Access control systems can provide a wide range of benefits for your business, from protecting critical data to ensuring compliance requirements are met. They also help prevent theft and increase cyber hygiene across the network.
How to Choose the Right Type of Access Control for Your Business
There are a number of different types of access control, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The best one for your company depends on your security needs, how access is decided, and how the system handles changes.
MAC (Managed Access Control)
MAC systems assign strict policies to users, and the resources they have access to. These policies are managed by the organization’s administrator. The policies limit which users can access what information, which resources they can see or change, and which systems they can use.
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
Role-based access control is a less restrictive approach than MAC and provides a more flexible way to assign permissions to users. With this method, an admin can quickly adjust access settings to accommodate a new role without having to change the permissions of all of the other roles in the system.
DAC (Data Access Control)
DAC is similar to RBAC in that it assigns permissions to groups of users, roles they have access to, and the actions they take. However, DAC is more complex than RBAC in that it offers a variety of attribute-based permissions that can be configured to the organization’s needs.
It also allows for granular permissions, which means that administrators can give specific individuals full control over an object or group of objects. For example, a user can grant another person full access to a spreadsheet file, but not access the data in that spreadsheet.
How to Monitor and Report on Changing Access Policy
With access control, it’s important to monitor the users that have access to your network. Keeping track of who has access to your resources can help you identify security gaps that need to be addressed immediately. It can also help you keep track of who is using your network at any given time, which can be especially helpful for reporting suspicious activity or a security vulnerability.
A key component of your access control system is authentication, which uses credentials to identify and authenticate users. This can include passwords, pins, security tokens, biometric scans, and other methods that ensure a valid user is gaining access to your system.
Authentication is also important for access control because it helps you keep track of who’s entering your building. By tracking the identifying credentials of each individual, you can keep track of who’s coming and going, which helps prevent strange visitor patterns.
Maintaining Your Access Control System
Managing an access control system requires regular audits. These audits can catch issues like outdated locks or software that could leave your organization open to a security breach. They can also help you detect patterns of frequent visitors and track visitor patterns over time, so you can better understand how your facility is being used.