How Business Access Control Can Help Prevent Data Breaches

As of 2022, the average cost of a data breach was $4.35 million, which is a very expensive mistake to make. Extending too much trust can result in serious conse­quences for your business, but there are security solutions you can take to reduce the risk dramatically.

Access control solutions allow you to better limit access to sensitive infor­mation by tracking, monitoring, and limiting physical access to your premises. You can, and should, extend the same concepts you use to protect digital systems.

In this blog, we’ll look at access control from several angles, including:

What Access Control Looks Like

No two access control systems will look exactly the same. Your needs, budget, and building layout will all play major roles in deter­mining what access control measures work best and where. 

For example, in one building, there may only be two entrances and no partic­u­larly sensitive infor­mation is stored outside of individual offices. In this case, access control might look like a card reader at each entrance and one for each office to allow entry to the building or controlled access point.

In a building with multiple tenants, half a dozen points of entry, and lots of public access, access control looks more complex. Often lower floors have areas that have almost nothing in the way of restricted access. Instead, access restric­tions may crop up on elevators or in stair­wells. Those without the right key card, code, or mobile permis­sions, can’t get in without triggering an alarm. When paired with video surveil­lance and profes­sional monitoring, it’s possible to create very secure buildings.

The Benefits of Access Control

Switching to access control solutions and away from tradi­tional lock and key security offers tremendous benefits, partic­u­larly for actively growing businesses. If you add an access control system when your business employs 25 people, you can likely use the same system when you hire and employ 500 people. 

In addition to long-term utility, access control also:

Types of Access Control Equipment

At its most basic, access control equipment is smart locking technology that doesn’t need tradi­tional locksmithing services when you want to hand out a new key. Card readers, push-button exit controls, keypads, electro­mag­netic locks, and backup power are all types of equipment that might make up your system. 

When you install access control equipment, you have two options for admin­is­tration: a web user interface or a mobile app. Both options will typically provide the same function­al­ities, including: 

How These Security Measures Work to Prevent Data Breaches

Human error and unautho­rized use of your company’s private data are both large risk factors. If you can minimize the oppor­tunity for these issues, you can also minimize the number of data breaches that occur from these sources. Physical intrusion is also a top cause of data breaches. Limit access to the location where you store data, and you limit the oppor­tunity for data theft. 

If a data breach occurs, good access control equipment and processes can help you identify the cause in a timely fashion. Keep in mind that 8% of data breaches occur when an employee misuses infor­mation they are autho­rized to access. Knowing who has access and when they accessed the infor­mation, can be critical to an inves­ti­gation. You want to control privi­leged access and prevent incidents and data breaches. 

There’s no perfect solution to incidents, but reducing unneeded access can help reduce your risk.