What is Access Control & How Does It Work?

What is Access Control?

Access control refers to a security technique that regulates resource availability by defining who can access, what actions are permitted, and when the access is allowed.

This applies to:

• Digital access control (e.g., cloud environments, IT systems, networks).
• Physical access control (e.g., office buildings, data centers, and restricted areas).

By implementing a structured access control system, businesses can prevent unauthorized access, reduce insider threats, and meet compliance regulations (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001).

Which are the Key Components of Access Control?

Here are the key components of access control that work together to protect business assets.

• Authentication: Verifies the user's identity via password, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication (MFA). For example, a hospital system requires a doctor to log in using a password and fingerprint scan (MFA).
• Authorization: Grants or restricts access depending on the predefined policies and user roles. For example, the doctor can view patient records but cannot modify billing information.
• Access Management: Implements security policies to ensure users only access what they can. For example, the system automatically revokes access when the doctor resigns.
• Audit & Monitoring: Tracks attempts made for access and generates logs for security and compliance purposes. For example, any unauthorized login attempt triggers an alert for the IT team.

These components ensure strong access control to allow businesses to protect data, applications, and infrastructure. Now, let’s move to the next section to understand the types of access control.

Different Types of Access Control Systems

Here is a complete comparison of the types of access control systems used to manage and restrict access.

Type of Access Control	How It Works	Best For	Example
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)	Implements strict access policies set by system administrators. Users cannot change permissions.	High-security environments like government and military systems.	A military intelligence system restricts access to classified documents based on security clearance levels. Even top officials cannot override these permissions.
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)	The resource owner decides who can access data or systems. More flexible but less secure.	Small businesses or organizations need user-level control.	A graphic design agency allows team members to share files. The file owner can grant or revoke access, increasing flexibility but risking accidental exposure.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)	Access is assigned based on predefined roles within an organization (e.g., manager, IT admin).	Large enterprises with structured teams and departments.	In a hospital system, doctors can view patient records but not billing data, while IT admins can manage system security but cannot access medical records.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)	Uses dynamic policies based on attributes such as location, job function, and device type.	Organizations requiring fine-grained control over access.	A financial firm allows employees to access sensitive data only when using company-issued devices and only from approved locations.
Rule-Based Access Control	Grants or denies access based on predefined rules (e.g., access only during business hours).	Businesses with time-sensitive access needs.	A stock trading platform blocks employees from executing transactions outside market hours to prevent fraudulent activity.

How to Choose the Right Access Control Model

Selecting the correct access control model depends on your business size, security risks, and industry regulations.

• Need Maximum Security? → Choose MAC for government, military, or financial institutions where strict control is required.
• Want User Flexibility? → DAC is suitable for small businesses and creative teams but carries higher security risks.
• Managing a Large Workforce? → RBAC is ideal for organizations with structured roles and compliance requirements (e.g., healthcare, finance, and corporate).
• Need Adaptive Security? → ABAC dynamically adjusts permissions based on real-time data (great for cloud security & enterprise networks).
• Want Time-Based Restrictions? → Rule-based Access Control allows access only under specific conditions (e.g., business hours, device type, location).

Best Practice: Many organizations use a combination of multiple access control models for enhanced security and flexibility. For example, combining RBAC + ABAC ensures structured access while dynamically adapting to security risks.

Let’s check out the step-by-step process involved in how access control works.

A Step-by-Step Process on How Access Control Works

Implementing an access control system needs a structured approach to ensure security and efficiency. From identifying users to constantly monitoring permissions, each step matters a lot when protecting data and physical assets. Let’s discuss the entire process.

Step 1. Identify Users and Devices that Require Access

To implement access control appropriately, the business needs to first define who needs access and which devices are going to be used. Proper identification ensures that only authorized users and systems interact with resources.

Here are the 3 things you need to consider during this stage:

• Employees, third-party vendors, remote workers, and privileged administrators must have diverse access requirements.
• Identifying whether access is required from corporate-owned or personal devices assists in implementing security policies.
• Users need to access systems from on-premises locations, cloud platforms, or remote networks, which require diverse security measures.

Also, businesses must classify data and resources according to their sensitivity levels to define who must have access and under what situations or conditions.

Example: A financial services company restricts access to sensitive customer financial data only to authorized employees using company-issued devices.

Step 2. Authenticate Users via Passwords, Biometrics, or MFA

Authentication follows user and device identification, which validates identities with multiple security measures.

Here are three authentication methods that strengthen security at this stage:

• Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA): Requires users to provide required login credentials like passwords, PINs, or answers to security questions. No doubt this method is commonly used, it is vulnerable to phishing and credential theft.
• Biometric Authentication: Uses diverse characteristics, including fingerprints, facial recognition, and retina scans to verify identity.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Combines two or more authentication methods (e.g., password + biometric scan) to improve overall security.

Example: A healthcare organization implements MFA for doctors accessing electronic health records from remote locations, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

What is the best practice here? Businesses must implement adaptive authentication, which is when the system assesses risk levels, such as login location, or device type, before providing access.

Step 3. Authorize Permissions Based on Roles, Rules, or Attributes

Following the authentication, users receive access permissions that depend on established security rules to protect sensitive information. These permissions are managed with the help of diverse methods, which include:

• Predefined Roles: Grants access to employees depending on their job responsibilities (e.g., finance teams can access payroll data and IT can manage system configurations).
• Rule-Based Restrictions: Adjusts access permissions dynamically based on factors like device type, login location or security risk level.
• Attribute-Based Controls: Provides permissions depending on the user attributes like department, clearance level, or seniority.

