenge:
Establishing flexible, multi-user authentication protocols

The Bank of England required a centralized method to store keys across its 22 locations, capable of performing automated access control with support for multi-factor and multi-user authentication. Specifically, the Bank wanted to establish customized withdrawal processes in which high-security keys could be accessed only if multiple authorized personnel simultaneously verified their identities—for example, to access the keys to their gold vaults.

Our solution:
Automated key cabinets with multi-factor verification

To meet these security requirements, ecos systems deployed a network of automated key management cabinets. The system secures all building keys precisely in accordance with the Bank’s rigorous access protocols.

ecos’ key management solution allows administrators to set custom withdrawal rules and curfews based on specific personnel and security tiers associated with each key. Staff can verify their identity using a flexible combination of methods depending on location and security case:

  • PIN codes
  • RFID tags
  • Fingerprints
  • Vein matching

These verification options can be used individually or in combination to satisfy the multi-factor authentication standards in use by the Bank before the system grants access.

The result:
Verified physical access and continuous operational control

The ecos systems installation gave the Bank of England even more precise control over its physical key inventory. The system ensures that no single individual can access sensitive building keys without secondary authorization. By utilizing multiple biometric and digital verification methods, the Bank maintains a high level of security while keeping the key transaction process straightforward for daily operations. They’ve gained clear traceability over access to all of their most secure facilities and assets.

Key numbers

5,000+

employees

22

high-security facilities

4

authentication methods supported