Articles / Press
Is Your Monitoring Solution Collecting the Right Data?
One of the great aspects of a monitoring solution with access control is its ability to collect and log all kinds of data. This makes it easy to integrate with time clocks and other employee tracking methods, but it’s important to know exactly what data you’re logging, what data you NEED to log, and be sure you’re collecting it. Many companies are logging a lot of useless info while disregarding the important stuff. Take log in attempts. Most companies log failed attempts, but let me ask you a question. What about the successful ones? Don’t you want to know who’s logging into your systems? Especially the ones that you rely on to run your access control? Of course you do! Failed attempts mean hackers and other unwanted people were kept out, but if you aren’t monitoring successful attempts you may not realize there is a security issue until it’s too late! Just recently the Department of Homeland Security was blasted for not keeping track of who accesses their building’s access control systems and in fact, not doing a very good job of securing those systems.
Our access control systems allow you to carefully tailor them to monitor specific areas or your entire property and let you decide what types of data to log. They learn as you use them and from their constant monitoring of the area they’re assigned to, which helps them to collect even more targeted data and also to know what sorts of things can be safely disregarded. This greatly reduces both false alarms and the storage space needed for data. If you have you system set to log everything and anything, you’re going to find yourself needing more and more storage space and seeing that space fill up quickly. Take the time to figure out what data you need to be logging and whether there is any you might be missing. You might be surprised!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should a business decide which security data it needs to collect?
Collecting every available data point can consume storage without providing meaningful security information. Businesses should identify which events matter and configure their systems to record those events.
Should a company record successful login attempts?
Yes. Failed logins show that unauthorized users were blocked, but successful logins reveal who actually accessed a system. Without those records, improper access may go unnoticed.
Can access control data integrate with employee tracking systems?
Yes. Monitoring and access control data can be integrated with time clocks and other employee-tracking methods to provide a more complete record of workplace activity.
Can monitoring be customized for different parts of a property?
Yes. A system can be configured to monitor selected sensitive areas or an entire property, depending on the organization’s needs.
How can targeted data collection reduce storage requirements?
A properly configured system learns which activity is relevant and which events can be safely disregarded. Recording only useful information reduces false alarms and prevents unnecessary data from consuming storage space.