Sera4: Combining advanced security software with custom made hardware

Security continues to be a major challenge for businesses in every sector, especially when valuable equipment out in the field is at risk of theft or vandalism. No security measure is 100% reliable, and electronic solutions present some risk of being vulnerable to hacking. Many towercos are striving to eliminate the need for physical keys that can be copied, and to combine advanced electronic security measures with sturdy doors, gates and locks. We recently spoke to David Coode, CEO of Sera4, an exciting new security solution provider that traces its roots back to BlackBerry.

TowerXchange: Please introduce your company and tell us about your background.

We’re a Canadian-based company that provides secure end-to-end distributed access solutions. Sera4 was born out of the ashes of BlackBerry and operates out of the USA, Canada, and Mexico.  The founder of the company is our CTO, and he worked on BlackBerry’s wireless technical team. The security technology that BlackBerry is famous for is the same that we use to manage remote locks which can be accessed using smart phones. Towercos among our first clients and more recently we have deployed our solution across multiple telecom companies within Latin America. Deploying our solution within Tier-1 towercos and telecoms afforded us to deeply understand the niche needs of both Towercos and Telcos. We have now developed a very compelling value proposition for emerging markets around the world. Our clients had towers that were being vandalised and robbed quite frequently, and they were very happy with the ROI of our solution.

My background is in medical electronics. I spent over a decade at ON Semiconductor, the tenth largest semi company in the world, focusing on electronic solutions at board and system level. The medical electronics industry is highly regulated and requires very high reliability and security. The skills learned there translate well into industrial electronics.

TowerXchange: Tell us about your solution and some applications in the field.

The solution has three components; we provide a cloud-based Network Operations Center (NOC), electronic controllers that work with virtually any lock, and smartphone apps that enable secure onsite access. Keys are provisioned to end-user smart phones via the NOC, then used via a secure Bluetooth protocol. Encrypted security certificates unlock the mechanism in the lock. The keys can be programmed at the NOC to expire, and the locks keep a log of every use, letting clients know who has entered and at what time. This makes it much more difficult for contractors to pull off inside jobs as all movements are tracked and linked with a smartphone. We also integrated various electronic and hardware features on the locks to keep people from getting locked out.

Our solution was built with a strong focus on the security software behind the locking mechanisms, which is very important in this era. There was a competition at last year’s DEF CON conference in which hackers were given fifteen minutes to open sixteen smart locks. When the time was up, twelve out of the sixteen locks had been compromised. We did an analysis of the methods that were used to hack the locks, and we’re happy to say that ours would have been invulnerable to any of the attacks used.

TowerXchange: How has your solution addressed the needs within Emerging Markets?

One example is how we securely managed physical access to perimeter gates, facility doors, and various cabinets to reduce theft & vandalism resulting in an ROI of less than 3 months. This client had over 60% of theft occurring by someone with authorized access. This client wanted to manage common keys with the ability to secure grant and revoke access to employees and contractors in an operationally efficient and cost-effective manner.

By partnering with Sera4 our client was able to eliminate the need for physical keys, integrate our solution with their pre-existing provisioning system, provide real time access control, remove user anonymity, and generate trusted access logs for audit compliance. The client then leveraged existing smartphones to remote manage 1000s of digital keys

TowerXchange: What differentiates your product from others on the market?

Most of our competition within emerging markets are selling a complete locking cylinder or a specific type of hardware. They’re basically lock companies selling hardware with an added electronic component. We’re selling an electronic solution based on many layers of abstraction, that provides data capture and is usable out of mobile coverage. We then work with integrators and installers to create different mechanisms tailored to a client’s physical needs from a security perspective and based on the size and layout of their facility. It works with cabinets, shelters, doors, fuel tanks and gates, which can all be connected to the same system. We offer powerful security technology that can be integrated with any physical lock.

We work with partners to do custom ironwork; as an example for a cabinet they would install a three foot angle bar which would take ten minutes with a grinder to get through. We work to integrate our technology into existing small locking mechanisms like drop bolts and swing locks. Our premium solution for towercos is a small black box with wireless control of high-power lock actuators and sensors built-in to detect unauthorised access.

TowerXchange: What is the typical capital outlay per site to install your solution?

This varies a lot because our solutions are often customised and we often sell through integrators who do the ironwork. Our clients are happy since the cost of the solution is a fraction of the cost of a theft. We provide security for access to whole site or it can be on specific cabinets with equipment.

TowerXchange: How can data from access control systems be integrated with maintenance workflows and job ticketing to reduce O&M costs?

A big strength of smart locks is the simplicity of contractors not having to go pick up a physical key, and in addition it’s risky when multiple people hold keys to the site; there’s always a risk associated with this. On our system the keys sent out to the end users’ mobile phones are active only for specific time windows, and data logs are maintained to see who’s been in, and for how long. Our clients have access to this data and use it to improve efficiency and know who has been on site. It can also give updates on the location of a lock and sends alerts if a door or lock is open when it shouldn’t be. Sometimes a door isn’t closed properly or something makes it jam, but the clients are promptly alerted so that security problems can be addressed immediately.

TowerXchange: What else can you tell us about your NOC?

The NOC is an interface to our secure servers. We operate a robust, global server network. NOC support is optional with our solution and clients can manage site security in-house integrating the server with their NOC or dashboard through the API. Most of our clients prefer having security experts like Sera4 managing and maintaining the service. The portal that they access the NOC through can be customised and branded or re-skinned, and it is always kept up to date with the latest features from Sera4.

TowerXchange: Please sum up how you would differentiate your solution from your competitors’?

Our company is about technical leadership, exceptional customer service, and the enabling of secure enterprise-grade wireless access control. We bring the latest technology to solve the specific physical access control challenges being faced by towercos and telecom companies. We deliver the best in security, features and ease-of-use to any locking system. We have a proven track record of working successfully with network security teams and physical security experts to design custom access control solutions.  We work very closely with all our clients and we understand the unique needs of emerging markets better than anyone else.

Sera4 will be exhibiting at the 5th Annual TowerXchange Meetup Africa & Middle East, being held on 3-4 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. Visit the website for more information