Access control is used to limit access to physical resources as well as virtual systems. You may install the access control system in your commercial as well as residential establishments and these systems will secure your property. People can get access to your property by entering their password or biometric details. Even they can also get access by entering their identity card. Most of the commercial premises including offices and government departments install these access control systems at their entry point, and through these systems they not only control the access points of their buildings, but they can also track their employee attendance.
Components of the access control systems:
The point of access control can be a door, parking gate, turnstile, elevator or any other physical barrier where the access granting can control electrically but access controls are typically used indoors. Electronic access controls have several elements in which the most common is a stand-alone electric lock. For this, an operator intervention is replaced by a reader. A reader could be a card reader or biometric scanner or a simple keypad where the code is entered.
The decision is not made by the reader, in fact, the scanned information is sent to the access panel which verifies the information with the access list. The door positioned can be monitored using a magnet. Generally, access control systems only control entries and not exits. Where exits are also controlled, a second reader is used in the exit gate. In cases of free exits, a REX or request to exit is used. REX devices are generally a motion detector or push button.
Types of Readers
- Non-intelligent or basic readers- these are simply card or PIN number.
- Semi-intelligent readers- have full inputs and outputs like a door, exit button, and lock. The information is sent to the main control. Such readers stop working when the connection between the reader and the main controller is interrupted.
- Intelligent readers- they have processing power and memory which allows them to make access decisions.
Different Access Control Models
- ABAC or attribute-based access control.
- HBAC or history-based access control.
- DAC or discretionary access control.
- IBAC or identity-based access control.
- OrBAC or organization-based access control.
- MAC or mandatory based access control.
- RBAC or role-based access control.
- Responsibility-based access control.
- Rule-based access control.
Advantages of Access Control System
High attrition businesses or college campuses can easily replace a lost card or key without having to provide new ones to other. Access control systems can be used with other systems like lighting, cooling or heating, and they can adjust the temperature and tell which area needs light. But this is known as home automation system and it is categorically different from access control system. However, the access control system can be installed in the entry points of commercial and residential premises and people can restrict the entry points with these systems.
Companies can save their classified documents like the HR departments have user access control and restrict them from the employees. These systems can tell the entry and exit time of a user so if any value is stolen from a specific area it can help in catching the culprit. Even people can also install them as biometric system in their office and tract the attendance of their employees through the same access control system. The biometric attendance can provide accurate data to the HR department and afterward the company can decide the increment and deduction of their employees through these digital databases.
If you want to install such access control systems in your commercial or residential houses, then you need to hire the best security company. They can easily install such systems and connect them with your company server.