A mantrap, security mantrap portal, airlock, sally port or access control vestibule is a
physical security
Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). Physica ...
access control system comprising a small space with two sets of interlocking doors, such that the first set of doors must close before the second set opens.
Airlocks have a very similar design, allowing free ingress and egress while also restricting airflow.
In a manual mantrap, a guard locks and unlocks each door in sequence. An intercom and/or video camera are often used to allow the guard to control the trap from a remote location.
In an automatic mantrap, identification may be required for each door, sometimes even
different measures for each door. For example, a
key may open the first door, but a
personal identification number entered on a
number pad
A numeric keypad, number pad, numpad, or ten key,
is the palm-sized, usually-17-key section of a standard computer keyboard, usually on the far right. It provides calculator-style efficiency for entering numbers. The idea of a 10-key nu ...
opens the second. Other methods of opening doors include proximity cards or
biometric device
A biometric device is a security identification and authentication device. Such devices use automated methods of verifying or recognising the identity of a living person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. These characteristics ...
s such as
fingerprint
A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...
readers or
iris recognition
Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of one or both of the irises of an individual's eyes, whose complex patterns are unique, stable, and can ...
scans. Time of Flight sensors are used in high security environments.
Metal detectors are often built in to prevent the entrance of people carrying weapons. This use is particularly frequent in banks and jewelry shops.
Turnkey, installed systems are provided by some suppliers due to need for technically trained installers.
Fire codes require that automatic mantraps allow exit from the intermediate space while denying access to a secure space such as a data center or research lab. A manually-operated mantrap may allow a guard to lock both doors, trapping a suspect between the doors for questioning or detainment.
[Kouba Systems FAQ, Q.6]
See also
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Mantrap (snare)
*
Sally port
A sally port is a secure, controlled entry way to an enclosure, e.g., a fortification or prison. The entrance is usually protected by some means, such as a fixed wall on the outside, parallel to the door, which must be circumvented to enter an ...
*
Optical turnstile
References
External links
* {{cite web, url=http://www.koubasystems.com/mantraps/mantrap_qa.html , title=Frequently asked questions , publisher=Kouba Systems , accessdate=12 July 2012 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721195822/http://www.koubasystems.com/mantraps/mantrap_qa.html , archivedate=July 21, 2012
Perimeter security