At Urich Lock Co., we know that keeping your business secure is a top priority. A big part of security for commercial businesses comes from controlling who has access to certain areas of your building. You may want to restrict customer or even employee access to certain rooms to ensure your building and assets are always secure. Urich Lock Co. offers access control systems that can help you do just that.
If you are in need of an access control system for your business, choose Urich Lock Co. as your commercial locksmith in Milwaukee. We offer a wide range of commercial locksmith services, including doors, TV systems, and security systems. Read this week’s blog to learn more about which access system is right for your business and contact our team today.
A Breakdown of Commercial Access Control Systems
Urich Lock Co. offers both mechanical access systems, as well as electronic. In this week’s blog, we will be discussing the types of electronic access control systems that are available for your business.
Access control systems allow business owners to grant building access to only particular people who are authorized to be there. Not only does access control keep unwanted people out, it also allows you to better manage your security and monitor who is going in and out of your business.
There are three main types of access control: discretionary, mandatory, and role-based.Today, we will be delving into each type to help you determine which is best for your business.
The first type of access control is called discretionary access control (DAC). This type of access control allows you, the business owner, to decide who has access to particular locations and assets within your building. Compared to other types of access control systems, DAC is the least restrictive, as it gives each business owner control over all of their possessions and programs. The user (or in this case the business owner) can assign access rights based on specific rules. This is commonly referred to as “need-to-know” because certain users are only granted access based on necessity.
Discretionary access control is really only restricted based on the owner’s willingness to implement safe data sharing throughout the company. With that being said, this type of access control is generally best for small businesses that lack an IT staff at it is simple and convenient.
However, for larger companies, discretionary access control has its drawbacks. With hundreds of thousands of users, discretionary access control lacks complexity, onboarding efficiency, and termination control. Therefore, discretionary access control is most useful in a small-business setting where one or few users have the ability to exercise complete control over the entire company’s security.
The next type of access control system is mandatory access control (MAC). MAC is a security strategy that is monitored by system administrators and uses physical or digital restrictions to protect assets within the business. MAC places the administrators as its central users, allowing them to decide on system structure and access levels. MAC is an easy way to increase office security because it allows only trusted administrators to make changes to office security, rather than giving anyone the capability to do so.
This type of access control system is often used in the military or other institutions that put a strong emphasis on strict confidentiality. If you choose to use MAC as the security system in your business, be aware that it is critical to give each employee a specific label and clearances detailing which areas they have access to based on security guidelines.
Lastly, role-based access control (RBAC) allows business owners to determine peoples’ access based on their role in the organization. Rather than assigning access to particular individuals, RBAC grants access based on specific roles and positions. Users that have the same roles in an organization also have the same access rights. This makes it easier when people move throughout your organization. If you hire a new security manager, for example, you will not have to change access using their name as some systems would require, but instead they will already have access due to their position.
RBAC is a security system that increases operational efficiency and reduces administrative and IT work. Instead of having to fill out paperwork and change passwords when a new employee is hired, they will automatically be granted access upon hiring. Spending less time on IT and administrative issues also means that your company can save money in these aspects. RBAC also decreases the risk of a security breach, as only a small number of people within the organization have access to sensitive information.
RBAC systems are better for hierarchical organizations where positions and structure are clear and where there is a large number of personnel performing the same duties, i.e., healthcare workers, insurance agents, accountants, etc. This way, when transitions occur in the organization, the RBAC provides a streamlined approach and reduces the time spent on granting access to people based on factors like their name or authority.
When using RBAC for your business, it is important to clearly define roles and ensure that each user in a specific role has the same access rights as other users in the same role. You should be careful to avoid creating too many roles, as this would lead to the creation of more of a user-based model, rather than a role-based model. Be sure to train all employees who do have access to this system so they thoroughly understand their responsibilities and duties.
Which Access Control System Is Right for Your Business?
Determining which type of access control system is right for your business depends on a number of factors. For starters, the size of your business will have an effect on which system is most beneficial to you. If you have a larger business with well-defined rules, then a role-based access system may be best for you.
If you are concerned about highly confidential information, then a mandatory access control system may be best for you. For smaller companies, a discretionary access control system may be best, as it allows you to share information on a need-to-know basis, rather than requiring you to share information solely based on employees’ roles in your organization.
If you are looking for a way to make your business more secure and are interested in access control systems for your business, choose Urich Lock Co. as your commercial locksmith in Milwaukee. We can help you decide which type of access control system is right for you and our team of experts will install it. Schedule a consultation with Urich Lock Co. today to get started.
