What process restricts access to information resources?

Access control is the process designed specifically to restrict access to information resources. It establishes who can view or use resources in a computing environment and under what circumstances. This is crucial in maintaining data security and ensuring that sensitive information is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Access control mechanisms can include authentication methods such as passwords, biometrics, and security tokens, as well as authorization measures that determine what resources a user can access and what actions they can take. By implementing access control policies, organizations protect their data from unauthorized access, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

While firewalls also serve to restrict access—specifically to network resources—access control is the more comprehensive term as it encompasses user permissions and roles in addition to hardware-based protections. Employee training and alarms play important roles in organizational security but do not directly define the access policies to resources. Employee training enhances awareness and compliance with these policies, while alarms serve as alerts for security breaches rather than access management.