ACCESS CONTROL

CARD ACCESS

In the field of security, access control is the selective restriction of access to a place.

Access control refers to the practice of restricting entrance to a property, a building, or a room to authorized persons.  Who, where, when a person(s) are allowed to enter or exit. When access is refused, the door remains locked and the attempted access is recorded.  The system will also monitor the door and alarm if the door is forced open or held open too long after being unlocked.

Historically, this was partially accomplished through keys and locks.  When a door is locked, only someone with a key can enter through the door, depending on how the lock is configured.  Mechanical locks and keys do not allow restriction of the key holder to specific times or dates.  Mechanical locks and keys do not provide records of the key used on any specific door, and the keys can be easily copied or transferred to an unauthorized person.  When a mechanical key is lost or the key holder is no longer authorized to use the protected area, the locks must be re-keyed. Electronic access control uses digital technology to solve the limitations of mechanical locks and keys.