How A Robust Access Control System Creates Accountability
Access control is an important aspect of data center and network security. It creates a system of accountability that is applicable to all levels within a company, and it serves as a barrier that restricts unauthorised access of sensitive materials. Without a robust access control system in place to hold people accountable, there is nothing stopping malicious employees or external actors from taking advantage of the situation and wreaking havoc. In the article below, we will explain why accountability is important in the modern workplace and why access control forms an integral part of it.
Why Accountability Is Important
Accountability is an ethical concept whereby someone is held responsible for their actions. In a corporate context, this means that any wrongdoing or unethical conduct can be held up to scrutiny, which allows a company to take a specific course of action to rectify the situation and possibly punish the transgressor to discourage future transgressions by that person and others.
All companies have a code of conduct and a list of rules and stipulations that govern how a person may behave during work hours and on company property. These rules are meant to create a cohesive work environment where everyone can do what they are meant to do with minimal interference or distractions. If a person breaks these rules, they are held accountable and are given some sort of penalty that is proportionate to the transgression.
Access control creates accountability by allowing management to see exactly which employee accessed which system and at which time. If a transgression occurs, a robust access control system (like the ones installed by CCI) would be able to pinpoint the source or the transgression as well as the identity of the transgressor. This will allow management to take action more swiftly instead of spending weeks or months trying to pinpoint timetables and employee movements around the time of an incident.
The Different Access Control System Models
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to access control that will work with the same efficiency in different companies with different requirements. The only components the different access control models have in common are:
- The degree to which they handle identification (who accessed the system?)
- Authentication (is the person who accessed the system who they say they are?)
- Authorisation (who had the right to access the system?)
- Accountability (what happens when someone is not authorised to access the system?)
The four main access control models are:
- Discretionary Access Control. The main administrator or owner of the system uses their discretion to allow access to certain infrastructure. This means almost anyone can access the system and can in turn give access to others, which can lead to potential security risks.
- Mandatory Access Control. This model is similar to discretionary control in that the main administrator assigns access permissions to users, but with additional systems in place to ensure that users can only access the specific resources they need and cannot pass on their access to someone else.
- Role-Based Access Control. Instead of focusing on specific people, this model focuses on granting clearance to people with certain roles. For example, everyone in upper management may access System A, including employees who were recently promoted to those positions.
- Attribute-Based Access Control. This model focuses on environmental attributes such as time and date. People with clearance would only be able to access the system during specified times and only for certain time periods. Anything outside of those parameters would raise the alarm.
How We Can Help You
If you want to protect your networking or data center infrastructure, we should be the first people you call. We offer a range of data center and networking infrastructure management tools that will help you make the most out of your company’s data-processing capabilities, including protecting that infrastructure with advanced security and monitoring systems.
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