Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Access Control Systems - Built To Give You Total Control

By Alexis Lenahan


By installing an access control system, it would be possible to secure the entry and exit points of any building or facility. It makes sense for businesses and commercial establishments to have a solid access control technology because it will ensure that only authorized personnel are allowed access to specific areas. In this manner, both security and privacy are improved significantly.

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.

Biometrics is a popular type of access control system and it is able to grant or deny a person access to a particular area by scanning certain personal features such as fingerprint and retina. This type of access control is indeed very common these days in any office setting because it is almost fool-proof and is really accurate because fingerprints and retina are unique to each person.

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.

When using an access control system, it is important to understand that there could be some possible loopholes that should be given attention. One popular security breach is by tailgating, which is accomplished when an unauthorized person follows one who enters a secure area. Risks like this can be easily avoided by laying out standard protocols and keeping the system constantly updated.

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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