Description of the Threat
Privacy concerns are among the most significant threats that the use of technologies has brought. Even though each individual has the right for their electronic information to be protected, digital privacy remains a challenge. Data-driven products and services are often used because they are supposed to save Internet users time and money, but this means that some of the information has to be handled by third parties so they can provide the services, which creates concerns regarding privacy. For example, 79% of Americans stated that they are not confident that companies will take responsibility for the misuse or improper protection of customers’ personal information (Auxier et al., 2019). Therefore, it is imperative to address concerns associated with data privacy because Internet users are not always confident that the standards of data collection, storage, and protection are up to par.
Technological Advancement
Access control systems can be a solution to the challenge of data privacy threats because they are programs intended to allow entry to authorized users while denying all others opportunities to do so. Advances in technological security have enabled the implementation of integrated access control systems in high-security locations, often involving software solutions, surveillance, and other methods intended to increase the security of each location (“Integrated access control systems,” 2022). Therefore, it is important to outweigh the advantages and disadvantages of their use.
Advantages
The first advantage of such systems is their increased security achieved with the help of keys of access, which unwanted persons have no capacity to use. Because the access control system is integrated, it establishes security through different levels of surveillance, including HR databases, surveillance, any calendar information, and others (Zbinden, 2020). Therefore, it becomes tricky for unauthorized individuals to gain access to facilities protected by such systems.
The second advantage of integrated access control systems is their cost-effectiveness. They involve the installation of cloud-based computing platforms for security analytics, which makes them cost-effective, accessible, and easy to manage compared to on-site servers (Galdelsman, 2018). The systems are shifted to remote locations and are offered to users in the form of a service with a set payment amount to be paid each month. This means that organizations that use integrated access control systems can avoid significant capital investments and have greater flexibility in their security measures.
Risks to Safety at Personal Level
Due to the flexibility of the systems, the main risk to personal safety and privacy at the individual level is concerned with hacking. Hackers can hijack the systems by finding gaps in their security, especially since they do not have their own separate networks and work from cloud solutions (Toops, 2022). The hacking of the system means that unwanted parties will get access to the personal information of individuals stored in the design and may even use the information for accessing what the systems are protecting.
However, at the individual level, the benefits of the technology outweigh its threats. Integrated access control systems are flexible, thus allowing to troubleshoot gaps in security and addressing them as soon as possible. Their ease of use is another advantage that cannot be beaten when it comes to user-friendliness, with installation and removal endpoints being straightforward because the data is transmitted via IP networks that only require Wi-Fi and PoE.
Risks to Safety at Societal Level
At the societal level, the access to information by unauthorized parties may subject central societal functions at risk. It is important to protect information security in organizations because the release of data can lead to occupational incidents, unwanted information exploitation, corporate espionage, infrastructure failures, and malicious computer abuse (Gyllensten & Torner, 2022). These challenges are relevant on the social scale because they can affect legal expectations and limit organizations’ capacity to stay competitive. Therefore, it is imperative for organizations to maintain the safety and security of data to avoid social repercussions. At the social level, the disadvantages of integrated control systems outweigh the advantages because of the consequences that the release of data can have. Organizations can carry out the best methods of encryption and use the most secure servers, but there is still a challenge of both authorized and authorized users will ill-intent of using the information to cause issues.
Future Technology
One way in which integrated control systems could increase the threat to data security and safety entails the need for the physical authenticator component for every user of the system. This increases the risk of data being stolen and used to authenticate individuals who did not previously have access to the system (Wavomba, 2022). One way in which integrated control systems can decrease the threat to data security and safety is that the review of the established security measures and their gaps is possible on a regular basis, which enables quick and easy updates to security systems (Diaz, 2020). Therefore, integrated access control systems are flexible enough to provide organizations that use them more options for establishing steps aimed at establishing the best security measures possible.
References
Auxier, B., Rainie, L., Anderson, M., Perrin, A., Kumar, M., & Turner, E. (2019). Americans and privacy: Concerned, confused and feeling lack of control over their personal information. Pew Research Center. Web.
Diaz, S. (2020). Integrated control system can reduce cybersecurity risk. Web.
Gandelsman, M. (2018). The challenges of securing industrial control systems from cyberattacks. Web.
Gyllensten, K., & Torner, M. (2022). The role of organizational and social factors for information security in a nuclear power industry. Organizational Cybersecurity Journal: Practice, Process and People, 2(1). Web.
Integrated access control systems. (2022). Web.
Toops, L. M. (2022). Plugging the security gaps in access control systems. Web.
Wavomba, Z. (2022). Advantages and disadvantages of access control systems. Web.
Zbinden, R. (2020). Why integrated access control is about more than security? Web.