What are Access Controls?

Access controls refer to the mechanisms or settings that regulate user access to resources and information, such as files and agenda items, within a system. These permission-based settings enable administrators to manage and restrict user privileges to only authorized individuals. The primary goal of access controls is to ensure that systems or organizations are not exposed to suspicious actors, data theft, and operational disruptions.

These security mechanisms can be implemented into two types — physical and logical. Physical access controls are often used in buildings and physical IT assets, usually in alarms, lockdown capabilities, or access card readers. Whereas, logical access controls manage connections to computer networks, data, and files via identification authentication, like passwords, PINs, or biometric authentications.

What are the types of access controls?

There are 5 types of access controls, each of which caters to different requirements

• Discretionary Access Control (DAC) – This is the type of access control where the owner or administrator defines who or what gets access to the resource. For example, file-sharing systems allow the user who creates the files to determine who can view or edit the document.
• Mandatory Access Control (MAC) – This model is more rigid than DAC as access rights are centrally controlled by an authority. This means that users cannot change the permissions themselves; instead, they are assigned roles based on predefined policies. This is particularly used in government and militaries to manage access to classified information.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) – RBAC assigns access permissions based on the role of a user within the organization, rather than individual identities. This model is widely used in large organizations as it simplifies setting access to roles, and users are grouped accordingly.
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) – In this model, access is flexibly permitted based on attributes (e.g. user location, device type, or time of access). This context-based approach allows for more granular control based on combinations of factors rather than role assignments.
• Rule-Based Access Control – This approach determines access by predefined rules often tied to conditions, such as the time of day or specific events. An example would be automated systems restricting access to the cloud outside of business hours.

Why are access controls important in businesses?

Crucial to an organization’s security infrastructure, access controls offer numerous benefits, including:

• Reduced data breach risks – Cyberattacks can be detrimental and costly for organizations. Effective access control systems lower such risks by minimizing entry points of malicious actors.
• Regulatory compliance – Implementing access controls can help organizations comply with strict regulations, especially for several industries including HIPAA for healthcare and SOX and GDPR for financial services.
• Customized controls and audit trails –Permissions can be tailored to users according to their authorization and authentication. Sophisticated access controls let administrators tailor who can access what and under which cases. Moreover, these controls also allow audit trails to track and investigate access indicents.
• Operational efficiency – The latest security mechanisms simplify access workflows by centralizing in one dashboard granting and revoking user privileges. This reduces the need for manual check-ins and physical cards.