Administering a security system

1. A method of administering a security system, the method comprising:

interrogating a first user using a first security system that generates a user data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the first user;

determining an access code based on the user data set;

enabling a first user action in accordance with the access code;

accessing a document related to the first user action; and

embedding a digital certificate in the document using the user data set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding a message with the document to a reviewing authority for approval.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising interfacing with the reviewing authority to perform the following operations:

interrogating the reviewing authority using a second security system that generates a reviewing data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the reviewing authority;

determining a reviewing code based on the reviewing data set;

enabling a transaction for the first user action when the reviewing code allows the reviewing authority to approve the transaction;

accessing the document related to the first user action; and

embedding a reviewing certificate in the document using the reviewing data set.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user action includes accessing a geographically-restricted area secured by the first security system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the document includes a manifest log recording which users have accessed the physically-restricted area.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining an access code includes determining that the first user has initial permission to begin preliminary activities that are part of a larger task.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein an approval of a reviewing authority is required before the larger task may be completed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the document separately archives the digital certificate and a description of the user action in different locations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital certificate includes the user data set.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital certificate includes the result of a logical operation on the user data set.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the first user action includes providing the first user apparent access while activating an alarm.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising tracking one or more actions of the first user.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising embedding a later digital certificate in the document when the document is subsequently accessed.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the user data set is related to multiple physiological characteristics of the first user and determining the access code comprises determining the access code based on a subset of the user data set corresponding to at least one particular physiological characteristic, the method further comprising varying which at least one particular physiological characteristic is used in determining the access code.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the access code comprises determining whether at least a portion of the user data set corresponds to a second data set in a manner that satisfies a threshold condition.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising modifying the threshold condition.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein modifying the threshold condition comprises doing so in response to changing security concerns.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the threshold condition comprises doing so in response to system loading conditions.

19. A security system comprising:

a first security system structured and arranged to interrogate a first user and generate a user data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the first user; and

a first processor structured and arranged to

determine an access code based on the user data set,

enable a first user action in accordance with the access code,

access a document related to the first user action, and

embed a digital certificate in the document using the user data set.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to forward a message with the document to a reviewing authority for approval.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to perform the following operations:

interrogate the reviewing authority using a second security system that generates a reviewing data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the reviewing authority;

determine a reviewing code based on the reviewing data set;

enable a transaction for the first user action when the reviewing code allows the reviewing authority to approve the transaction;

access the document related to the first user action; and

embed a reviewing certificate in the document using the reviewing data set.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the first user action includes accessing a geographically-restricted area secured by the first security system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the document includes a manifest log recording which users have accessed the physically-restricted area.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to determine an access code includes determine that the first user has initial permission to begin preliminary activities that are part of a larger task.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to require an approval from a reviewing authority before the larger task may be completed.

26. The system of claim 19 further comprising storage structured and arranged to separately store the digital certificate and a description of the related action.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the digital certificate includes the user data set.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the digital certificate includes the result of a logical operation on the user data set.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to provide the first user apparent access while activating an alarm.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to track one or more actions of the first user.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the first processor embeds a certificate in the document when the document is subsequently accessed.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the user data set is related to multiple physiological characteristics of the first user and the first processor is structured and arranged to:

determine the access code based on a subset of the user data set corresponding to at least one particular physiological characteristic, and

vary which at least one particular physiological characteristic is used to determine the access code.

33. The system of claim 19 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to determine the access code by determining whether correspondence of at least a portion of the user data set to a second data set satisfies a threshold condition.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to modify the threshold condition.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the first processor is structured to modify the threshold condition in response to security concerns.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the first processor is structured and arranged to modify the threshold condition in response to system loading conditions.

37. A computer-readable storage medium storing a security program for controlling a computer, the security program comprising:

a first security code segment structured and arranged to interrogate a first user and generate a user data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the first user;

a first code segment structured and arranged to determine an access code based on the user data set;

a second code segment structured and arranged to enable a first user action in accordance with the access code;

a document code segment structured and arranged to access a document related to the first user action; and

a certificate code segment structured and arranged to embed a digital certificate in the document using the user data set.

38. A security system comprising:

means for interrogating a first user using a first security system that generates a user data set related to at least one physiological characteristic of the first user;

means for determining an access code based on the user data set;

means for enabling a first user action in accordance with the access code;

means for accessing a document related to the first user action; and

means for embedding a digital certificate in the document using the user data set.