Introduction
It’s no secret that cybersecurity is a top priority for businesses. That’s not just because it’s the right thing to do; it’s also a legal requirement. If you’re wondering how to improve your company’s security, a new access control system might be the answer. But before you implement one, there are a few things you need to know:
What is our current level of access control?
When you’re considering an upgrade to your access control system, it’s important to know what kind of system you already have. The first question to ask yourself is whether or not your current system is centralized or decentralized.
A centralized model means that all of the access control devices are connected through a central server and can be controlled remotely by administrators. This type of setup allows for greater flexibility in managing who has access where and when they do so–but also requires more maintenance than other types of systems because each device needs its own software installed on it before use (and if one goes down, everything else goes down with it).
On the other hand, decentralized models allow every individual door lock or card reader to operate independently from one another without relying on any sort of central hub for communication; this means less maintenance overall because each device doesn’t need any additional software installed on them before use (although there may still be some initial setup required).
How will the new system affect our IT infrastructure?
As you begin to consider implementing a new access control system, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
- How will this affect our IT infrastructure?
- What are the implications for existing processes and software?
- What are the implications for our network infrastructure and hardware?
How can we mitigate risk and improve cybersecurity for our organization?
You should also consider how the new system will affect your overall security. The answer to this question should be informed by a risk assessment and/or penetration test, which can help determine what the risks are and how they need to be mitigated.
The following questions will help you understand how a new access control system may impact your cybersecurity:
- How does the new system affect our current security?
- Can we mitigate any risk with additional controls, like encryption or tokens?
- Will there be unintended consequences that could lead to an increase in overall vulnerability (e.g., people sharing passwords)?
- What is our tolerance for risk–that is, what kind of harm would cause us serious harm if it occurred as a result of not implementing better security controls on our networked devices (e.g., laptops) or implementing stronger authentication methods when accessing data via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets?
The first step in implementing a new access control system should be understanding how your security measures work at present. This will help you determine what you need to change.
The first step in implementing a new access control system should be understanding how your security measures work at present. This will help you determine what you need to change, and how the new system can improve upon them.
- What are the current security measures? This can include anything from physical barriers (like fences or locks) to electronic ones (like cameras).
- How do they work? You don’t want an access control system that makes things more difficult for employees–it should make things easier! If there’s some feature of your current security measures that works well enough but could be improved upon by integrating an automated solution, look into whether that option exists before moving forward with anything else.
- How will this affect my business operations? The more comfortable employees feel in their workplace environment, the better job performance will be overall–so make sure any changes made align with company culture as much as possible
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a lot of factors to consider when implementing a new access control system. The most important thing to remember is that you need an accurate picture of your current situation before making any changes. You can use our three questions as a guide for doing so: what is our current level of access control? How will the new system affect our IT infrastructure? How can we mitigate risk and improve cybersecurity for our organization?
