How Role-Based Access Control Integrates with IDMS and Enforces System Security

Role-based access control (RBAC) assigns people to permission categories. This simplifies security and integrates with identity management.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a methodology designed to control who has permission to use resources. It builds on traditional access control by organizing users and permissions into relevant groups; this makes RBAC better for large enterprises with multiple floors or doors. Instead of the inconvenience and risks of alternative control methods, the role-based solution makes comprehensive building access secure and easy to manage.

Improving security further is the ability to integrate role-based access control with identity management systems (IDMS). The latter are technologies that authenticate individuals. Combining IDMS with RBAC provides a complete and secure system that unites information technology with physical access control—a system like Sentry Mobile Access can provide this through seamless integration.

Sentry Mobile Access presents an innovative solution that empowers companies through cloud-based mobile access control, turning average smartphones into capable security devices that unlock only the permitted doors. Furthermore, via the cloud back-end, you can incorporate role-based access control to optimize security and safeguard enterprise assets.

role-based access control

With Sentry Interactive technology you can add value to your existing access control systems and workplace management platforms. Sentry Mobile Access can integrate with multiple existing systems, including both software-to-hardware and software-to-software integrations. The combined and modernized solution improves building security while reducing the burden on administrators and users.

The easy-to-deploy near-field communication (NFC) door credentials enable role-based mobile entry. This approach is much more secure than key cards or fobs, which can be lost, stolen, or passed on to unauthorized individuals.

The readerless solution leverages cloud-based software to deliver efficient and convenient mobile access control. This technology operates wirelessly: an unpowered NFC door credential replaces traditional wired readers, allowing people’s phones to act as the active reader in order to open doors. Legacy access control systems can remain as they are, making Sentry Mobile Access cost-effective and straightforward to install.

Sentry Interactive’s solutions are engineered for comprehensive security, utilizing a standards-driven development process to decrease risk. ISO certification and GDPR compliance testify to the system’s trustworthiness. In addition, multi-layer protection and hierarchical RBAC make this platform fit for mission-critical resources.

What is Role-Based Access Control?

Role-based access control is a method of allocating permissions in respect of who can do what. Every individual is assigned to a group (or “role”). For example, security staff, IT contractor, manager, or visitor. In the context of property, these roles include permissions for specific doors that people can use, dependent on, and appropriate to, their professional needs.

The system offers a simple yet powerful approach to keeping people where they belong. A case in point is new employees, who can’t immediately be given permission to go anywhere they want—but only where they need to be. Meanwhile, visitor-based access control lets you handle deliveries, event invitees, and other guests.

The basic idea behind role-based access control is to solidify your security by applying categories of permissions. The system allows or denies access to a given resource on the basis of a person’s status. Each organization may define its own roles, but the general goal is to give permission to use only what is necessary for a specific job.

RBAC gives structure to permissions. Instead of individually handing these out, by simply placing an individual in the right group, all the relevant permissions are automatically applied. It’s a more efficient and reliable method than tackling access control manually.

The Essentials of Role-Based Access Control

Role-based access control is often used in IT to determine who can read or write which data. With modern digital entry systems such as Sentry Interactive’s, RBAC can also assist in controlling physical access to spaces. The bigger an organization, the more important it is to implement an access control solution to manage complexity safely.

If you have vendors, customers, and internal and external workers all using a huge mix of assets, RBAC can prevent unauthorized access. In addition to improving security, this boosts both productivity and regulatory compliance.

People have used roles to assign permissions to data for decades, and over time this approach has become more rigorous. There’s now a widely accepted model for standardizing the development of role-based access control.

In this RBAC model, there are core access controls. Each system requires the assignment of users to roles with permissions—plus authorization of those roles and permissions. On top of this core, you can build a hierarchical structure or instead limit the roles a user may hold.

Today, role-based access control is a well-established system with a wide array of benefits. For a start, it raises security without interfering with people’s duties. Users are given the minimal set of permissions necessary for their jobs, in alignment with industry best practices. Multiple levels of protection reduce the likelihood and impact of any violations.

