Access Control Systems

Access Control Systems

Introduction

Since the beginning of time computer has sought to control access to information and resources. The technology used for this access control has evolved over the information systems themselves. In this paper we are going to briefly analyze access control systems. In simple words access control is the process of checking or verifying if an entity (a person, computer) requesting access to a resource has the necessary rights to do so (Shaffer, & Simon, 1994). Access control offers the ability to access physical resources (e.g., a building, a room, a country) or logical (e.g. operating system or computer application specific). In the field of computer security the process of access control includes auditing, authorization, and authentication of a source. Along, with that it also includes certain measures which include the metallic locks, physical devices present on a network, digital signatures, hidden paths, social barriers, encryption mechanisms, biometric scans, and the monitoring of devices by human beings and the automated systems (Stallings, 2000).

In the access control models, the set of entities that could perform a set of actions inside a system are known as the subjects and the entities that represents the resources to which the access needs to be restricted or controlled are known as the objects. In some access control system objects, and subjects both are known as the software entities and as human users of the access control systems. Although there are some systems which compare the subjects with the Id's of the users, so that all the processes that are started by the users have some sort of authority. These controls are not finely designed, as they fail to satisfy the principles of the least privileges, and arguably become responsible for the predominance of malware in the systems. In general there are three basic components of access control systems. First is a mechanism for authentication of the entity (e.g., a password, a map, a key, a biometric). This mechanism is not useful in it-self, but is essential to the functioning of the following two mechanisms. Second is an authorization mechanism (the entity can be authenticated but does not have the right to access this resource at this time). Third is a traceability mechanism: sometimes the authorization mechanism may be insufficient to ensure that the entity has the right to access this resource (due process, hours worked) (Ferrari, 2010).

Discussion

The rapid development achieved in the new technologies of information and communication has led the society to enter what has been called information age. Information can exist in many forms, printed or written on paper, digitally stored, transmitted by post or using digital media or exposed images presented in a conversation. Whatever form it takes is an information resource that, like other major assets is of great value, being sometimes incalculable, to contain the life of an organization, which is why it must be properly protected regardless of whereby means are distributed or stored. In this information society persist the reasons and motives for maintaining access ...