ACCESS CONTROL
Access Control and Attendance is the practice of monitoring and controlling access to a building or property using modern electronic means, as opposed to old-fashioned locks and keys.
Modern access control utilises electronic credentials or biometric recognition to grant or deny access to a facility. This gives an administrator the immediate ability to add or remove entry privileges to any individual through the click of a computer mouse. Credential types may be simple keyfobs, credit card style access devices, mobile phone recognition, facial recognition, fingerprints, PIN numbers, and a host of emerging technologies.
Manage access by time, privilege and more
Lost, stolen or duplicated keys create a monumental challenge to the security of a facility and weigh heavily on maintenance costs, due to frequent re-keying. Not to be overlooked, are the legal challenges posed by users in possession of keys that have been duplicated without authorization.
Due to the opportunities enabled through a modern, computerised access control system, administrators are now able to control doors by time, privilege, access level and sensitivity of the space. No longer is access just relegated to anyone with a key, at any time. Furthermore, unusual situations and emergencies can be handled with a completely separate set of parameters that can be instituted at the click of a mouse, or activation of an emergency station.
Types of Access Control Systems
1. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
When this paradigm is used, permissions are granted according to roles and roles are assigned to users. This model is user-friendly because administrators can centrally manage and administer roles.
2. Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
The user has direct control over all of the programs and files in the system, which is a complicated way of saying one method of access always opens all the doors.
3. Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
This is the opposite of DAC. When MAC is the paradigm, a policy, hardware component, or softwarecomponent is used to restrict access. This can be a password or keypad.