With RBAC, administration is also far easier. To illustrate, instead of having to make numerous small adjustments to permissions, management is accomplished quickly and consistently. Whether dealing with new or departing employees—or adding and removing infrastructure—a simple modification has cascading effects to cover all your bases.

Enforcing Identity Security: Controlling Door Entry with RBAC

door access

Role-based access control provides a more secure solution for controlling door entry and preventing unauthorized access. For instance, Sentry Mobile Access helps organizations determine precisely who has permission to enter which door.

The roles ensure that people stay within the relevant confines, thus aiding identity security. Say you have individuals working for a contractor and they need access to a specific location in your building. They’ll be assigned a contractor role, which allows them to open the door to that area. Their identity is verified through a mobile entry system. Only those who are authorized may enter—and only into that area.

RBAC ties into identity management systems, as it enables IT teams to expand what they already do into the physical side of access control. Usually, a company’s information systems will assign roles to employees and other users. Sentry Interactive’s door control systems allow you to leverage the same powerful functionality.

Identity management systems make sure that people have the right to use resources. For, example cloud technology can authenticate employees for a business. Individuals may be asked to provide a password or biometric measurement.

The IDMS could then log an employee into an email account or office app. By integrating with Sentry Interactive’s door control systems the IDMS determines which parts of a building people can enter—automating and maximizing enterprise security.

Sentry Interactive’s open software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) integrate easily with your IDMS software. For example, you can integrate Sentry Mobile Access control with applications from IBM, Oracle, Sailpoint, Exabeam, or Okta. On the other hand, you might prefer to integrate with facility management apps—or even coworking or hotel apps—to secure any structure. By integrating multiple tools, you can create a more comprehensive security landscape.

Combining identification management systems with Sentry Mobile Access is a secure and frictionless experience. Moreover, you can automate your role-based access control for all users—and in all contexts. It’s the “single pane of glass” solution for large global enterprises. In addition, each organization can manage access through their own app.

Benefits of Sentry Mobile Access

Sentry Mobile Access uses software to control who can use which parts of a building. The flexibility of software means it can integrate with any number of legacy access control systems. As a result, your facility will have a fast, trustworthy, and consistent solution for keyless door entry. It works equally well for your own staff as it does for guests.

In addition to integrating with other systems, Sentry Mobile Access comes with its own cloud infrastructure. This lets you easily monitor and maintain the system. Moreover, incorporating doors is as simple as affixing a door tile. Here, contactless NFC connects individual smart phones to the cloud infrastructure.

With these benefits, you can organize all your access control systems from one central hub. Software-defined access control and integration with other systems make Sentry Mobile Access the fastest and most reliable keyless door solution. It also offers unmatched security, making this the ideal access control system for enterprises. The simple hardware and comprehensive software will save you time and money, as you manage all the doors in all your organization’s buildings direct from a single app.

The cloud software collects useful data, so you can analyze door unlocks to understand tenant patterns and energy usage. Furthermore, dashboards show real-time insights. On this basis, you can optimize building transit along with security and efficiency.

Sentry Mobile Access is a top-tier authentication access control system that enforces identity security. Military-grade encryption protects your data in the cloud, while audit logging and privacy regulation compliance further secure the data. Other defenses include enterprise single sign-on, geographically defined perimeters, and network perimeters.

This extreme level of security may sound complex to use, but it’s quite easily navigable. Building managers can immediately add a regular employee or fixed-duration visitor into the cloud system. Further, the role-based access control grants the relevant door privileges, and the software automatically handles all the remaining details—no matter where the building is located. Overall, Sentry Mobile Access is an affordable and near-effortless solution for businesses.

Enhancing Cybersecurity: Role-Based Access Control for Data Protection

Role-based access control is vital to cybersecurity. It helps manage who can see sensitive data and resources. Information is hosted on hardware behind doors—so it matters who can get through those doors. There are also software permissions controlling access within the IT equipment itself.

