Access Control for Banks: PDK’s Cloud-Based Solutions for Financial Institutions

Banks are responsible for safeguarding not only physical assets like cash and infrastructure, but also vast amounts of sensitive customer data. This dual responsibility has made security more complex than ever before, requiring solutions that address both physical and digital vulnerabilities. Modern banking security must move beyond reactive measures and adopt proactive, integrated systems that prevent incidents before they occur.

The following white paper dives into the security needs of financial institutions, and explores the various solutions that ProdataKey (PDK) provides through its cloud-based access control technologies. 

Characteristics of the Banking Industry

Banks are defined by a complex operational structure that includes centralized data centers, multiple branches, and a variety of customer-facing and private environments. This operational structure introduces many distinct access points that need to be secured. Furthermore, as branch locations can often vary in size and layout, security solutions need to be able to adapt to the unique needs of each facility. 

Regulatory compliance plays a pivotal role in determining best practices for bank security. The Bank Protection Act of 1968 established minimum standards for the maintenance, installation, and operation of security mechanisms in order to tackle long-standing issues like robberies, burglaries, and larcenies. This includes the use of vaults to protect cash and other critical assets, alarm systems to alert law enforcement in instances of emergency, and proper locking mechanisms on exterior entryways and windows. 

The standards developed in the 1968 Act laid the foundation for banking security, but modern threats have introduced new concerns for security personnel in the banking industry to consider. In particular, the intersection of physical and digital security has become a notable dynamic for the industry to adapt to. 

Security Threats to Banks

Banks today face a wide range of security threats that span both physical and digital domains. From traditional crimes like robbery and vandalism to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, financial institutions must navigate a constantly shifting risk landscape. Understanding these threats is the first step toward implementing effective, comprehensive security strategies.

Robbery and Theft

Robbery and theft remain persistent threats to financial institutions today. According to the 2023 Bank Crime Statistics Report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over 1,200 robberies occurred in American banks in 2023 alone, with a majority — 1,112 of 1,263 — taking place in commercial banking environments.

This suggests that bank robberies remain a persistent and relevant threat despite advances in security technology. These incidents not only result in immediate financial loss but also endanger employees and customers, disrupt operations, and can have lasting reputational consequences for affected institutions.

According to the 2019 Crime in the United States report from the FBI, the average dollar value of property stolen during bank robberies is over $4,000 dollars. In addition to this direct loss of cash, banks must also account for operational downtimes, security upgrades, and the long-term cost of rebuilding their customer trust. 

The 2023 Bank Crime Statistics report from the FBI also sheds light on the security mechanisms used by the over 1,200 banking institutions that fell victim to robbery in 2023. This information reveals a notable gap in how banks approach protection today. The majority of affected banks utilized surveillance cameras and alarm systems, while significantly fewer of the affected institutions deployed proactive access control systems. This imbalance may suggest that many banks rely heavily on reactive measures that document or signal criminal activity after it begins, rather than preventing unauthorized access in the first place.

Property Damage

Vandalism and destruction of property against financial institutions has experienced a notable increase in recent years, with incident rates nearly doubling compared to pre-2020 levels. For example, while the number of property damage incidents amongst American banking institutions rested around 1,400 in 2016, the year 2025 saw over 3,200 incidents occur (according to the FBI Crime Data Explorer).

Property damage against financial institutions can range from small-scale graffiti to targeted damage towards or tampering with ATMs and other important pieces of banking infrastructure. ATM tampering, often referred to as ‘jackpotting’, is one of the most concerning trends today. Jackpotting involves the installation of malware or specialized hardware that forces an ATM to dispense cash illicitly. According to The Hacker News, there have been over 2,000 instances of ATM jackpotting since 2020, resulting in losses exceeding $40 million for financial institutions across the United States. To combat vandalism and tampering, banks must implement security measures that extend beyond traditional surveillance. Controlled access to ATM enclosures, maintenance areas, and service panels is essential.

Cyberattacks

As technology has evolved and cyberattacks have emerged as a greater threat to financial institutions, it has become imperative for banks to consider the unification of physical and digital security. Unauthorized physical access to restricted areas can lead to the compromise of data storage systems, customer information, and network infrastructure. Seeing as these physical breaches can often become entry points for digital attacks, reliable access control has emerged as a crucial starting point to ensure greater data security. 

