Simply defined, the term "access control" describes any technique used to control passage into or out of any area. The standard lock that uses a brass key may be thought of as a simple form of an "access control system".

Over the years, access control systems have become more and more sophisticated. Today, the term "access control system" most often refers to a computer-based, electronic card access control system.The electronic card access control system uses a special "access card", rather than a brass key, to permit access into the secured area. Another type of access control is the biometrics access control .

Biometrics is a technology used to identify an individual electronically based on their unique biological characteristics. For example, fingerprint detection has long been used to distinguish one individual from another, as each person’s fingerprints are never identical.The same concept is built upon in biometrics, allowing a computer to scan in the biometric identifier and compare it against a database for matches. Biometric technology can be of two kinds: physiological or behavioral.

Physiological indicators are physical characteristics, like retinas or DNA markers; whereas examples of behavioral indicators are signatures or voice patterns. There are a number of unique characteristics which are ideal candidates for authentication.The components of a biometric device usually include an input device, a database containing potential matches, and a control program to determine the action based on authentication results. Different configurations exist for various applications, however essentially the core components vary very slightly. The Importance of Access Control Security is always an important consideration, whether it is locking a car door, or a much larger scale like protecting sensitive information.

As security has become progressively tighter, there is always the potential to work around the system. Therefore security has evolved into a hierarchical structure; access control is always either the first or second tier. Access controls Access controls are the devices which are used for stopping the intrusion in the office or at home. If someone doesn’t want others to intrude in their offices they simply have to do is install the access controls in their doors, which comes in a very affordable price and easy to function.

There are various types of access controls.