Access control failures: The overlooked risk that undermines your security

Access control is supposed to be your first line of defence. Whether it's a locked server room, a restricted database, or a back entrance to your facility, these control points are where trust meets risk.

And yet, in organisations of every size, access control remains one of the most overlooked and weakest security links. Not because the technology isn’t available, but because humans still control the gates, and humans, by nature, are flawed.

From outdated keycards and over-permissioned systems to trusted visitors slipping through on a smile, this is where the modern threat actor doesn’t need to break in.They just walk in.

What access control really means

Access control is more than door locks and usernames. It’s a system of authorisation, restriction, and accountability, determining who gets access to what, when, and under what conditions.

It applies to:

• Physical access: offices, warehouses, data centres, server racks.

• Digital access: cloud environments, software platforms, internal networks.

• Operational access: control over processes, approvals, and authority.

  
  

A good access control strategy limits exposure. A poor one hands the keys to the wrong person, and never notices until something goes wrong.

Where it falls apart: Common failures that leave the door wide open

Shared Credentials & Forgotten Access

• Staff sharing passwords “to save time”

• Ex-employees retaining access after leaving

• Contractors or freelancers using expired credentials

• VPN or admin portals with unchanged default logins

  
  

Physical Lapses in Buildings & Facilities

• “Tailgating” through secure doors, someone politely holding it open

• Lost or stolen keycards that never get deactivated

• No CCTV or sign-in process for sensitive zones

• Access systems that fail during power loss or emergencies

  
  

Over-Permissioning

• Junior employees with full database access

• Temporary staff given long-term credentials

• IT admins with unmonitored, unrestricted administrative access to all systems and environments

  
  

No Auditing or Expiry

• Permissions set once and forgotten

• Access never revoked or reviewed

• No visibility over who accessed what and when

• Lack of a formal escalation or approval process for sensitive access

  
  

The human element: Familiar faces, failing systems

One of the most underappreciated risks in access control is trust-based failure, where someone breaks protocol not out of malice, but out of familiarity.

Picture this: a security guard at the front desk sees a contractor who’s visited the building regularly for weeks. They seem friendly, confident, and in a hurry. The guard, not wanting to seem difficult, lets them through without signing in or verifying ID, just this once.

Except that contractor was terminated the day before. Or worse, someone else posing as them.

This scenario plays out every day in offices, construction sites, and logistics hubs. Humans naturally look for shortcuts when they feel safe. And most breaches don’t happen through brute force, they happen through assumptions.

Why access control can still fail, even in tech-savvy companies

Despite huge investments in security tech, access control often gets left behind:

• Budgets prioritise perimeter and endpoint security, but neglect access lifecycle management.

• Startups and SMEs focus on growth over governance, security becomes reactive, not proactive.

• Enterprises rely on legacy systems that don’t integrate well across departments or platforms.

• Policy exists on paper but is ignored in day-to-day operations.

  
  

The result is a system where rules are clear but rarely followed, and visibility is assumed but not enforced.

From exposure to control: What good looks like

You don’t need to spend millions to fix access control. What you do need is clarity, consistency, and cultural buy-in.

Key Best Practices:

• Enforce least privilege: Only give access that’s absolutely necessary. Nothing more.

• Automate onboarding and offboarding: Especially for digital credentials and physical access.

• Audit regularly: Know who has access, when it was granted, and whether it’s still needed.

• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all admin or sensitive systems.

• Monitor physical access logs and pair with real-time video for high-value zones.

• Train frontline staff—especially guards and reception, on not overriding protocol, no matter how familiar someone seems.

  
  

Conclusion: People are the door, secure them first

Access control doesn’t fail because of the technology.It fails because we assume that “just this once” is safe, or “they’ve been here before” means they belong.

The strongest security posture comes from layering policy, tech, and human vigilance, without exceptions.

The good news? This is one of the few areas of security where basic discipline has an outsized impact.

When everyone understands that access isn’t about trust, it’s about verification, you stop being a target of convenience.