Security Design

 

Security Philosophy: Layered Defense with Role Separation

The design philosophy is: main gate = quick perimeter authorization check; tower desk = focused identity and destination check. This separation keeps the entry lane fast while preserving a second control point closer to the flat, which is especially useful when deliveries are allowed up to the individual floor.

Security Philosophy

The workflow uses a layered defense model where each checkpoint performs a different job instead of repeating the same job twice. The main gate should answer, “Is this person authorized to enter the society right now?” while the tower desk should answer, “Is this the same person, going to the correct flat, under the correct visit type?”

This matters because MyGate’s pre-approval feature is designed to make visitor entry faster and reduce real-time approval calls, so the main gate should stay quick for approved visitors rather than becoming a slow identity-verification bottleneck. At the same time, the guard workflow in MyGate supports validation queues, QR/OTP checks, photo capture where configured, manual overrides with reasons, and a Visitors Inside list, which makes the tower desk the better place for closer scrutiny when needed.

Icon Key

• ✅ Yes / allow / complete

• ❌ No / deny / not allowed

• ⚠️ Warning / escalate / verify carefully

Workflow Table

Step	Checkpoint	What guard checks	Action	Decision	Notes
1	Main gate	Visitor type, flat, tower, purpose	Ask whether visitor is Guest, Delivery, Cab, Visiting Help, Vendor/Contractor	✅	Start with category because MyGate supports category-based rules and gate routing
2	Main gate	Pre-approval present?	Ask for QR or 6-digit passcode if pre-approved	✅ if valid, ⚠️  if not found	Pre-approved visitors should be processed fast because MyGate is built to reduce wait time at the gate
3	Main gate	Walk-in or ad-hoc?	If no pass exists, trigger resident validation request in MyGate	⚠️	Use resident approval flow for unplanned guests
4	Main gate	Delivery platform or known service?	Use delivery pre-approval or configured platform rules if available	✅ / ⚠️	Deliveries can be fast-tracked, but your society can still require tower-level confirmation before floor access
5	Main gate	Need photo?	Skip photo for valid pre-approved guest or pre-approved delivery unless society policy says otherwise; capture photo for walk-ins, contractors, or uncertain cases	✅ / ⚠️	MyGate supports photo capture, and recommends it especially for contractors and one-off guests rather than every frictionless entry
6	Main gate	Need document proof?	Require ID or work documents for vendors/contractors if configured	✅ / ❌	Missing mandatory contractor documents should block admission until escalation
7	Main gate	Entry authorization	Admit into society, log in-time, and route to the correct tower	✅	Use MyGate as the perimeter log of who entered, when, and for which flat
8	Tower desk	Active valid visit exists?	Check visitor in active queue or Visitors Inside list	✅ / ⚠️	Tower should not recreate the visit if it already exists in system
9	Tower desk	Identity confidence sufficient?	Verify via one of: visual recognition, QR/OTP re-check, resident confirmation, profile photo if available, or live gate photo if captured	✅ / ⚠️ / ❌	Photo is helpful but not mandatory in every pre-approved case if another strong verifier exists
10	Tower desk	Delivery allowed to floor?	Call resident or rely on explicit delivery rule to confirm floor delivery is allowed	✅ / ⚠️ / ❌	Since your delivery person goes to the floor, tower desk becomes the critical control point
11	Tower desk	Time-bound movement	Let visitor proceed to lift/staircase and mentally or digitally time-box the visit	✅	Especially important for deliveries, technicians, and one-time help
12	Tower desk / Exit	Exit closed?	Use Checkout from Visitors Inside when person exits	✅	End-of-shift review should focus on unresolved “inside” records

By Visitor Type

Visitor Type	Main Gate	Tower Desk	Photo Needed?
Guest with valid pre-approval	✅ Fast pass verification	✅ Confirm correct tower/flat; call resident only if doubtful	❌ Usually no
Walk-in guest	⚠️ Trigger resident approval	✅ Reconfirm before floor access	✅ Yes, preferred
Delivery to floor	✅ Verify category and pass/rules	⚠️ Confirm resident wants delivery at flat, not lobby	⚠️ Optional at gate, but useful if doubts arise
Visiting help, recurring	✅ Use recurring profile / allowed window	✅ Quick recognition check	❌ Usually no if profile already exists
Contractor / vendor	⚠️ Verify documents and capture photo	⚠️ Restrict and monitor movement	✅ Yes, necessary

Edge Cases

Situation	Main Gate Response	Tower Response
QR/passcode valid but visitor looks suspicious	⚠️ Admit only if category is low-risk, else capture photo and alert tower	⚠️ Re-verify with resident before allowing lift access
Resident not answering for walk-in	⚠️ Call once, then use manual override only with logged reason if policy permits	❌ Do not allow to floor without confirmation unless override already exists
Delivery says “resident told me to come up” but no note exists	✅ Let into premises only if category validated	⚠️ Call resident before allowing floor access
Contractor has missing/expired document	❌ Do not admit until admin confirms	❌ No access
Pre-approved visitor loses phone/pass	⚠️ Search by flat, name, or number in guard view	✅ Confirm by resident call
Visitor enters society but tower cannot verify destination	⚠️ Inform tower record is active	❌ Hold at tower desk until resident confirms

Practical Rule on Photo

A main-gate photo should be policy-based, not universal. MyGate supports photo capture at entry, but the product guidance is strongest for contractors and recommended for one-off guests, while pre-approval is specifically meant to make entry faster and smoother for expected guests, deliveries, cabs, and visiting help.

So a practical society rule is:

• ✅ No photo for valid pre-approved guest, valid recurring help, or trusted recurring category.

• ⚠️ Photo preferred for delivery personnel going to the individual floor.

• ✅ Photo mandatory for walk-ins, one-off unknown visitors, contractors, and vendors.

Recommended Final SOP

Checkpoint	Core job	Must be fast?	Must be strict?	Best tools
Main gate	Perimeter authorization	✅ Yes	⚠️ Moderately	QR, OTP, resident approval, category rules
Tower desk	Identity and destination control	⚠️ Moderate	✅ Yes	Active visit check, resident confirmation, photo/profile match, checkout