Including both physical and logical safeguards, the access control system evaluates the security levels of both the user and the computer system or data on a system attempted to be accessed. The primary function of this control system is to act as a means of preventing access to unauthorized users. Users are assigned clearance levels, which then gives them access to certain types of information on the computer system. Obviously, the users assigned low levels of clearance cannot access confidential or top-secret information.

See Also: Computer; Physical Exposure; Superuser or Administrative Privileges.