From Mechanical Keys to Magnetic Locks: What Changed and Why It Matters

Mechanical keys were simple, but revocation and auditing were difficult. Lost keys meant expensive rekeying and uncertain risk. Electronic access control improved revocation, logging, and scheduling. Among electronic options, electromagnetic locks (maglocks) became popular because they:

• Provides a strong holding force and clean installation on many door types.

• Integrate readily with readers, request‑to‑exit devices, and fire life‑safety interfaces.

• Enable clear fail‑safe egress strategies when designed correctly.

However, maglocks introduce program requirements that must be addressed to be defensible:

• Power continuity (battery/UPS) so a brief outage doesn’t unintentionally unlock or create unsafe egress.

• Code compliance (life‑safety tie‑in, delayed egress where permitted, proper release controls).

• Door hardware alignment (magnets and armatures aligned, shear locks installed per spec, frame rigidity confirmed).

• Maintenance and testing (documented inspections, release timing verification, alarm integrations functioning).

When these elements are neglected, even “good” hardware can produce weak outcomes—and weak defenses.

What’s New: Five Innovations Changing Expectations

Cloud-Managed Access Control Provision, revoke, and audit from anywhere. Central platforms now push updates, manage multi‑site policies, and deliver exportable logs that are admissible and understandable. For multi‑tenant and multi‑state portfolios (e.g., properties in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio), cloud control reduces drift between locations.

Mobile Credentials & Wallet Integration Phones and wearables reduce card sharing, support MFA (e.g., biometrics + device possession), and enable rapid revocation. The tradeoff: stronger mobile device management and attention to BLE/NFC security configurations.

Stronger Identity Proofing at Issuance Credential issuance is moving from “photo + card” to workflows that validate identity documents, HR records, and training completion. This reduces the population of high‑risk, poorly documented badges.

Edge Intelligence and Health Monitoring Door controllers now report status anomalies (door forced, door held, power condition, tamper) in real time, allowing faster corrective action. Automated health alerts support defensibility: the record shows you knew and acted.

Deeper System Integration Access control is tied to video, intrusion, intercom, and visitor management. Practical benefits include video‑verified access events, anti‑passback, and two‑person integrity in sensitive areas. Integration also improves incident reconstruction for courts and insurers.

Program Design: What an Expert Looks For (and Juries Understand)

A reliable system is equal parts technology, operations, and documentation. During forensic review, I examine:

• Risk assessment linkage: Was the system’s design (hardware type, schedules, monitoring) calibrated to the facility’s crime profile, occupancy, and history?

• Hardware selection & installation: Are maglocks/strikes, power supplies, and life‑safety interfaces code‑compliant? Are shear locks used correctly on double‑acting doors?

• Credential lifecycle: Issuance vetting, periodic audits, prompt revocation, and duplicate/visitor control.

• Logging & monitoring: Are alerts actionable? Are logs retained and reviewed? Are exceptions investigated and documented?

• Maintenance & testing: Is there a written test plan (e.g., quarterly door functional tests, annual fail‑safe verification, UPS battery checks)?

• Policies & training: Do staff understand tailgating risks, door‑prop alarms, and after‑hours procedures?

• Change management: Are upgrades and deferred fixes documented with rationale and timelines?

When I present findings, I translate technical detail into clean visuals—door states, timelines, and before/after scenarios. Jurors quickly grasp how one weak link (an unmonitored back‑of‑house door) can invalidate an otherwise solid program.

Magnetic Locks: Benefits, Pitfalls, and Defensible Use

Benefits

• High holding force relative to size

• Simple mechanical profile (fewer moving parts)

• Predictable fail‑safe behavior when power is interrupted

Common Pitfalls

• Missing or miswired life‑safety release (e.g., egress device not interrupting power as required)

• Poor alignment or frame flex leading to intermittent holding.

• Inadequate power design, no UPS, or undersized supplies

• Overreliance on hardware without addressing operational controls (prop alarms, monitoring, supervision)

Defensible Practices

• Documented commissioning checklist with photo evidence

• Integration test demonstrating REX, fire alarm interface, and manual release.e

• Door‑prop alarms in predictable problem areas

• Periodic torque/holding verification and battery replacement schedule

• Incident drills and staff refreshers

Foreseeability, Standards of Care, and the Litigation Lens

Innovation informs what is reasonably available. That doesn’t mean every site must buy the newest hardware, but it does mean owners should:

• Periodically reassess risk and compare against peer properties.

• Address known failure modes (e.g., tailgating at a residential garage) with proportionate upgrades (optical turnstiles, intercoms, camera + analytics, or improved door monitoring).

• Retain logs and document decisions. “We evaluated X, selected Y due to Z, and implemented compensating controls,” reads differently in court than silence.

In negligent security cases, I often reconstruct whether reasonable measures existed at the time of the event. A well‑kept paper trail (policies, maintenance tickets, health alerts, upgrade roadmaps) demonstrates diligence—even if the system wasn’t perfect.

Practical Checklist for Owners and Managers

• Map high‑risk portals and verify hardware choice (maglock vs. strike vs. mechanical).

• Stabilize power: dedicated circuits, surge protection, UPS, and maintenance logs.

• Tighten credential lifecycle and audit quarterly.

• Turn logs into action: exception reports weekly; incident reviews with video pull‑ups.

• Train staff against tailgating; install door‑prop alarms where behavior drives risk.

• Schedule annual third‑party reviews for an impartial benchmark.

• For multi‑state portfolios (IL, IN, WI, MI, OH), standardize a minimum security baseline and track variances.

Conclusion: Innovation You Can Defend

Access control innovations—especially around magnetic locks, power, identity, and monitoring—raise the ceiling on what a security program can do. They also raise expectations. If you’re facing a security negligence claim, or you manage a facility and want to close gaps before an incident does it for you, I can help evaluate and strengthen your program.