Security Sales & Integration April 2022 - 48

Systems Integration
OSDP Off ers
Encryption
Prescription
Electronic security
has often lagged
other industries
in establishing
and adhering
to standards.
Rapidly advancing
technology has
made this untenable.
Fortunately, better
practices like the
Open Supervised
Device Protocol are
coming to the fore.
By John
Nemerofsky
I
ndustry standards provide the structure
security devices require to meet
performance expectations. For years,
the aging Weigand standard, fi rst introduced
in 1976, served as the de facto way to
wire a reader that helped drive a decades-long
expansion of access control. Today, 98% of
small businesses and larger enterprises still fully
or partially use the technology.
However, the industry has failed to adequately
educate end users on the security risks of the
50-year-old technology. Wiegand is a one-way
signal with no encryption between reader and
door controllers. Th is is a fundamental security
fl aw. But with readers that work reliably for 15
to 20 years and wiring that lasts longer, there's
often no immediate fi nancial reason to upgrade
or replace these systems.
Fortunately, there is an opportunity to move
to a new standard - the Open Supervised
Device Protocol (OSDP). OSDP incorporates
the standards-based modern encryption
to keep any location more secure. Combined
with modern credentials, OSDP provides a way
for secure end-to-end deployments with lower
installation and operational costs. OSDP is today's
gold standard for access control.
Th e fi rst version of OSDP was created in 2008
by a coalition of manufacturers, including HID
Global, Lenel and Mercury Security. A few years
later, the Security Industry Association (SIA)
took ownership and further developed and published,
with broad industry participation, OSDP
v2.17, adding new security and functionality
features. In May 2020, the International Elec48
Security
Sales & Integration APRIL 2022
trotechnical Commission approved OSDP as an
international standard captured in OSDP v2.2.
Enhanced Features
A signifi cant diff erence between the two protocols
is that OSDP off ers true bi-directional
communication. Th is importantly provides remote
maintenance and confi guration management.
Th ese features lead to lower total costs
of system ownership at each step of the system
integration, operation, and maintenance phases
of the security system lifecycle.
In addition to added security, OSDP provides
added convenience and fl exibility for end users.
It's easy to push confi guration changes and/or
fi rmware updates and do this systemwide for
many OSDP-enabled card readers. Updates to
Wiegand readers are made one at a time and require
being physically present at each device.
Facility security is enhanced by the ability
to create and update individual encryption
keys. Th e OSDP fi le transfer capability enables
end-users to perform reader and controller
key management remotely. Th is eliminates
the time-consuming and cumbersome use of
confi guration cards.
Compared to Wiegand technology, OSDP,
off ers other advantages, including:
▶ Readers compatible with a wide range of
access control units (controllers and downstream
boards).
▶ AES-128 encryption that provides security
for sensitive information, making life diffi -
cult for cyber adversaries.
▶ Daisy-chaining of OSDP readers reduces
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Security Sales & Integration April 2022

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