How To Establish And Maintain An Effective Physical Access Control Policy
It is well known that physical security is essential to ensure business continuity and that an access control system is an essential part of establishing a safe work environment. Many of us have seen firsthand the importance of controlling and limiting the flow of people entering and exiting business locations over the past few years, having experienced the challenges of a global pandemic.
When considering security and control management, it is important to assess whether or not a detailed, documented policy for physical access control is in place. Equally important is knowing how often it updates – a lack of proactivity can lead to less effectiveness!
1. So what is a physical access control policy?
As the name suggests, this is a document that defines who has access to which places in your organization (e.g. sites, buildings and safe rooms) and under what circumstances. It also describes how these access rights must be managed.
A physical access control policy is typically used in conjunction with technology such as B. a physical access control system and a visitor management system. The access control model you choose determines some of the critical details in your access control policy.
2. Why are physical access control policies important?
To create a secure environment, you must consider all three elements of the security triangle – system, process and people. Ideally, you have selected an effective access control system with the right people on your security team and effective training.
A physical access control policy oversees the third element of the triangle by making sure people know the procedures they need to follow when using your system(s). This is crucial. Even the very best access control technology doesn’t eliminate risk if people don’t know exactly how to use it. Research has shown that between 80% and 90% of workplace accidents are caused by human error – so it is important to eliminate this element when it comes to safety through effective training.
It’s important to remember that physical security isn’t just about protecting people, places, and physical assets — it also helps protect digital assets. This is an important consideration because once people have access to your physical locations, they can easily access your network, files, data and intellectual property.
With this in mind, it’s clear why we should consider access control policies as one piece of the larger puzzle of an organization’s overall security strategy. However, it is a key element that requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders and the management organization.
3. What should be included in a policy?
Each physical access control policy is different, but they often contain sections like the ones described below, take a look at this University of South Alabama access control policy:
purpose
This explains and outlines the objectives of your physical access control policy. Basically, the goal is to manage access to physical spaces, but the reasons for controlling access are specific to you. For example, you may want to prevent events that could affect your business continuity, such as: B. Theft of goods, damage to your equipment or entering hazardous locations.
Whatever your goals, it’s important to state them clearly so people understand the broader possible consequences of not following your access control policy.
scope
If people are unsure of the scope of your policy, they may assume they don’t need to follow it. This section should detail who the physical access control policy applies to—for example, employees, visitors, contractors, and customers—and which locations it applies to. For example, it could be headquarters, factories, warehouses, and retail stores. The most robust policies are specific and leave little room for interpretation.
responsibilities
Establish who is responsible for what in relation to your access control policy. Delegate writing and planning to one team while another team is responsible for implementation. One person may maintain your access control system while another manages the security team that uses it.
Never give a single person full responsibility for your access control policy – this eliminates the possibility of individual human error or a policy violation, whether intentional or not.
Policies and Procedures
This part explains the individual policies and procedures that together create your overall physical access control policy.
For example, you might want to describe:
– How to set up and manage permissions for employees, visitors and contractors.
– Who is allowed to enter certain places and who is not.
– What passes are required to gain access to each area?
Audit controls and management
To verify that your access control policy is being followed, you must conduct regular audits. This section should detail this review process.
To remain effective, your access control policy must also be managed and updated on an ongoing basis. So, in this section, include the details of how this will happen.
enforcement
This section, sometimes titled “Compliance,” explains the sanctions people receive for not complying with your access control policy. Some people need a deterrent to prevent them from cutting corners or overriding policies, so it’s important to be aware of the personal consequences of breaking the rules.
It’s also important to provide regular training on the details included in your access control policy.
Policy version history
Your access control policy is a living document that is reviewed after each risk assessment. You should always review and evaluate your current policy whenever there are significant changes in your organization.
This helps keep you on track, and it also reaffirms that this is an important document that people can trust and must follow.
4. Best practices for creating your access control policy
Involve the right people when laying the groundwork for creating your physical access control policy. When ensuring compliance, involve people who genuinely understand your access control needs and risks. For example, involve people from your security management, facility management and IT teams, as well as other stakeholders such as senior directors.
Before you start writing your physical access control policy, remember to lay the groundwork.
Thinkcurity recommends focusing on four key components to begin creating your access control policy: access groups, compliance, training, and implementation. It helps to keep things simple as this removes ambiguity and complexity.
Once your access control policy goes live, make sure it remains a living document that is current, functional, and easy to implement. This helps maintain security as your business grows, changes, or adapts to market conditions.