Access Control System

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Access Control System Mean?

An access control system (ACS) is a type of security that manages and controls who or what is allowed entrance to a system, environment or facility.

Advertisements

It identifies entities that have access to a controlled device or facility based on the validity of their credentials.

Techopedia Explains Access Control System

An ACS is primarily a physical operation implemented within high security areas, such as data centers, government/military institutes and similar facilities.

Typically, an ACS manages, monitors and controls human access to the protected equipment or facility. Most ACSs are designed to take a user provided credential as input, verify/authenticate privileges using the access control list (ACL) and grant/deny access based on the findings.

For example, using biometric security, an ACS can be used to authorize only legitimate access to a data center facility. The individual must provide his or her thumb print, focal or vocal credentials to an ACS, which is then verified through comparison with its database, and grants access only with valid permission.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.