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Access control is important to every business. Whether each member of staff as a PIN code for the door unlocking system, or there are proximity tokens attached to ID cards, or if you have a fingerprint and retina scanner to access certain rooms.

Access control can sometimes seem as though it has been taken out of James Bond, but there are some much simpler, more affordable methods of access control that all businesses can take advantage of.

Proximity cards
These can be used as staff ID cards as well as cards that permit access to a building. They activate a lock/unlocking mechanism on your building’s external door/s when held close to the reader. They do not have to be actively swiped or scanned, as they can usually be read within the distance of a foot or two.

HID Cards
These cards can be used to log onto computer systems, to grant access to buildings, files or cupboards or to use in cashless payment situations. They are very flexible and can be personalised to individuals or companies.

MiFare Cards
These cards use very up to date technology and can store lots of information, as well as transfer it ultra fast to a reader. They are contactless smartcards and offer secure transactions as well as having a flexible file structure and organisation.

Access control is a security system. It enables an authorised person to access a facility, computer, building, file, room or item. Access control uses computerised systems to validate whoever it is that wishes to have access granted.

This can be done by means of a key (essentially, a car door is a form of access control,) by a certain code or number (a PIN to gain access to a building, or on an ATM machine), by a card (which will have electronic information stored on it), by biological test (retina scans, fingerprint matches, all that sort of James Bond technology) and passwords (logging into a computer system).

Access control can be of utmost importance if you run a business. Particularly if you deal with clients on a day to day basis, where you may have their financial information or contact details. If your building is accessed by an unlocked, unsecured door, you may be letting your business in for an awful lot more than you imagined. If there is no control on the door, anybody could walk in with the intention of subtly stealing vital client information.

Especially if your business in constantly growing, it can be very difficult to spot someone if they are wearing the same as everyone else and walking around with a purpose.

Just a simple PIN machine on any external door will significantly reduce the risk of information or identity theft.

Access control is vital for any organisation or business. The need for security and stability is more crucial than ever, and we are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of fraudulent behaviour and mistaken identity.

Having an automated form of access control means that there is no room for human error, which minimises a lot of these risks. The system permits or denies access purely on the presence of electronic data, so is consistent and unable to be ‘talked around’ or intimidated.

Proximity cards, such as Mifare, Cotag, TDSi and Paxton Access, do not need to be directly scanned or swiped at a reader in order for their information to be read. They usually come in sets of ten or twelve with a reader, and come with a microchip inside already aligned and programmed to the reader.

If the reader is to allow access to a door, it needs to be placed close to the door. The employee with a proximity card or token will then need their token or card to be within a foot distance of the reader to be read. It does not need to be swiped or placed in a particular position, so long as it is close enough for the reader to detect it.

Access Control is as is sounds: control to access. The access can be to documents, safes, folders, computers or buildings.

As a business, controlled access to all of these things can be vital. They can prevent security breaches, fraud, incorrect usage or distribution of documentation or resources and can ensure that all of the people in the building are supposed to be there.

Access control can be simple: staff ID cards, a pin code at the door, password protection of electronic files. Even having bouncers at the door of a club is a rudimentary type of access control.

Even if you have a very small business, you can still benefit from access control. Given the upcoming election and all of the lost information scandals, now is certainly a time to focus on information security and protection.

ID cards will help ensure that the only personnel on site are approved members of staff, as each card can be encoded with a unique microchip or barcode that will scan into an automated system which will permit or deny access.

If, however, you want more top of the range control, there are systems that use heat sensitive technology, encrypted codes, or proximity access fobs and tokens.

No matter what level of security you require, there will be something to meet your budget and requirements.

Access control is really what the name suggests, a control over who and what is permitted access to a building or venue. It is generally applicable where technology [provides the means of control, as opposed to man power, but even security guards or bouncers outside a club can be counted as a primitive kind of access control.

