The importance of an access control system to a business cannot be spoken of enough. It keeps unauthorized persons out of your business premises or specific areas like the main office, storage room, or safe. Unauthorized persons here could refer to both persons from outside and some of your employees. 

Perhaps you have already decided your business needs an access control system. But do you know the different systems available to you? Well, here are four types of access control systems you can choose from.

Mandatory Access System (MAC)

MAC systems are by far the strictest of all access control systems. Only the owner or administrator can control the system. Therefore, once they have configured the access control settings, no one else can change or remove them. 

Every end-user is given an individual label that allows them to access certain points in the organization, but not others, depending on the established security guidelines. Due to this restrictive nature, these systems are better suited to organizations or facilities that require maximum security and confidentiality of data, like military institutions and government facilities.

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

DAC systems have a high level of flexibility. As the business owner, you decide the number of people to access a specific location. As a result, each access point has several authorized users.

Every time a fingerprint is scanned, a PIN is inserted or a keycard is swiped, the system checks if the credentials fall under one of the authorized users and permits or denies entry based on the set allowances. Of all types of access control, DAC systems allow the highest number of individual users. They're suitable for a business that wants easy-to-use controls. 

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

RBAC systems are slowly becoming the most sought-after access control systems for businesses and companies. Here, access permissions are granted to specific job titles instead of individual users. So, rather than assigning a person as an operations manager and giving them access to different secured locations relevant to them, the operations manager position has access permissions already assigned to it. 

Typically, RBAC systems are most suitable for large organizations requiring extensive security. Since access permissions are connected to job roles, one only gets the access needed to perform their job. 

Rule-Based Access Control

Rule-based control systems assign or deny access control permissions based on pre-set rules defied by the owner or administrator. 

Some factors that determine access include an individual's location, the device being used, and the time of day. For example, if your company closes at 6 pm, every employee may be denied access from 6 pm to 8 am the next day. Since you can customize rules as much as you want, these systems are ideal for a company or business that wants a dynamic security solution. 

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