Selecting the proper access control system is a critical for protecting your business. With the growth of organizations and changing threats to security, access control solutions have become increasingly complex. Access control systems are no longer just about controlling physical access. They have evolved to become highly complex systems with numerous features designed to protect both physical assets and sensitive information.
When considering an access control system for you and your business, it is important to identify specific features that will deliver the best levels of security, flexibility, and operational efficiency. Below, is a list of five important features to consider when selecting an access control system for your business.
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1. Biometric Authentication
Importance:
Biometric authentication is a highly secure and accurate way to verify an individual’s identity. Traditionally, you need a PIN code or keycard, but biometrics look for something inherently you – either physically, such as a fingerprint, face, or iris scan. Forensic science now often uses biometric scanners to verify identities because it is nearly impossible to duplicate or steal.
A few facts and statistics:
- According to Statista, “the global biometric market size was valued at USD 29.50 billion in 2020 and expected to grow to USD 59.31 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 19.5%.”
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) estimates that fingerprint recognition has a 99.9% accuracy rate, so it is much more reliable than prior security processes.
Belonging to a business, biometric access control systems are essentially used to protect valuable or especially secure areas against unauthorized entry. Biometric access control restricts certain areas to approved individuals only, and it also removes the personal item associated with access – limiting the risk of missing, stolen, or unintentional access.
2. Scalability
Why it Matters:
Scalability indicates that an access control system has the ability to continue to evolve and grow with the business. As a business matures, additional employees or sites are added and an access control solution must be able to grow with the increased requirement for growth without requiring to be rebuilt from scratch.
Facts and figures:
- According to MarketsandMarkets, the access control market is expected to grow from USD 9.9 billion in 2020 to USD 15.8 billion by 2025, showing that the need for scalable solutions is growing.
- A scalable system gives a business the ability to add more access points, integrate with existing infrastructures, and manage more than one site at a time.
Having a scalable access control system is important because it enables you to continue using your security solution as the company grows; it is an investment that’s future-proof and will mature with your business..
3. Remote Monitoring and Management
Why It Matters:
Remote monitoring and management allow security teams or business administrators to oversee business access control systems from anywhere, providing real-time surveillance and the ability to manage security settings remotely. This feature is particularly important for businesses with multiple locations or those that require 24/7 surveillance. For example, Coram’s remote monitoring solution enables businesses to easily track and manage their business access control systems across various sites, offering real-time alerts and AI-powered analytics to detect and respond to security breaches instantly, ensuring continuous protection.
Facts and Statistics:
- A 2019 survey by Security Magazine found that 49% of businesses cited remote access management as one of the most important features of their security systems.
- With cloud-based systems, remote monitoring can provide users with instant alerts and updates through mobile apps or desktop interfaces.
Remote monitoring ensures that businesses can respond to security threats in real-time, even when staff is off-site. Additionally, it offers the convenience of managing security systems without being physically present, increasing operational efficiency.
4. Integration with Other Security Systems
Why It Matters:
The best access control systems can integrate seamlessly with other security infrastructure, such as surveillance cameras, alarm systems, and intrusion detection technologies. This integration allows for a more seamless security solution, giving businesses more control of all elements of security from within a single interface.
Facts & Figures:
- In an article by Security Sales & Integration they reported that 72% of businesses reported that using an access control system in conjunction with CCTV and alarm system improves threat detection and reaction time.
- Cloud-based access control systems typically have API functionality to make integration with third-party software and hardware easier.
By adopting an integrated solution businesses can enhance their operational efficiencies and overall security by maximizing the advantages of all the security devices working in a complementary manner, thus improving identification and response time to potential threats.
5. Audit Trails and Reporting
Why It Matters:
An audit trail is a detailed log of who has accessed what and when, along with showing where all personnel and/or visitors physically navigate and most likely see throughout a facility. Audit trails are at the very least beneficial to an organization to show where personnel in a facility are during a shift or where visitors are during their visit. Audit trails take accountability, and compliance to the next level in any case in which someone must provide access to sensitive information. This rings true to organizations, especially ones with strict access control policies such as finance, healthcare, or government.
Facts/Statistics:
- According to a 2019 PwC report, from their survey of organizations, 88% indicated that they used audit trails in the formalized documentation of their security compliance methodologies, and also as part of documenting dependencies on things like GDPR or HIPAA obligations.
- Audit trails also provide documentation of atypical access patterns which can offer an opportunity to collect data on variations, such as threats, or misconduct events ongoing in the organization.
In the end, organizations can use audit trails and reporting to give evidentiary records of events, in order to promote transparency, accountability. It has been clear that audit trails have as much value as providing the ability to identify access abuses as it has as a supporting document in investigations, and delivering a timely and effective response.
Conclusion
When selecting the best access control system for your business, there are many factors to consider regarding the features of the system that can enhance your security effectively while providing expedient access to your space. By focusing on generally accepting biometrics, scalability, remote access, integration possibilities and tracking/creating audit trails for regulatory compliance, you will be able to select an appropriate access control system to help protect your people and assets from unauthorized users and maintain flexibility for forward planning.
As security demands continue to develop in sophistication and your business grows, the proprietary access control systems supported by AI solutions will be mounting. Ultimately, installing a good access control system, one with proven history and many features, is a reasonable measure to protect your staff and assets, however, could also provide the edge required to allow your business to grow in the environment of growing complexity of security.