Keeping your employees and visitors safe, as well as protecting your facility and your assets, requires a proactive approach to managing your security risk. Managing who goes in and out of your buildings and work areas and preventing unauthorized access takes robust workplace security measures and comprehensive access control systems.
The Importance of Employee Access Control
You need to provide a safe environment for your employees. This doesn’t happen without taking proactive steps to create a comprehensive security solution. Yet, many workers do not feel their employers are doing enough. Approximately 68% of workers say they do not feel safe at work. Workplace violence is growing, affecting more than two million workers each year.
However, there’s also a clear connection between employee safety and business success. When employees feel safe and secure at work, productivity increases. Employers that provide a safe and secure workplace reap the benefits. Deploying the right technology and access control solutions goes a long way toward making employees comfortable.
Employee access control systems can provide different access levels depending on status and work requirements, so you can tightly control who has access to what. For example, each employee working in a controlled access zone can have different clearance levels based on their job, enabling them to enter certain areas while restricting their access to others. This level of discretionary access control enables you to keep sensitive areas and data safe.
Key Access Control Models
There are four types of access control models:
- Role-Based Access Control
- Discretionary Access Control
- Mandatory Access Control
- Attribute-Based Access Control
Let’s take a look at each.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
RBAC assigns access rights based on organizational roles. This model is particularly effective for companies with defined organizational structures, as it allows security administrators to manage access permissions for groups rather than individual employees.
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
DAC provides flexibility by allowing access rights to be assigned at the individual level. This model works well for smaller organizations or on a departmental basis where managers need to quickly adjust access permissions based on changing project requirements or temporary assignments.
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
MAC implements strict, hierarchical access control based on predetermined security clearance levels. This model is particularly valuable in high-security environments where maintaining strict boundaries between different security zones is crucial.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Attribute-based access control offers a more sophisticated approach, using multiple attributes to impact access policies. For example, time of day, location, and employee status are all considered when granting access to buildings or facilities.
This is a more dynamic approach to access policies that can adapt to security requirements. For example, when your business is closed, you might restrict all access for employees unless they have prior approval, or you may only allow individuals to access certain buildings and areas during set hours.
Benefits of Effective Access Control
Modern physical security systems with effective access controls provide superior protection. You can manage access to buildings and rooms across multiple facilities from a centralized console or through integrated HRIS solutions. To employees, it’s seamless. Employees have access to the areas and resources they need without needing to carry multiple keys, badges, and access cards.
Employees are more confident that their workplace is secure while enjoying the convenience of keycards and touchless access. Managed access can even integrate with the devices employees already carry, such as an Apple Wallet in an iPhone or Apple Watch. An office access control system automates the process without significant administrative overhead and reduces wait times at entry points to improve the workplace experience for employees.
Challenges in Employee Access Control
There are a few challenges to access control, including managing temporary access for visitors or contractors. Lost or stolen credentials can also create added logistical hurdles. However, integrated access control makes issuing credentials or changing access simple and fast…virtually instant.
With integrated access control, you can control access to individual areas, control employee internet access and access to computers, and require multi-factor authentication to make system changes. You can also quickly and efficiently provide temporary access to visitors and reissue misplaced credentials.
Best Practices for Implementation
Following a few best practices can help simplify implementation and management.
Adopting a Least Privilege Approach
Organizations should grant employees access only to areas necessary for their work responsibilities. This minimizes security risks while simplifying access management and reducing the potential impact of credential misuse.
This is especially effective with credentials using smartphones protected by PINs or biometric access devices in high-security areas, reducing potential problems with lost or stolen key fobs or key cards.
Regular Access Reviews
Organizations should conduct periodic reviews of access rights within their systems. As employees come and go or work duties change, it can be easy to forget to update access control cards. For example, managers may forget to let administrators know when someone is taking on additional responsibility or no longer needs access to certain areas.
A regular review can help uncover inaccuracies and ensure everyone has the proper levels of access.
User Training and Awareness
Employee training and education provide important benefits as well. When employees understand access control procedures, they are more likely to buy into the system and to proactively support security measures. Employees also gain a greater awareness of your security efforts and feel more confident knowing that their workplace is safe and secure.
With a managed service provider like Kastle, training is available anytime to anyone at no additional cost.
Training typically includes credential handling, procedures for visitors or contractors, and reporting for security concerns.
Strategies for Managing Access Control
Successful access control management requires a strategic approach that combines technology, policies, and procedures.
Organizations should develop clear protocols for managing access changes, responding to security incidents, and maintaining system infrastructure. Integration with HR systems can automate access changes based on employment status, while mobile credentials can simplify access management and improve user experience.
Enhancing Access Management Effectiveness
Cloud-based access control solutions represent the future of access control and workplace security, offering flexibility, scalability, and ease of management. These systems enable remote administration, real-time updates, and sophisticated integration capabilities that enhance both levels of security and operational efficiency.
If you are looking to implement or upgrade your access control systems, Kastle offers industry-leading solutions that combine advanced technology with comprehensive service and support. Using a cloud-based platform provides the perfect balance of security, convenience, and manageability that modern workplaces demand.
To learn more about implementing effective access control solutions for your facility, contact Kastle today to discover how the industry leader in security solutions can make your workplace more secure.
