Access control is the process of identifying people and determining the level of security access to an electronic system or physical site based on policies and procedures set up by your organization. Modern access control systems identify a person, verify their identity cards, and give the person the keys to the doors and digital resources they only need to access.

Access is granted through several steps to verify that this user can access the requested resource. These steps are typical.

• Identity verification
• Authentication
• Authorization

Different Types of Access Control Systems

Discretionary Access Control System

Optional Entry and Exit Management are suitable for households and small businesses that need security in one or two doors. It is less restrictive than other access control systems, and end users (such as homeowners and corporate owners) have full control over who can enter and leave. You can also easily set your security level, set permissions for others, or give someone access by telling them your entry key or your entry PIN. A standalone access control system lets you concentrate security on the door itself.

Mandatory Access Control System

On the other hand, mandatory access control is a form of access control with the most restrictions that gives control and management of the system and access points only to the system owner or the administrator. End users and employees have no control over permissions and access and can only access points authorized by the system owner. Furthermore, the administrator can only change the settings defined by the system parameters themselves, and since they are programmed in this way, they cannot be avoided.

All users are classified, labeled, and allowed to enter, access, and exit specific points according to their permissions and only the specified classification level.

Role-based Access Control System

They provide access rights according to the individual’s position in the organization, also called discretionary access control. This system associates predefined roles with specific privileges. Administrators can assign only the access rights required for their work to individuals.

Rule-based Access Control System

Rule-based access control is also called RBAC or RB-RBAC. Rule-based access control dynamically assigns roles to users based on criteria defined by custodians or system administrators. For example, rule-based access control is the chosen tool if a person can access a file only at a certain time.

Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

The Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) model is often described as a finer granularity of role-based access control because it has multiple attributes required to access. These attributes are associated with the subject, object, action, and environment. For example, a sales representative (subject) may access a customer’s record (object) from the office during office hours to update information (an action) (environment).

Benefits of Access Control

1. Keep track of your room

Many companies have valuable equipment and physical assets on site. The access control system grasps who is going in and out and confirms that no one is sneaking into the building. In a large enterprise with many employees, it is difficult for everyone to know who is an employee and who is not. Access control systems help prevent strangers from going unnoticed and entering the room.

2. Understanding employees

The access control system can reduce confusion when there are multiple times when employees enter and leave and can inform you when employees are in the building at a time when they should not enter and leave. You can also see who is in and who is not.

3. Protect sensitive documents and data

Many companies have documents and data that should be inaccessible to everyone. Access Control Systems can restrict access to certain areas of hardware or software where this information is stored.

4. Prevention of theft and accidents

Access to the storage of valuables and hazardous materials can be restricted to authorized or specially trained employees by using the access control system.

5. Multi-Property Protection

The access control system can grant access to employees who need to enter multiple or all buildings.

6. No Longer Worrying about Keys

When employees retire and do not return their keys, companies are left with the expense of creating new keys and possibly replacing them. The same is true when an employee loses his company key. Also, if an employee leaves the company and is unscrupulous, the employee may re-enter the building and cause damage.

Final Words

If your business has sensitive areas that only authorized people can enter, the best way to control security is to implement an access control system. The system allows users to permit or deny access to any part of the site, including parking lots, elevators, warehouses, and residential entertainment rooms, using devices such as key cards, fobs, and biometric scanners. Every time you use a card reader or biometric scanner, the system keeps track of your entry and exit.