ELI5: What are Access Control Vestibules?
Picture an airlock in a spaceship: the first door has to close and lock behind you before the second door will open. This way, only one person gets through at a time and nobody can sneak in behind you.
Definition
Access control vestibules, commonly called mantraps, are physical security mechanisms consisting of two interlocked doors where only one door can be open at a time. A person must enter the first door (which then locks) before the second door will open, preventing unauthorized individuals from following (tailgating) an authorized person into a secured area. They are common at data centers, government facilities, and other high-security environments.
Key Details
- Mantraps prevent tailgating/piggybacking—one of the most common physical security bypasses.
- Can be integrated with biometric readers, access badges, or PINs on each door for multi-factor physical access.
- Some installations include weight sensors or video analytics to detect multiple occupants.
- The outer door typically faces the public side; the inner door leads to the secured zone.
- Considered a preventive physical control—stops unauthorized entry before it occurs.
Connections
- Parent: physical-security — a key physical access control mechanism
- See also: access-badges, tailgatingpiggybacking