What is the purpose of access control?

Access control serves a crucial role in security management by ensuring that only authorized individuals can enter specific areas or access certain resources. By implementing access control measures, organizations protect sensitive information, valuable assets, and secure areas from unauthorized entry. This not only helps to maintain safety within the premises but also reduces the risk of theft, vandalism, or liabilities that could arise from allowing unrestricted access.

The focus of access control is on managing who can enter specific locations based on their credentials or necessity for access. By doing so, it helps maintain organizational integrity and security, which is essential in various environments such as corporate offices, government buildings, and secure facilities.

In contrast, allowing everyone to enter freely undermines the very purpose of access control, exposing the facility to potential dangers. Similarly, constantly monitoring employees is more about surveillance rather than controlling access, and increasing visitor numbers doesn't align with the intent of restricting access to authorized personnel. Thus, the essence of access control is about managing and restricting entry, which is precisely why this option is deemed the most appropriate.