Access control is the practice of regulating user access to systems and important information. There are certain rules and mechanism which identify who can have access to specific information and under what circumstances. One of the main objectives of access control is to make sure that only authorized people are granted access to important critical data. On the other hand, it is also a great tool to keep the unauthorized users barred from entry.
The importance of access control for security
It is crucial to preserve the confidentiality of important data. This is exactly where access control comes into play. When the access is only restricted for authorized personal it can help prevent unauthorized disclosure or theft or misuse of confidential information. Access control is an important part of healthcare, finance and government sectors, where it is important to preserve the privacy and integrity of data.
When it comes to important information it is also necessary to preserve the Data integrity. Access control allows the user to modify or delete data according to their specifications. It can also prevent authorized alterations or data tampering so that the information is always reliable and accurate.
Another reason for data safety is that only an authorized personal get access to important information. However this can be avoided with the help of robust access control measures which will help reduce the risk of data being misused and also limit the attack of unwanted individuals. The right kind of control makes it hard for malicious individuals to infiltrate the system to gain access to important data.
There are several types of access control systems, each with their own specific features. The most widely adopted access control method is the role based access control. It only allows access based upon predefined roles within the organization. It helps manage access and also simplifies the administration so that users can have the right kind of privileges to carry out their task without having to go through excessive permissions.
Another model is the mandatory access control which is more stringent when compared to the above mentioned one. However, it is essentially used in high security environment and it enforces restrictions based upon the security classifications laid down by the organization. This model provides sensitivity to resources and subjects and has a centralized policy which helps determine whether a subject is able to access particular resource based upon their level.
Resource access control is a more flexible model where the owner of the resources has complete control over the permissions. It is the owner who will determine who can access the resources and what kind of access can be allowed. It is used in less regulated environments like a small business where there is no need of a centralized control system.
Last but not the least is the attribute based access control which is the dynamic model which brands organized access based upon the number of attributes associated with the user and the environment. Attributes include user role, the location and the time of access, along with data sensitivity which is evaluated to determine privileges.
Most organization relies on technology to store and manage the sensitive information and it is access control which is one of the best ways of getting defense against unauthorized access.
