A controller device may correspond to a physical access controller in a distributed physical access control system. The controller device may include logic configured to obtain access to a global database that include access control information for a plurality of controller devices. The logic may be further configured to derive a local access rules table from the global database, wherein the local access rules table relates users to access rules, and wherein the local access rules table is encrypted with a local access rules key; and derive a local credentials table from the global database, wherein the local credentials table relates hashed credentials to users, wherein the local credentials table stores, for a user, the local access rules key encrypted with unhashed credentials associated with the user, wherein the unhashed credentials are not stored in the controller device.