Having the ability to control who comes into your building at any point in time is critically important for the security, safety, and health of those who work or spend time in a facility. But how can you do this without it being cumbersome or easily gotten around? Speak with the experts at Media Genius who have installed many different access control systems for different clients based on what they needed to control access to. In fact, you may want to have several layers of access control depending on who needs access to what in your Atlanta, Marietta, McDonough, Smyrna, Stockbridge, or Stonecrest building or organization.
Elements of Access Control Security
When you are looking at an overview of access control security, there are basically three steps to the process. The first step is identification, which is determining that the person can be identified in the system. This is the first layer of security which is a basic “yes/no” parameter. Is person X on the list? If yes, then you can move on to the second step; if not, then things end and no access is granted. While this is fairly basic, it is still effective.
The second step is authentication. This can be done with a keycard, passcodes, encryption keys, and more. What usually happens is that the identification and authentication steps are combined, such as in the use of an electronic key card. If you have such a card, it is assumed that you have been identified earlier, otherwise, why would you have the card. But also, the system doesn’t need to know who you are in specific, as long as you have the card, you are identified. The authentication happens when the system determines that the key card is valid. If it is authenticated as a valid key card, you can gain access to where you are going. If authentication fails, it is usually because the key card has been marked invalid, which could happen for any number of reasons.
Authorization is the third step, and this happens when the door unlocks and allows you in after you scan your key card. Usually, these three steps are automatically handled, with the exception of the identification step where cards are issued. And using a key card individually is perfectly fine for many applications, but some places in Atlanta, Marietta, McDonough, Smyrna, Stockbridge, or Stonecrest want to have a second step in the authentication. This is often an access code that is punched in after the key card is scanned. This additional step helps to ensure that the right person is trying to access the building or area. If someone had taken the card but did not have the access code, they would not be able to get access to the building as the system wouldn’t let them in.