Following least privilege principles is an advantage to ensure users only have the minimum access required to complete their tasks. Regular permissions reviews assist in ensuring outdated or excessive privileges are revoked.

Example: A multinational company blocks employee access to corporate resources if they log in from an unapproved country or an unfamiliar device.

Step 4. Implement Security Policies to Control Access

Businesses need to define and implement logical access control policies that restrict unauthorized entry. Here are some of the policies implementing secure access management:

• Time-Based Access Restrictions: Restricts user logins to designated work hours which minimizes the risk of after-hours breaches.
• Geofencing: Blocks and allows access based on geographic location to prevent login from unauthorized regions (e.g., blocking logins from foreign IP addresses).
• Session Timeouts: Ends inactive sessions automatically to reduce the risk of unauthorized access from unattended devices.
• Data Segmentation: Limits access to specific data sets just to ensure users only interact with the information necessary for their role.

Carrying out regular policy audits assists businesses in adjusting access controls based on evolving security risks.

Example: A corporate banking system automatically logs out users after 15 minutes of inactivity to prevent unauthorized access.

Step 5. Monitor and Audit Access Logs to Detect Suspicious Activity

Regular monitoring of access logs makes it easier for your business to identify suspicious activity and prevent breaches.

Here is what businesses should implement:

• Automated Access Logging: Records every logging attempt, file modification, and system access request to maintain a detailed audit trail.
• Anomaly Detection Systems: Analyze user behavior with AI-powered tools to flag suspicious activities (e.g., a user logging in from two different locations simultaneously).
• Regular Access Reviews: Conducts periodic audits to revoke unnecessary privileges and prevent users from accumulating excessive permissions over time.

Why It Matters: Not performing monitoring in a structured manner leads to unauthorized access attempts or insider threats might go unnoticed, which puts sensitive data at risk.

Example: A cybersecurity firm flags a suspicious login attempt when an employee logs in from two different locations within minutes—triggering an immediate security response.

Top 5 Benefits of Implementing an Access Control System

Here are the benefits of implementing an access control system into your workflow.

1. Enhances Security by Preventing Unauthorized Access

Businesses implement access control to restrict unauthorized entry and reduce security threats. Access control ensures that only verified users gain entry, whether it's a cyberattack on confidential data or unauthorized users entering a restricted area.

Businesses establish strict access rules with biometric authentication and role-based permission while minimizing the risk of breaches. Solutions like Securden help businesses implement identity and access management solutions to ensure that only authorized users access systems while reducing the risk of credential misuse.

2. Ensures Compliance with Regulatory Standards

Industries like finance, healthcare, and the government sector comply with strict regulations, including GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.

A logical access control system assists you in implementing security policies and ensures that only authorized personnel manage information. By automating compliance processes, the business also avoids penalties and maintains a strong security posture.

3. Improves Efficiency with Automated Access Management

In large businesses, manual access control is inefficient and prone to errors. An automated access control system optimizes the process by automatically assigning and revoking access based on user roles.

Such an approach eliminates delays in onboarding new employees and reduces administrative workload on IT and HR teams. Businesses also manage security with less effort using centralized access control without compromising productivity.

4. Strengthen Accountability with Detailed Audit Logs

Knowing who has access to what, when, and why is essential for maintaining accountability in every business. Most access control systems record every login attempt or system modification to provide a clear audit trail that can be reviewed in case of a security incident.

These detailed logs make it easy for businesses to identify suspicious activities and ensure all access-related actions align with company policies.

5. Supports Scalability with Flexible Access Policies

With business growth, security needs to be strengthened. A modern access control system adapts to business changes, which allows companies to expand without security bottlenecks.

As adding new locations or transitioning to cloud-based security, access control solutions offer flexible and scalable policies that keep security intact while ensuring smooth user access management.

3 Challenges of Access Control & Their Solutions

1. Lacks the Ability to Manage User Permissions Efficiently

As businesses grow, managing access permissions for diverse users, departments, and roles can become challenging and complex. Manually assigning and updating access rights results in errors and security gaps. Employees retaining unnecessary access after changing roles or leaving the company increases the risk of data breaches.

2. Creates Friction Between Security and User Experience

A common issue with access control is balancing strong security measures with a smooth user experience. Overly strict access restrictions or complex login processes frustrate employees, which leads to workarounds that compromise security.

3. Fails to Secure Remote and Hybrid Work Environments

Traditional access control methods for on-premise security are no longer sufficient with the rise of remote and hybrid work models. Employees accessing corporate networks from unsecured devices or locations lead to a security risk.

Strengthening Security with the Right Access Control Strategy

An electronic access control system protects customer data and physical assets. Businesses create secure and modern IT environments by preventing unauthorized access and streamlining security management.

With Securden, businesses get privileged access management, role-based access control, and real-time session monitoring, all in one place. Whether it’s restricting insider threats, enforcing Zero Trust, or automating compliance, Securden adapts to evolving security needs.

How a Swiss Bank Strengthened Security with Securden

A Swiss bank was challenged by managing privileged access, mitigating insider threats, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. They needed a secure and scalable solution to protect sensitive accounts and prevent unauthorized access.

With Securden’s Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution, they:

• Centralized privileged access management across multiple departments.
• Restricted unauthorized access, reducing insider threats.
• Achieved regulatory compliance, meeting strict financial security requirements.

The result? The bank improved security, compliance, and operational efficiency—without disrupting workflows.

Looking for a smarter way to control access and strengthen security? Try a demo today and take control of your access security.