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Is there any such thing as being too safe? The Vigilante Security team doesn’t think so. Nor do the many homeowners and businesses we serve in Macomb County, Wayne County, and elsewhere in Michigan. That’s why they rely on us to enhance their security through a number of advanced detection and monitoring systems, and through advanced access control systems. If you’re wondering whether access controls are right for you, it’s worth considering the advantages and disadvantages.

Why Install Access Controls?

Access controls come in varying degrees of sophistication, and offer a number of benefits for homes and businesses.

Individual and Employee Monitoring

Besides controlling access to a building or facility, your system can be used in conjunction with other systems and software. HR tends to love access controls just as much as business owners, since it’s easy to monitor employees’ comings and goings. The access card can be used for payroll, or to flag employees who are abusing break times. For organizations that have a large number of employees, or a building with a large number of tenants, it’s also a good way to separate employees from guests, and to identify those who may not belong on site.

Ability to Scale Access Levels

Some systems are simple, since they’re mostly about allowing access to the premises as a whole, and keeping out those who ought not to be present. However, some facilities may have varying levels of access, and your system can easily be customized to restrict access as needed. This can help safeguard valuable assets — be they physical, or intangible items like intellectual property — against theft or prying eyes. It can also protect your employees, since it’s easy to deny someone access to an area or equipment for which they’re not trained. And if an employee quits or is fired, there’s no waiting for keys to be returned; their access can be revoked with a few clicks and keystrokes.

Accountability and Visibility

One of the most important features of access control systems is the use of cloud-based monitoring that offers the ability to log the use of access points by authorized individuals, and attempted entries by unauthorized individuals. The data that’s collected can then be analyzed for patterns that can alert you to activity you need to be aware of, or conversely might just reassure you that everything is shipshape. Whether you need to lock down a facility quickly, prevent theft, or address an “inside job” of any kind, you have immediate visibility into who had access to a given area at any time.

Security Considerations

By now it should be clear that access controls offer myriad advantages to their users. With that being said, we would be remiss if we did not discuss a caveat that comes with access control systems: as with anything connected to the IoT — security monitoring systems for businesses and monitored home alarm systems alike — access controls that aren’t properly secured can be hacked and infiltrated.

Mind you, this ought not to deter you from installing an access control system. What you should do instead is treat your security system the same as you would any other piece of critical IT infrastructure. Nearly every access control system has safeguards built in to deter hacking. Make sure you’re putting them to good use. Your system should always be kept in good repair, your Wi-Fi network secured, passwords changed frequently, and the instructions we give you followed to the letter.

Connect With the Pros

Whether you’re considering access controls for the first time, or deciding to update or replace an existing system, we suggest doing what many in Michigan and beyond have done: get an access control quote from Vigilante Security. We will inspect your property and design a system that’s tailored to your needs.