How does Access Control work?
Access control gives the building or facility manager the ability to control who can enter a building and their ability to move around the site. A system can be as simple or complex as your needs require. Certain staff or contractors might only be given access at certain times. Cleaners for example might only need to access outside office hours and some staff might only be granted access from Monday to Friday. We will seek to understand your needs and tailor the system to meet you needs. Giving you the ability to grant and deny access as appropriate.
We achieve this by creating access groups and placing the right people in the right groups. This helps make managing access simple to administer and easy to audit.
An access control system is an electronic system that uses various elements to give control over the movement of people within a site. The major elements are central server, door controller, locking mechanisms, exit buttons, secure readers and passes.
The central server is not always required for smaller systems but allows for the management of the access control system. Defining what groups and users are able to do is the major function of the server.
The door controller is the part of the system that connects and manages doors. These units can control one or multiple doors – depending on the manufacturer.
The locking mechanisms will be dependent on the use case and the type of door. Magnetic locks are common for internal doors within an office – as they work with most door sets and provide relatively easy installation. Electronic mortice locks can provide a better level of security but are not suited to as many applications.
Exit buttons are placed on the secure side to allow free access out of a site. These press buttons are usually paired with a fire break button that when pressed will keep a door unlocked in an emergency.
Secure readers are place on the outside of the area secured to allow access to only people with permission.
Passes are used to identify a person and grant access. Passes can be many things – cards and fobs with near field technology are common but tech we carry around all the time can also be used – such as mobile phones or smartwatches.
Biometrics can also be used to allow access – facial recognition can be built into readers and the users facial identity can be used to grant access – much like smartphones ability to use you face to unlock you phone.
Why is access control important?
Installing access control systems is the most efficient way to prevent unauthorised access to your premises, which is important for the safety and security of your employees, as well as the security of your buildings, assets and systems.
Access control systems provide layers of security that can be a simple or as complex as your business requires. It can prevent access to a site – reducing the likelihood of theft and damage to assets and risk to employees.
Areas that are sensitive or dangerous can be restricted to only allow authorised staff. This can help prevent accidents and increase data security.
