What is a Duress PIN and how to use it

What is a Duress PIN?

A Duress PIN is an optional Credential that can be added to a Person for use with keypad Readers. A Duress PIN allows the Person to enter the Duress PIN on a keypad Reader to cause a configured Rule to occur. Normally this kind of Rule is used to designate when a PIN credential is being entered under duress (being forced) by entering a special PIN for the person. 

What does a Duress PIN do?

In the broadest sense, a Duress PIN is a normal PIN credential with additional functionality and reporting capabilities. In addition to allowing access to a Device through an Access Rule, a Duress PIN also produces a Duress Event at the Reader. This Event can be used in an Event Rule in association with two available Event Triggers, 'On Duress' for Person/Group Event Rules and 'On Any Duress' for System Event Rules, to execute the configured Event Action. The following Event Actions are commonly selected when using a Duress PIN: Send Email, Do Not Disturb, Open/Close (another Device), Sound Piezo.

Examples of how to use a Duress PIN

The following items are situations where a Duress PIN could be used. 

• Using a Duress PIN to initiate a System Lockdown
  
• Trigger a Notification to a responsible party
• Trigger an action on another device elsewhere in the system