Sunday, 6 October 2013

What Are The Important Elements Of An Access Control System?

By Vasiliki Petrakis


An access control system is a technology that helps in controlling the entrance to a particular building, facility, or any secure area. Businesses and industries of all sorts have incorporated access control to make sure that only authorized people are able to access restricted areas. It is a good way of increasing not only the security of an area but also its privacy as well.

In the past, entry and exit points are secured with different types of physical locks, but the problem with these is that the keys used with them can easily be duplicated. By using digital access control technology, access can be granted via a terminal that accepts passwords, passphrases, or PIN. This eliminates the need to bring physical keys that are susceptible to getting lost.

One of the more popular type of technology used in an access control system is biometrics. It is labeled as so because it makes use of distinct features of a person such the fingerprint and retina. And since everyone will have unique patterns for these, it is an accurate way of ensuring that only authorized people are given access to certain areas in the building or facility.

With the help of an access control system, it would also be possible to hire less manpower for securing entry and exit points in a building or facility. Access control technology also provides an efficient way of tracking time-ins and time-outs of employees. With this setup, it makes it easier to minimize the occurrence of fraud, especially since there is not much manual intervention.

An access control system is primarily made up with three main components and they are the physical barrier, the access controller/reader, and the credentials. It is the physical barrier that actually prevents access to a specific area or entry/exit point. Many facilities today have doors with electronic locks while main entry/exit points are secured with a turnstile, all of which are managed by the access controller.

There are two options for an access controller and for smaller establishments, a stand-alone system is often used because it is less complicated to setup and all data is stored in the unit itself. On bigger offices, network or online-based systems are preferred since it offers more flexibility by using a user database. Credentials such as passwords, keycards, and fingerprints are used with the access controller.

There are also some possible security risks that an access control system can encounter and one of them is tailgating. This is when an intruder follows authorized personnel in entering a restricted area. Other risks include door levering, lock spoofing, and hacking. It is important to take these risks into consideration and ensure that they are properly and timely addressed.

An access control system can also work well alongside a surveillance system to further boost the level of security in your building or facility. Keep in mind that this is a vital component of your internal control and it should help ensure that your operations move on with as little problems as possible. It will also give you peace of mind that your personnel are doing their job with complete honesty.




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