Regulatory requirements today reinforce the need for comprehensive safeguards. The Code of Federal Regulations in the United States mandates that banks implement various technical and physical controls to protect sensitive data. Drawing from standards set out in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, financial institutions today need to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to customer information, so as to prevent the unauthorized acquisition of sensitive information.  The failure to meet these requirements can result in the loss of customer trust, reputational damage, and notable financial penalties. 

ProdataKey’s Solutions for Banks

To effectively address modern security challenges, banks require solutions that are proactive, flexible, and easy to manage across multiple locations. ProdataKey offers a comprehensive access control platform designed to help financial institutions strengthen security protocols and improve operational efficiency, all while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Customizable Rules and Groups

Financial institutions require precise control over who can access specific areas. To address those needs, PDK allows administrators to create highly customizable access rules tailored to each role, location, and operational need. For example, a PDK.io Group of Bank Tellers can be programmed, allowing members of that group to access teller areas during specified periods, but restricting access to more sensitive data storage or vault spaces. Meanwhile, Branch Managers may be given broader access to all areas of a space at any given time, based on the needs of their role.

Custom access rules ensure that individuals only have access to the areas necessary for their responsibilities. This principle of least privilege reduces the risk of both internal and external incidents. Furthermore, access rules can be updated at any given time in PDK.io. In the case that an employee leaves the organization or if they lose a physical credential, their access can be quickly revoked — reducing the risk of potential vulnerabilities and theft.

Integrations

Modern banking security demands user-friendly integration between multiple systems, including video surveillance, alarm monitoring, and cybersecurity platforms. ProdataKey’s solutions are designed to integrate with a wide range of third-party technologies, creating a unified security ecosystem.

Integration enables banks to correlate data from different sources, providing a comprehensive view of security events. For example, an access control event can be linked with video footage to verify the identity of an individual entering a restricted area — such as a teller area or restricted vault location. Similarly, integration with alarm systems allows for immediate response to unauthorized access attempts. This interconnected approach enhances situational awareness and enables faster, more informed decision-making. It also reduces the complexity of managing multiple standalone systems, allowing banks’ security teams to operate more efficiently.

Detailed Reporting

Visibility and accountability are key components of effective bank security. ProdataKey provides detailed reporting capabilities that support both real-time monitoring and long-term analysis. The Live Events page allows security personnel to observe access activity as it occurs, enabling rapid response to unusual behavior or incidents.

Historical reporting is equally important. PDK supports long-term data retention, with access records available for up to five years depending on the selected reporting plan. These Reports can include precise timestamps, user identities, credential information, and access outcomes. These details are invaluable for investigations, audits, and compliance reviews. Reporting also allows financial institutions to identify access trends, evaluate policy effectiveness, and make data-driven improvements to their security protocols.

A Smart Approach to Bank Security with PDK

The banking industry faces an increasingly complex threat landscape that demands a proactive and layered approach to security. From long-standing risks such as robbery and vandalism to sophisticated cyberattacks, financial institutions must simultaneously address vulnerabilities across both the physical and digital domains.

Regulatory requirements further emphasize the importance of comprehensive security measures, requiring banks to implement safeguards that protect assets and customer information. In this environment, access control plays a pivotal role as the first line of defense against unauthorized entry and potential breaches.

Through flexible, intuitive solutions that integrate seamlessly across systems, PDK equips financial institutions with the tools to close security gaps, strengthen compliance, and protect what matters most.

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Download PDK Access Control for Banks White Paper

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About ProdataKey (PDK)

ProdataKey (PDK) is a team of security integrators with decades of hands-on, in-the-field experience. PDK believes that the best technology is created by professionals who know what it takes to secure a facility properly and provide the end-user with a solution that instills confidence and safety.

PDK is passionate about creating technology to enhance the security, safety, and overall experience of both the professionals installing electronic access control and those that live with and use the system. PDK continues to create technology every day to enhance its products and the products of its technology partners.

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