Identity governance must extend to physical access in critical infrastructure security

 

In cybersecurity, much attention is often placed on firewalls, multi-factor authentication, and digital access controls, but in sensitive sectors such as utilities, energy, airports, pharmaceutical plants, and manufacturing, the challenge extends well beyond digital defenses. Physical access plays a critical role, and in many organizations, it remains the weakest link. As digital and physical systems converge, managing identity across both domains has become increasingly complex. What was once considered a facilities matter is now a direct responsibility of security leadership, carrying implications for compliance, safety, and organizational trust. 

In many companies, physical security systems like badge readers, door access points, and turnstiles are treated separately from IT environments. While that may have once been acceptable, the risks today show how flawed this separation is. If an individual no longer employed by the organization can still walk into a sensitive area, or if badge privileges remain after a role change, the organization faces serious vulnerabilities. Facilities such as airports, government offices, data centers, and large manufacturing plants see thousands of individuals moving through them daily, creating countless opportunities for mistakes or misuse. 

The consequences of an insider retaining unnecessary access can be immediate and damaging. The complexity is magnified by scale. Consider the case of an employee whose role shifted within a company. While IT permissions were updated to reflect the new position, the physical badge remained active for higher-level areas. This outdated access was then duplicated for new hires, unintentionally granting them entry to spaces far beyond their job requirements. 

In a global company with thousands of employees and multiple secure sites, such oversights multiply rapidly. Systems are often powerful but remain disconnected from HR records and identity governance tools, making it difficult to track whether access privileges are accurate or necessary. Physical access systems are operational technology, often running independently on separate networks. Like other OT systems, they can be neglected, with access lists left unchanged for years. 

This leads to problems such as orphaned badges for former employees, inherited permissions, excessive access rights, and little visibility into how many people hold credentials for sensitive areas. Unlike digital environments where logs and directories allow oversight, physical access systems are typically siloed, leaving leaders unable to prove whether access controls are correct. 

Even if nothing is wrong, there is rarely substantiated evidence to demonstrate compliance or safety. Unauthorized physical access can be just as damaging as a digital breach, and in many cases, the risks are greater. Governing identity today means addressing both digital and physical dimensions with equal rigor. 

Without integrating and validating badge data, correlating it with employee records, and continuously reviewing privileges, organizations are relying on assumptions rather than facts. In environments where physical presence carries risk, relying on assumptions is not a viable security strategy.