A Mantrap is a small room with an entry door on one wall and an exit door on the opposite wall. One door of a mantrap cannot be unlocked and opened until the opposite door has been closed and locked. Mantraps are often used in physical security to separate non-secure areas from secure areas and prevent unauthorized access. Mantraps these days use interlocking doors interfaced so when one door is unlocked, the other door automatically locks. Pass-through permission is validated by a key fob, RFID badge, or Biometric verification. Some systems may use three-dimensional optical imaging or thermal imaging technology to prevent more than one person from passing through a mantrap at the same time.
Mantraps in current times are used in a variety of ways, not exclusive to the cybersecurity world. Some common contemporary examples are:
- Cleanrooms – Surgical/medical rooms where contamination is not acceptable.
- Prisons and Police Stations – Transporting detainees through the facility in a secure manner.
- Schools – Access to entrance lobbies and administration areas require added security.
- Armored Car Facilities – Control vehicle entry into the facility and cash transfer from receiving to secured counting areas.
- Shooting Ranges – Ensuring projectiles don’t leave the range, sound doesn’t bleed into the shopping area.
What does this mean for an SMB?
- Adopt a password manager for better personal/work password hygiene
- Require two-factor authentication on any SaaS solution or critical accounts
- Require two-factor authentication on any SaaS solution or critical accounts
- Require 14+ character Passwords in your Governance Policies
- Train employees to spot and avoid email-based phishing attacks
- Check that employees can spot and avoid phishing emails by testing them
- Backup data using the 3-2-1 method
- Incorporate the Principle of Least Privilege
- Perform a risk assessment every two to three years
To see how a Mantrap works, watch this short 1-minute video:
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