With increased concerns for privacy as well as the need to protect an organization’s assets, adoption of access control has spiked. Access control is a security technique for buildings that implement the use of access card readers, fingerprints, and even eye scanners to grant access to a specific individual to restricted areas.
Access control is not limited to company building but also to apartments whose tenants are concerned about their security, especially in urban areas. According to a smart building report by IHS Markit, more and more manufactures, as well as building owners, are adopting access control systems such as readers, electronic locks and even door controllers.
Sensitive information is attached to each identity. Should there be a breach, massive sensitive data that can be used for cyberattacks will be on the wrong hands. So, how does one improve a building’s access control system. Well, read on to find out a few suggested ideas.
Perform Regular Testing
You need to perform regular testing to ensure everything is functioning normally. Test your access readers, electronic locks and door controllers to ensure all function as required and that none is granting access to everyone but only selected group. Just like buildings conducts regular fire preparedness testing, so should you with your access control system.
However, unlike for fire drills, which are not periodical, security testing should happen at least weekly. If you try to access an unauthorized area, does the system send an alert? Or access is denied, but no data is provided. If that’s the scenario, then you need to talk to your engineers. The purpose of access control is to keep people out and get notified of any attempted breach.
Conduct Regular Audits
Organizations should conduct a regular audit of the system to determine who has access and to what extent. Is there more access card than the number of employees? Then, that’s a red flag. If the system requires different access cards for different areas, then that is a risk. What if one of the cards gets lost and someone else uses it to access sensitive data.
Employees who have left the company but still have their access card active is careless security procedure. There could be so many flaws in the systems, but without regular audits, such faults cannot be acted upon quickly to prevent a breach.
Upgrade the Software Regularly
your access control vendor should regularly provide an update to the software you are using. Not having a software update is a red flag, and your system could be compromised. Software engineers regularly study their code to fix flaws as well as to improve end user experience.
Therefore, if you are provided with an update, you mustn’t skip any to keep your access control system working efficiently.
Use a Dedicated Internet for Access Control
Security advisors suggest that to prevent hackers from having any chance of accessing your security network install a dedicated Wi-Fi for your access control. While it is possible to utilize the same Wi-Fi for work-related matters and personal browsing on tablets and phones, the same creates a potential cyber-attack on the network.
Regularly Educate Users on Security
Having an effective access control in place is not enough; the most significant risk also comes from users. Periodically educate users on security concerns such as tailgating. This is an act of holding the door open for others, and often persons with no access to restricted areas end up in such spaces.
Also, when gaining access to a building with access control systems might be the priority concern for many; however, once they are inside, employees tend to show laxity in security. This is based on assumption that no one inside the building is a threat. However, there are proprietary asset in specific areas that require tight security. User education can address such concerns.