Tilgangskontrollen

Tilgangskontrollen, literally “access control” in Norwegian, refers to the systematic management of who is allowed to use a system, resource or service and what they are permitted to do with it. It is a core concept in both physical security and information technology and is designed to protect confidentiality, integrity and availability. The principle is that each request to access a resource is checked against a set of predetermined rules, and only authorized users receive the necessary permissions.

In IT environments access control can be implemented in several ways. Discretionary Access Control (DAC) lets resource owners decide who can access their data. Mandatory Access Control (MAC) enforces predefined security policies, often used in government or military contexts, and Role‑Based Access Control (RBAC) allocates permissions based on a user’s role within an organization. Attribute‑Based Access Control (ABAC) extends this by conditioning permissions on a range of attributes such as department, clearance level, or time of day. Each of these models offers trade‑offs between flexibility, management overhead and security.

Common mechanisms that support Tilgangskontrollen include usernames and passwords, multi‑factor authentication, public‑key infrastructure, and biometric identifiers. Authorization checks are typically performed by an access control service or middleware that references a centralized policy store. Logging and monitoring are integral, providing evidence of compliance and enabling forensic analysis after a breach.

Tilgangskontrollen is mandated by various national and international standards. In Norway, the Personal Data Act and the Norwegian Data Protection Authority enforce strict controls on data processing; compliance is assessed through audits and certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001. The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) also requires lawful, fair, and transparent access controls for personal data.

Effective Tilgangskontrollen requires continuous assessment. User privileges should be reviewed regularly, least‑privilege principles applied, and automated tools employed to detect privilege creep. Regular penetration testing and security awareness training complement technical controls, ensuring organizations can adapt to evolving threats while maintaining robust access management.