Which Type of Access Control Do You Need?

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In an age where smart technology and home automation have become prominent forms of innovation across residential, commercial, and industrial settings, access control has grown to become a daily feature of our lives. In brief, access control is used to identify an individual who does a specific job, authenticate them, and then proceed to give that individual only the key to the door or workstation that they need access to and nothing more. Access Control Systems come in three different types: Discretionary Access Control (DAC), Mandatory Access Control (MAC), and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).

Discretionary Access Control

Discretionary Access Control is the form of an access control system that thrusts all responsibility in the hands of the business owner in terms of deciding which people are allowed in a specific location, physically or digitally. DAC is the least stringent compared to the other systems, as it essentially grants an individual complete control over any objects they own, as well as the systems associated with those objects. The prime demerit of Discretionary Access Control is the fact that it gives the end-user comprehensive control to set security level settings for other users which could potentially lead to malware being executed without the end-user being aware of it

Mandatory Access Control

 Mandatory Access Control is more commonly employed in organizations that need a greater focus on the confidentiality and classification of data (ie. military institutions). MAC doesn’t permit owners to control the entities having access in a unit or facility, instead, only the owner and custodian possess the management of the access controls. MAC will typically classify all end-users and classify them with labels that permit them to gain access through security with predefined security guidelines.

Role-Based Access Control

Also known as Rule-Based Access Control, RBAC is the most demanded in regard to access control systems. Not only is it in high demand among households, RBAC has also become highly sought-after in the business world.

 In RBAC systems, access is granted by the system administrator and is strictly based on the individual’s role within the household or organization and most privileges are defined based on their job responsibilities. So, instead of assigning an individual as a security manager, the security manager position already has predefined access control permissions assigned to it.

When it comes to picking the type of access control system that is most suitable for your organization, or home control, there are a variety of factors involved. Some of those factors comprise the nature of your business, security protocols within the organization, and the number of occupants.

Businesses with limited or basic applications will probably find Discretionary Access Control to be the least complicated and most efficient. If, however, there is highly confidential or sensitive information on a business platform, a Mandatory Access or Role-Based Access Control system are two options to be considered. #SchneiderElectric is a well-established brand across the globe offering unique and innovation-driven solutions in the domains of access control & building management systems #LifeIsOn.