If your company has information that is classified as proprietary or confidential, limiting access to the data is vital. Anyone who has employees that connect to the internet must have strong access control measures in place. The most basic definition of access control is an individual restriction of information to specific individuals and under certain conditions according to Daniel Crowley, head of research for IBM’s “X-Force Red” team, which focuses on data security. There are two primary components: authorization and authentication.
Authentication involves ensuring that the person trying to gain access to is who they claim to be. It also includes verification using a password, or other credentials required before granting access to a system, network, application, a file or system.
Authorization is the process of granting access to certain areas based upon specific roles within a business including engineering, HR, marketing etc. The most efficient and popular way to limit access is through access control based on role. This type of access is based on policies that determine the required information to complete certain business tasks and assign permissions What is technological innovation in business to appropriate roles.
If you have a uniform access control policy in place, it can be simpler to manage and monitor changes as they happen. It is crucial that policies are clearly communicated to staff to ensure that they handle sensitive information with care. Also, there should be procedures in place for removing access from employees who quit the company, change their role or are dismissed.