Early forms of access control in a business may just be staff ID cards. These can then be shown to a person at reception who either accepts them or declines them. You can get more advanced identity cards, with barcodes or magnetic stripes so that there can be information flagged up on screen whenever someone swipes their card. These could also be used in automatic door locking/unlocking mechanisms. Or, more advanced still, you could have a microchipped card, which will hold much more information.

MiFare cards and other proximity cards are by far the easiest and most secure method of access control. They store information, and only need to be held close to the reader to almost instantly permit or deny access. This is fully automated, and so there will be no room for human error in the process.

If your building’s access control is still manually operated, by someone checking staff ID cards, why not invest in some of the new high-security technologies available at the moment? They will certainly leave you feeling confident that your building is secure, and that access will automatically be granted via accepted card or token activation.

One of the most popular choices at the moment is the proximity token. These are small plastic cylindrical or key fob shaped objects, which can attach to key rings or bags. Each token has a microchip inside which is encrypted and linked to a system held in your building. At each doorway, you will have a small box or unit on the wall, which will read the token.

They are called proximity tokens because they only have to be close to the reader to activate the lock on the door. You don’t have to actively scan it or swipe it, just hold the token next to the reader and it will automatically check the information and permit (or deny) access.

There are also proximity cards, such as Mifare, whereby the card can be printed in the same way as a usual staff ID card with a photograph, the company name or logo, and maybe employee number, but they have unique smart-strips and chips which work in the same way as the tokens.

Securing your building is one of the most important things you can do to protect your business from fraud and crime. Relying on a Yale lock and a deadbolt is certainly not going to fit the bill. Most businesses will have doors with pin codes, or access control cards enabled.

Access control is vital to a business’s stability, as anyone entering your building – other than employees or authorised visitors – poses a risk to the public, not just your company. If somebody manages to get inside the building, there are probably confidential documents and information – such as client’s financial details and addresses – and if anyone other than a trusted employee got their hands on it, it could be another scandal.

Having an access control system whereby each employee has an access card that they scan or swipe to gain access, is one of the most secure ways to regulate who goes in and out of the building. These cards are more secure than PIN access, as PINs can be guessed or hacked, but a card has to be physically present to provide access. They can even have photo identification on for added assurance.

Proximity access control is unique in that you do not have to always physically scan or swipe the user’s card/fob. The clue is in the name: the reader only needs to be close to the fob or ID card in order to read the information.

One of the most common types of proximity access control systems is a token. These look like small plastic bullets or key fobs, which can be attached to key rings or lanyards, or easily put in a pocket. They are usually black plastic with a coloured stripe or section, and come with a circular rivet.

These tokens are each individually encoded and encrypted, and will only take 0.5 of a second to provide a result on the reader. This is usually in the form of access granted or denied.

Proximity desktop readers are a great way for people to scan themselves in at reception. The reader can sit near a computer, on top of the desk, and people can wave their cards or tokens near it and it will pick up their signal.

If you want the most user friendly, simple method of access control, proximity cards and tokens are certainly a step in the right direction.

Access control is essentially anything that prohibits anyone other than authorised personnel from accessing areas, equipment or information. The term is generally used when information technology systems are in place, and where there are computers involved. Therefore, if there is a key code, or an electronic pass for a vault or private area of a building that is an access control system. Likewise, if there are bouncers or security guards, only allowing authorised personnel into a club or hotel, that is a kind of access control, but does not use any kind of IT system.

Smartcards are an extremely advanced method of organising access control. They have the ability to communicate to a specific card reader through a ‘smart chip’ which contains the card’s information. This information could be the user’s name, photograph, security number or access level as well as contact details and user history. One popular make of smartcards, is the Mifare DESfire, which uses the most up to date technology to make your access control secure, safe and easy to use.

Proximity Cards can store similar information to smartcards, but are better for more general use. They communicate to the reader via radio waves, so need to be near the reader, but do not necessarily have to be swiped or scanned.