Security is a word we hear a lot of these days. When we talk of access control – which is the subject of this short article – we are not just talking about people coming in and out of buildings. We are also talking about controlling access to computer – and other – systems, in which personal or sensitive data or information may be held.
In schools, colleges and other educational establishments there is a need for stringent and effective access control systems. These establishments are occupied by young people who may be vulnerable to unscrupulous access, either to themselves or to information about them. This is why colleges and schools now tend to feature advanced and quite thorough access systems, especially in particularly vulnerable areas.
Physical Access Control
Let’s talk about physical access control first. This is designed to restrict access to certain areas of a building to those who need to be there. It’s widely used in business, commerce and industry, and is now becoming very common in educational establishments.
There are several ways of restricting access in this way. Let’s say the access control in this instance relates to persons who may or may not need to be a laboratory, for example. The laboratory doors can be fitted with a variety of different lock systems. These can be activated by a swipe card, by a personal pin number, even by biometric means using someone’s fingerprint, say.
It’s easy to see which is the most secure: the swipe card can easily be stolen, or lost, and people do have a habit of writing their PIN down, so the biometric scan means only the person with the matching print can get in. This sort of physical access control can be extended to the entire building, to provide security for those within.
Logical Access Control
This is the restriction of access to computer systems, databases and other information to persons who need to see or use it. Some of the biggest commercial scandals in recent years have involved companies that have seen their systems hacked – broken into by those who should not be there – which is a reminder than no matter how heavy your security, no system is ever 100% safe.
However, there are systems that can be put in place that minimise the risk of unauthorised access to such information. You most likely use a password for your computer both at home and at work, or you might have a swipe card system or a PIN. There are biometric systems that can be put in place to minimise the risk too, and they are worth looking at.
With all access control systems, both logical and physical, there is another problem, and that is who administers or polices the system.
Remaining Secure
In military circles, there is a type of access control known as ‘Mandatory Access Control’. This basically means that unless you have the correct clearance, you cannot gain access, and it applies to both physical and logical access control methods.
There are also systems that use Discretionary Access Control, in which an appointed administrator can decide whether or not – in the event of the need to do so – access should be granted to an individual. Think of this as the ‘doorman approach’, whereby a doorman decides if he or she is going to let you in, or not!
These are just a few of the access control problems that need to be considered, and for schools, it’s best to talk to the experts about the best type of access control for both your physical and logical systems, and make sure you minimise all risk.