Cybersecurity requires an ongoing commitment to effective risk management. It’s a complicated issue, where attacks can occur at many different levels. From physical security to information systems and the entire chain of human involvement—the more defence you have the better. Role-based access control represents one of the key pieces of a balanced cybersecurity strategy.

Sentry Interactive’s readerless cloud-based access control comes with a range of features. With a centrally-managed solution, improved security—and cybersecurity—is the main drawcard. It’s also more convenient, requiring no more than your basic smartphone to operate, and you won’t need to remember pass codes. These security measures are stronger than an access card or fob, delivering convenience that applies equally to administrators and users.

Any computer or phone can now be used to manage all locations via the cloud interface. As such, stressing over complicated card reissues or paperwork for visitor passes is a thing of the past.

Then there are the financial benefits. Readerless access control saves you money because it doesn’t require infrastructure installation and maintenance. In addition, you don’t have to completely rebuild the system to gain the advantages of the latest cloud-based solutions. Sentry Interactive uses available hardware and doesn’t need any wiring.

RBAC in the cloud is highly scalable. You can add any number of users, doors, and buildings. As your company grows, it’s a snap to adapt—and the savings add up as you increase your use. The central cloud interface makes it as manageable to have ten buildings as it is to have five.

Streamlining Business Processes with RBAC

Role-based access control makes business operations more efficient. The technology simplifies access management, meaning you spend less time and effort on administration. This translates into lower costs and higher reliability.

Even if you have different underlying hardware at several locations, they can all be managed effectively. The intelligent system processes the logic of your role-based access control. Just administer the users, roles, and permissions through the cloud interface and the rest happens on its own.

Automating basic tasks like access control will free up your employees’ time to solve more challenging issues. As such, RBAC is a time-saving application that pays dividends in improved business performance.

Cloud-based mobile access control systems can scale up or down extremely cost-effectively. Whether you’re rapidly expanding and need to add more doors, or restructuring and want to remove other doors, the process is painless. Simply use the central administrative interface to make any necessary adjustments. This works even if you’re managing a building hundreds of miles away. As you continue using the system, you can adapt it ever more precisely to your specific scenario.

Make the Most of Role-Based Access Control

Setting up role-based access control requires assigning individuals to groups and then granting permission to each group. This method aids in managing building entry for employees and guests, securely and efficiently. RBAC also supports identity security by integrating with other systems.

Role-based access control thus represents a critical element of enterprise security. It offers a robust approach to access control, providing appropriate permissions while minimizing risks. In terms of protecting facilities and resources, a large organization should have leading-edge access management technology.

Sentry Mobile Access is the front-runner in this field, with cloud-based mobile access controls that enhance your RBAC strategies. This technology enhances identity security, cybersecurity, business processes, and overall system protection.

Contact Sentry Interactive now to maximize—and streamline—your security systems.

William Bainborough

Board of Directors

William is an experienced British entrepreneur, founder, and accomplished board executive and advisor for a number of businesses. He is the CEO and co-founder of Doordeck, the world’s only true cloud-based access control aggregator. He is also the managing director and founder of Group Secure, a leader in providing security, CCTV, and access control solutions, products, and installation for high-net-worth individuals in the UK. 

William established his first business at just seventeen and brings 20-plus years of in-depth experience and industry knowledge. He has a proven track record for building businesses from the ground up—and then leading them to profitability and a successful exit across a myriad of sectors including hospitality, retail, security, telecommunications, and e-commerce. William’s leadership, vision, and experience in creating cutting-edge SaaS-based technology platforms will prove invaluable for Sentry Interactive moving forward.

Denis Hébert

CHAIRMAN & CEO

Hébert began his career at Honeywell International where he held several leadership positions including Managing Director for the Automation and Controls business in France and eventually President of the NexWatch Corporation from 1999-2002. Hébert led HID Global as President & CEO over a transformative 12-year period from 2002-2015, where he provided strategic guidance and grew the business tenfold through a mix of strong organic and acquisitive growth. Most recently, Hébert was President of Feenics Corporation which is a cloud-based access control company that was successfully sold to ACRE LLC at the end of 2021. Hébert also served on the Board of Directors for the Security Industry Association (SIA) from 2009-2020 and was nominated to be Chairman of the Board for SIA from 2016-2018. He is currently Chairman of the Board for Nightingale Security based in Newark, CA.

