You probably have a family at home that you care about. You would do anything and everything in your power to protect them. Your home probably has a decent security system in place to do just that: to keep them safe and secure. So, why wouldn’t you do that in your work-life as a business owner?
With the advancements that we see in technology every day, you might wonder how you can use it to protect your second most important asset. Your commercial property. In addition to security programs, you can your access control system to control who can enter your building at any given time of the day.
An access control system can be just what you need to bring the security of your business to the next level. The market for access control is growing and will continue to grow over the next couple of years.
Continue reading to learn more about access control systems and why your business needs them.
What Is An Access Control System?
An access control system is a system that a business owner can use to control entry into their buildings using modern technology and a computer-controlled system. The system can be used within the building to control who can access a specific area and what kind of clearance they need to gain access.
What might an access control system do for a business?
- The main doors can be set to only allow entry between 8 am and 5 pm, with the exception of janitorial services after hours.
- The CEO’s office might only be accessible to personnel that has a certain level of security and an access card.
- The building’s heating system can be told to set to a certain temperature before the first person arrives to work for the day so it isn’t too hot or cold.
The access control system makes the literal, in hand keys a thing of the past. There is no longer a need to keep track of every key that every employee might have. They don’t have to have a locksmith come out every time they need the locks changed.
Janitors and high-level employees will no longer lug around a massive, clunky key ring that holds a new key for every room that they need access to. It allows them to access every room more quickly and more efficiently.
Here are the 10 Types of Access Control Systems that might work for you.
The Different Components Of Access Control Systems
Regardless of what type of access control system is in use, it has the same basic setup with a typical list of components that make up the system. It uses a system made up of a lock, key, and controller that need to work together through a communication infrastructure to make up the access control system.
The Access Control Technologies Handbook explains what each part of the system does and how it all works together to create secure access control for the building.
The Lock
The lock is the part of the system that allows access to the door. It is usually managed by an administrative or security personnel on a computer or mobile-based application. This is the part that physically keeps unauthorized personnel from accessing a restricted area of the building.
The lock is a device that functions are a part of the door to create a physical barrier between rooms. There are so many different types of locks that are used for this purpose. The devices that can be installed are magnetic locks, electric strikes, or electric deadbolt. It can be a keypad installed on the door that needs a pin or code to be opened.
The Key
The key is the part of the system that grants access to the door. The employees or other personnel have to authenticate their identity. To do this, they must present the item they have in their possession to do so.
This can be a key card, a mobile app with a barcode, or a code to enter into a keypad used to gain entry beyond the locked door. Biometrics, such as facial recognition or fingerprinting or iris scanning, are used even higher on the scale of the access control system products.
Some doors have a “request to exit” feature. This allows a person to leave a restricted room without having to use their key to do so. This is a button that they have to push on the wall inside the room. The door will click open. Once they pull the door shut behind them, it will lock again.
The Controller
The controller is where the lock and key communicate with each other to provide a secure entry to the business. This is where information that allows or denies entry into the building or into a specific room within the building that needs a required level of security clearance to gain access.
The controller would be a control panel of sorts. The controller needs to be in a place with limited access so that it doesn’t have a great risk of being messed with. If it is accessible, there is a chance that someone can change the business owner’s settings. This could cause some problems with the authorized personnel getting access to the restricted areas and it could allow unauthorized into areas they shouldn’t have access to.
Communication Infrastructure
Wires would run from the lock to the controller to the system that allows everything to work together. The communication infrastructure is this system.
The software that is used to communicate with all of the components of an access control system varies based on the need of the company. It depends on the size of the business and how many people are employed. It takes into consideration the number of doors that are needing the interlocking systems.
Whether the business has an administrator in charge of the system or security personnel running access control can make a difference in the type of system that has been installed.
There are four main access control methods used with the access control systems. Mandatory access control (MAC), role-based access control (RBAC), discretionary access control (DAC), and rule-based access control (RB- RBAC) are the ones that can be chosen from.
The system that is right for your business needs you have to compare all of your options. Don’t settle for the first system that you see. It might not have all of the capabilities that you need it to have. Or, it might have some components that you have no use for.
Technological Disadvantage
It seems all of the technology in use here might raise a few questions with safely exiting the building during an emergency.
There are procedures in place to prevent personnel from getting trapped inside a burning or otherwise malfunctioning building. There are a variety of fail-safes that are installed to make sure this doesn’t happen.
There are mechanics installed to the inside of the door to make sure that the door can be opened in the event of an emergency. Panic bars and push bars are a common one that is seen in every commercial building that has locks on their doors.
Why Does Your Business Need An Access Control System?
Businesses of any size can benefit from an access control system. It doesn’t have to be a huge corporation or a government office that uses this technology to secure their building.
Access control systems can help your business become more efficient. It allows you to create a better business. It helps to ensure that you have the best possible security measures in place.
Security Measures
Access control systems guarantee that the building will be completely secure 24/7. It will only allow business personnel into a restricted area if they are authorized to be there. No one will be able to get in and out of the building without a record being kept of it.
Monitoring
Business owners can access their ACS information at any time from anywhere with their cellphone or computer. They can make adjustments to authorized personnel from the system with a few clicks of their mouse. They are able to track who is accessing what areas of the business.
Theft Prevention
Access Control Systems prevent theft from both inside and outside of the business. Only allowing access to certain people after hours can decrease the likelihood that employees come back after the business is locked up at the end of the day. A business that is secure is also less likely to be robbed.
Saves Money
An access control system can save the business a ton of money. Without the need for keys, there is no longer the cost of rekeying when someone leaves the company. Once the system is told that that person is no longer authorized to enter the building, they will not have access to any area that isn’t open to the general public.
The need for security personnel manning the restricted areas because the ACS has taken over that role, there is one less salary that is being paid out of the business’ funds. While the access control system will still need annual maintenance and the routine adjustments and updates, it won’t add to more than a locksmith bill or two.
Energy Efficient
Access control systems are energy efficient. When paired up with the lighting in your building, the ACS can tell the lights when someone walks into a room to turn the lights on. It can tell the lights when a room is empty and no longer needs to be lighted.
An access control system can adjust the thermostat to turn down when the last person leaves for the night. It can have the heating system set to a comfortable temperature right before the first person gets there in the morning.
Why These Are Important
It’s important to have all of these when it comes to the security of your business.
If you have an employee that is on maternity leave and it appears that they are accessing the system, then it could point to a potential breach in security. If she is not scheduled to be in the office for a few more weeks, someone may be using her credentials to access important information. The controlled access can help you find the person behind this issue.
If an 8-5 employee is attempting to access the building after hours, there might be some suspicious activity going on. Maybe they lost their key card and someone outside of your business is trying to access the building for illegal purposed. Or maybe they just forgot their briefcase and their car keys are locked in the building.
Comparing Different Access Control System Models
The number of doors that need to be secured, the number of employees that need to be managed, and the overall needs of your business will determine which system you need to incorporate into your current security system.
A recent research article compared the administrative qualities of the different access control systems that are available.
You will also need to look at which models are compatible with your existing security system so that you can get the most out of the combined systems. Will your current system allow this program to control your electrical and heating needs?
Pricing varies based on how many doors you need to be secured and how many employees you have that need access to the restricted areas.
Compare the best access control system models to figure out which system would be the right one for the demands of your business with the current advancements in technology.
How San Antonio Car Key Pros Can Help You
The name might fool you, but we also offer a wide variety of locksmith needs. We can help you with all of your access control systems’ needs. You can learn more about the services that we provide here.
We can advise you in your decision-making process. We know which products might be best for your business, and we can even install them for you.