In today’s digital world, unauthorized access can be devastating. This is why access control is so important for businesses to protect their data and physical assets. By aligning with security frameworks, choosing suitable solutions, implementing strong policies and adhering to best practices, businesses can ensure their systems and information are secure.
Access control is a security system that restricts the movement of people or devices within a physical space or computer system. This includes granting or denying access to specific areas, resources or systems based on predetermined criteria. For example, healthcare organizations must find the right balance between allowing staff and patients to move around a facility safely while maintaining the highest levels of security.
It is also critical that access control incorporates both technical and administrative elements. Technical controls are the actual access restriction mechanisms, while administrative elements include the processes that ensure accountability and traceability of user activity.
Despite its importance, many security professionals don’t place enough emphasis on access control. In fact, a recent ASIS survey of security consultants revealed that 61 percent of respondents have experienced tailgating or piggybacking incidents and 50 percent have seen propped doors. These minor infractions can have major consequences when a company doesn’t take the time to enforce and reinforce their security policies and procedures.
To prevent unauthorized access, an access control system must first identify who or what is trying to gain access. This can be achieved through either authentication or authorization. Authentication involves verifying a person’s identity through something they know, such as a password or PIN, and determining whether their credentials match the access list. Authorization involves granting a specific level of permission based on the requirements set in the access policy.
One of the most effective access control systems utilizes a combination of both MAC and RBAC. This is called a role-based model because it assigns access to roles rather than individual users. The benefit of this approach is that it allows the information owner to decentralize decision-making, ensuring that only those who need to access information have it. This is in line with the principle of least privilege.
Another effective access control solution is attribute-based authorization (ABAC). ABAC takes a more holistic approach to security by analyzing attributes, or characteristics, of users and resources. These factors can include things like the user’s role, environment conditions and even their location on the network. This method is highly flexible and can easily accommodate a wide variety of security policies. This is an excellent choice for large, complex environments.
