From: "Peter Trei" <trei@process.com>
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 13:35:27 +0800
To: <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: [NOISE] Banking's Physical Security
Message-ID: <199606071803.LAA05945@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



From: Sean T Carnes <crisper@ascensionet.com>

> We all know that banks are very highly protected as far as their money =
> goes but how safe are there computers?  I live very close to a computer =
> database collecting company that collects the data related to many banks =
> in the area.  It is all done through land lines and is not very well =
> protected.  They aren't very careful about who or what they let into the =
> building also.  If someone were to cut the lines the banks in the area =
> would be out for days and they wouldn't have a means to do interbank =
> transactions outside of the immediate area.  Has anyone else seen this =
> in there area or heard of it. Wouldn't it be a better idea to do the =
> transactions by satellite.

There's a big difference between a real bank and a data collection outfit. I used
to work at a major money center bank in the Wall Street area. To get to the data 
center I had to:

1. Walk into the building, past an armed security guard.
2. Within sight of him, use my badge stripe to get through a turnstile - most employees
    had badges which were limited in the times they would work.
3. Take an elevator to the (unadvertised)  correct floor.
4. Use my badge in a reader to get out of the elevator lobby - most badges were 
    restricted in the floors they would open.
5. Use my badge to get through an unmarked door, into the 'airlock'.

In the airlock, I'd hold my photo ID up to a reader, so the guard downstairs could.

a. Compare my face against that on the photo ID.
b. Check that I was authorized to enter the data center.
c. Check that there was no one else in the airlock with me.

If he was satisfied, he'd open the inside door remotely.

6. The data center was manned by at least two operators (usually more), 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Only they were permitted to touch terminals connected to
operational systems.

(There were other security features I won't go into.)

Sure, our fiber optic lines to CHIPS and the Fed occasionally went out - that's what 
backup dialout phone lines are for. If we had phone
problems, the lines were fixed in a couple hours, not days. At a pinch, I imagine you
could use now a cellphone and  modem to keep things moving.

Peter Trei