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Access control

Selective restriction of access to a place or other resource, allowing only authorized users / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In physical security and information security, access control (AC) is the selective restriction of access to a place or other resource, while access management describes the process. The act of accessing may mean consuming, entering, or using. Permission to access a resource is called authorization.

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Common physical security access control with a finger print
US_Navy_050308-N-2385R-029_Master-at-Arms_Seaman_Carly_Farmer_checks_an_identification_card_%28ID%29_before_allowing_a_driver_to_enter_the_gate_at_U.S._Fleet_Activities_Sasebo%2C_Japan.jpg
A sailor checks an identification card (ID) before allowing a vehicle to enter a military installation.

Locks and login credentials are two analogous mechanisms of access control.