Access Control, Logical

Synonym

Logon, Password management

Definition

Logical access control is the means and procedures to protect access to information on PCs, networks, and mobile phones. A variety of credential types may be used, such as passwords, tokens, or biometrics, to authenticate the user. These credentials may represent something the user knows (password), something the user has (token), or a physical trait of the user (biometrics). A logical access control system will implement a method to enroll and associate credentials with the user, and then to request that one or more of the user’s credentials be authenticated for access to the resource (application, network, device, or operating system). The logical access control system may also log all access attempts for use in auditing who and when someone accessed a specific resource.

Introduction

The key used to open almost any door in the digital realm has traditionally been the password. This was the natural consequence of the fact that somewhere...