Stephen Taylor Matthews

Board of Directors
Stephen is a very accomplished attorney, member of the Texas State Bar, licensed commercial real estate broker, and an avid philanthropist. He is an experienced executive board member, serving in leadership positions for more than 20 community councils and corporate boards—ranging from Boy Scouts of America to the ABBA Business Leaders Council, and most recently the American Bank BOD, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and the Marbridge Foundation BOT. With more than 35 years experience, Stephen and his firm, Barrond & Adler, L.L.P. are devoted to eminent domain cases in Texas.

Jon Davis

Board of Directors

Mr. Davis is an Experienced corporate board member, having served on boards of public, private equity-backed, and venture-backed companies. Jon possesses deep industry expertise in dairy, food processing, food technology and manufacturing, and food, beverage, and entertainment services. 

During Jon’s tenure of 25 plus years, he’s led operations, research and development, and mergers and acquisitions. He’s served as CEO and has been the founder and active board member for many successful enterprises—from startups to billion-dollar corporations. While COO and CEO of Davisco Foods International, Jon built a state-of-the-art cheese plant which was awarded the United States Dairy processing plant of the year in 2005 by Dairy Foods magazine. Currently, Jon is active with several non-dairy projects, including investments in local real estate, the Wayzata Brewworks, and his latest venture the new CōV restaurant in Edina’s Galleria.

Joe Caldwell

Founder and Chairman of the Board

Joe is an American entrepreneur, investor, and accomplished executive. He has co-founded, founded, and led many successful businesses, including US Internet, a leading fiber internet service provider, Securence, a leading provider of email filtering software, and Ravon, an industry-leading digital voice communications service. 

It was Joe’s venture, Municipal Parking Services (MPS), that inspired him in 2020 to start Sentry Interactive, an advanced touchless and staffless detection platform.

Caldwell currently serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board for Municipal Parking Services (MPS), a global tech company based in Austin, TX responsible for inventing and patenting technologies that assist in parking and security enforcement.

Joe was named one of Minnesota’s 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders for the past two years—and is a seasoned corporate board member. He’s served on boards of public, private equity-backed, and venture-backed companies—and has deep industry expertise in all aspects of digital technology.

Jason Bohrer

Board of Directors

Jason Bohrer is one of the visionaries behind our mission to bring people back together safely and securely, in any environment, through Sentry’s advanced digital communications and detection platform. With over two decades of senior leadership experience, Jason’s track record of success spans across sales, operations, product innovation, strategy, and technology for domestic and global companies like Bexar Technology Partners, CPI Card Group, HID Global, and Motorola, Inc. Prior to launching Sentry Interactive, Jason was actively involved with several key technology transitions across multiple industries, including the contact and contactless EMV transitions in the U.S. payments industry and the adoption of smart card and mobile technologies in the global access and identity market. Jason was an inaugural member of the University of Chicago Executive Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the Executive Director for two industry-leading not-for-profit organizations: the Secure Technology Alliance and the U.S. Payments Forum.
Brent Terry

Brent Terry

Chief Operating Officer
Brent Terry leads the operations and solutions organizations at Sentry. This includes all product innovation, development, and operations management. A veteran in the technology space, Brent has more than 30 years of experience across a myriad of industries, like physical security technology and building automation, SAAS, hardware and software product development, internet, digital TV, interactive TV, digital media, telecommunications, and medical products and services. Prior to Sentry, Brent has spun up successful startups and led high-performing teams for some of the biggest global, Fortune 500 companies, including ARRIS, Conerco, Motive Communications, SeaChange International, and IBM. Brent holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana. He also is the committee Chairman and Program Director for a non-profit organization responsible for the rollout of smart cards for physicians and first responders.