Explain the major components of an electronic Article Surveillance System and how it works:

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

EAS systems detect and alert store personnel that an article is leaving the store or the zone of
control. While technologies do vary, EAS tags are placed on items by store personnel, or in many
cases, they are built into the item (called source tagging). The components of an EAS system
include gates, the actual tag, and the deactivator. Gates are pedestal or tower-looking readers
where one serves as a transmitter and the other a receiver. They are located near exits,
restrooms, and changing rooms. When an active EAS tag enters the area between the two towers,
the tag/antenna is detected by the receiver, which then activates an alarm. To deactivate an EAS
tag, store staff can remove the tag or deactivate it by sliding the tag over a deactivator, which is
built into the cashier checkout countertop. These tags are often considered compliments to an
RFID system. EAS systems are designed solely for security, while RFID is primarily designed and
used for visibility, tracking, and inventory control and uses more expensive and sophisticated
technologies. To defeat EAS systems, shoplifters may try to shield the items they are trying to
steal. One common means is through the use of a “booster bag” or a Faraday cage where a
person places the stolen object(s) in a tin foil lined bag that shields the EAS tag from the reader
devices (personnel that an article is leaving the store or the zone of control.