Modern physical security systems integrate with identity management platforms to enhance operational efficiency while reducing risk.
Most people think of identity management as a tool for enhancing the security of systems, applications, networks and data. By effectively managing user credentials, organizations can maintain strict control over access to IT resources. Identity management also provides greater visibility into user behavior that could present a security threat.
However, identity management can also play a role in strengthening physical access controls. After all, effective physical security depends upon the ability to grant or deny access based upon an individual’s role and other attributes. That’s the core function of an identity management system.
Today, many physical security systems are connected to the data network, making it all the more imperative to integrate them with identity management platforms. The latest physical security solutions provide integrations out of the box, enabling organizations to streamline operational processes and synchronize physical and logical identities.
The Challenge of Physical Access Controls
In most organizations, physical and logical security fall under the purview of separate teams. Physical security is typically the responsibility of facilities or maintenance staff working in concert with the HR department. The physical security team assigns each employee a credential (often in the form of a badge) that enables access to various parts of the facility. Meanwhile, the IT department is performing similar tasks with regard to logical access — an inefficient duplication of effort.
HR is tasked with verifying the level of access an employee should be granted and determining when access should be removed or reduced. Often, there are delays in communication between HR and the facilities management team, resulting in operational inefficiencies and increased security threats.
Employees who don’t have the physical access they need (or want) will find ways to work around it, creating a culture in which doors are routinely held open for anyone desiring to pass through. “Tailgating” is a common security breach that exposes organizations to theft, sabotage, violence and other criminal activities.
Poor physical access controls also put organizations at risk of regulatory compliance violations. A number of government and industry regulations require the monitoring and logging of physical access. Without the proper controls, organizations must resort to time-consuming and error-prone documentation processes to avoid regulatory penalties.
How Identity Management Can Help
Identity management systems enable the creation and management of identities independent of access privileges. They focus on who a person or entity is, managing the digital account from creation (onboarding) and maintenance to eventual deletion (offboarding).
In the IT context, an identity management system associates each identity with one or more login credentials. In the physical security context, an identity management system grants each identity a set of physical access rights. In both cases, the system facilitates access requests and approvals, monitoring and compliance audits.
There are identity management solutions designed specifically for physical access, with support for the badging process and managing contractors and visitors. These physical identity management (PIAM) systems can be integrated with logical identity management systems to eliminate duplicate processes.
PIAM solutions can further integrate with security and access control systems, such as badge readers and door locks, which are increasingly connected to the data network. This enables organizations to automate many physical security processes and analyze real-time and historical data for emergency management, forensics and risk mitigation.
Overcoming Integration Challenges
Integrating physical access with identity management systems is crucial for security but difficult to achieve. Organizations face significant challenges with legacy technology, proprietary protocols and data privacy concerns. Making diverse devices work together is a major hurdle. In many cases, full integration requires investments in new technology, expertise and ongoing maintenance.
In many cases, the best option is to modernize the physical security environment. Best-in-class solutions such as Verkada provide native integration into identity and access management systems. Verkada integrates with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace and Okta to synchronize physical and logical identities. It also integrates with Duo and LastPass to strengthen physical access controls with multifactor authentication.
Of course, technical integration is only the beginning. To successfully combine physical and logical identity management, organizations should analyze their business functions and rethink operational processes. Ultimately, however, the application of identity management to physical access controls enables organizations to break down operational silos while enhancing security and compliance.
