Page 62 - Security Today, January/February 2022

Physical Identity and Access Management
A better way to manage physical access and keep your campus secure
By Sharon Jung
Visitor Management
Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com
Whether you’re responsible for the security of an office campus, college campus or office complex, one thing is for sure: Ensuring employees, students and visitors can move through the building without unnecessary barriers or delay is a must.
Yet, traditional access control systems aren’t designed for the flex- ibility that organizations require today. Changes in access (and tem- porary access) requests to sensitive areas can consume valuable oper- ator time and impact the movement of employees, students, and visitors. Every time there’s a request to add, remove or change privi- leges based on an employee’s role, requirements or status, someone needs to handle it.
In the majority of access control systems, operators must make changes like these manually. They may also require a formal change request, which could in turn need authorization from someone else. Between the red tape and the workload, even simple requests can take a while to process, which can be frustrating for the people affected.
Unfortunately, when security protocols feel too time-consuming or burdensome, people take shortcuts. It may seem like no big deal to some people if they prop a door open or lend someone a key card, or
to put off finishing the paperwork to change access rights after an employee moves to another department. While their intentions may be innocent, even small security breaches like these can open your organization to devastating consequences should someone with bad intentions take advantage.
But how do you assign and manage access rights to protect that flow and make sure it isn’t interrupted? With access control systems being static in nature, operators don’t always have clear policies to follow. Over time, compliance needs, new processes, and external regulations can slow things down even more—and introduce new gaps in security.
Thankfully, there’s a more intelligent way to manage physical access: A Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) solution. A PIAM solution makes it easier to manage the variety of individu- als, such as employees and contractors, that may temporarily or regu- larly enter a facility. It can also quickly modify access rights for both individuals and groups, improve regulatory compliance and reduce time spent preparing for security audits. Employees can easily sched- ule visitor appointments and use a self-service kiosk for guests so they can skip the reception desk and obtain a visitor badge upon
arrival.
10 campuslifesecurity.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022