Managing access is incredibly important, both in a digital environment and a physical office space. A variety of technologies make this possible and arm modern businesses with the tools to protect themselves. Here is a look at how such systems operate and why they are advantageous.
The Basics
The control of access within a business is a relatively simple topic, yet one which needs to be thoroughly understood by decision-makers in order to make the most of the systems that are available in this area.
In short, you need to be able to manage which areas are accessible to which people, whether that means providing employees with different tiers of access depending on their position within the organisation or endowing visitors with certain allowances of access when they are on-site.
With current access control systems it is possible to achieve the following:
- Manage door access based on individual allowances and the time of day/date
- Establish and alter access rights and roll out changes to multiple readers
- Use default badge ranges to instantly grant appropriate levels of access without the need for individual user setup
- Location-wide monitoring of access, alarms and alerts for total control
- These benefits and more make it easy to see why many companies are choosing to adopt this type of technology.
Advanced Solutions
There are several elements involved in formulating modern security systems for controlling access which a business can adopt to boost security.
Smart cards are at the centre of a suitably robust solution within this category, with built-in chips not only allowing for quick and hassle-free access for staff and visitors as is appropriate, but also the storage of advanced biometric templates which can help with the verification process.
Biometrics allow for things such as facial recognition, retinal scanning and fingerprint readers to be integrated into an access system so that even if smart cards are spirited away or copied, the biometric aspect of the system means that they are useless without the individual with whom they are associated.
Why Control Access?
For some companies the answer to this will be obvious, because they may be required to protect sensitive products, information and machinery from illicit or inappropriate access.
But even the smallest company needs to think about the type of access which it allows to its locations, since there are potential hazards associated with complacency which may not become apparent until it is too late.
Controlling access needs to not only be about improving security, but also needs to be thought about from the point of view of convenience. A comprehensive system that has multiple layers of protection might look good, but if it is not easy to actually use then it could end up being a millstone.
If you take the time to consider the technologies and systems which exist in this market then it should be possible to pick the right solution for your company without going overboard or finding that you are limited by budget.
Rachel Jeffries is a journalist whose work on security tech appears on a number of websites. The systems available from companies like G4S Technology make it easy for businesses to achieve the levels of access control that will seriously boost confidence and reduce incursions.