Four Bits In A Trenchcoat

For context, swipe key cards were invented in the 70's and RFID/ proximity cards were available to the mainstream in 1983. (Googled a few articles)

There is no card required to access the elevator or certain floors on-screen. You'd think R&D/ laser bay would be the most top secret one, but Alan just pushes the button with no pretense. There's a giant door outside, but technically, any stranger/ visitor might be able to just walk in the lobby and then take the elevator down. HOWEVER, this may be a special elevator core, as it's directly attached to Ed's office.

Here's the actual floor plan of 1150 S Olive Street, LA where the movie was filmed, elevators circled. Ed's office scenes were not shot at this building, as the catty-cornered pair of elevators are not on the plan.

When they're opening the big door, we see Lora take something out of her pocket and put it up to the door, but it's too dark to see if it's a type of card or physical key

After Lora says "I don't think I'm cleared for this"- implying it's an individual key assigned to her like her ID card- (which doesn't make sense because she works in the laser bay) Flynn puts his hacking device up to the door to open it.

But it seems to be cracking a passkey/ set of numbers instead of a bar code/ scan

When the gang gets inside, they are not wearing any of their ID badges. The guard doesn't care and just asks if they're "working late"

There are cameras in several places including the laser bay and cubicle farm.

Ed's office is interesting. And most of what we see is probably a personal decision: considering the bad stuff he's doing, I don't think it's company security. He has two cameras up on the soffits directly pointed at his desk and one in elevator hall.

Also, He has Peter watching his office when he's not there AND some form of access control that allows him to select "enter" or "do not enter when someone is approaching his office (calling back to the special elevator theory from earlier). Ed seemed to have caught on to the lack of company security and made his own....

For context, swipe key cards were invented in the 70's and RFID/ proximity cards were available to the mainstream in 1983. (Googled a few articles)

There is no card required to access the elevator or certain floors on-screen. You'd think R&D/ laser bay would be the most top secret one, but Alan just pushes the button with no pretense. There's a giant door outside, but technically, any stranger/ visitor might be able to just walk in the lobby and then take the elevator down. HOWEVER, this may be a special elevator core, as it's directly attached to Ed's office.

Here's the actual floor plan of 1150 S Olive Street, LA where the movie was filmed, elevators circled. Ed's office scenes were not shot at this building, as the catty-cornered pair of elevators are not on the plan.

When they're opening the big door, we see Lora take something out of her pocket and put it up to the door, but it's too dark to see if it's a type of card or physical key

After Lora says "I don't think I'm cleared for this"- implying it's an individual key assigned to her like her ID card- (which doesn't make sense because she works in the laser bay) Flynn puts his hacking device up to the door to open it.

But it seems to be cracking a passkey/ set of numbers instead of a bar code/ scan

When the gang gets inside, they are not wearing any of their ID badges. The guard doesn't care and just asks if they're "working late"

There are cameras in several places including the laser bay and cubicle farm.

Ed's office is interesting. And most of what we see is probably a personal decision: considering the bad stuff he's doing, I don't think it's company security. He has two cameras up on the soffits directly pointed at his desk and one in elevator hall.

Also, He has Peter watching his office when he's not there AND some form of access control that allows him to select "enter" or "do not enter when someone is approaching his office (calling back to the special elevator theory from earlier). Ed seemed to have caught on to the lack of company security and made his own....