What is Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
RBAC allows you to restrict access according to a person’s role in the company. The roles refer to how much access an employee has on the network.
Employees are only allowed to access the information they need in order to do their jobs. They can’t just go on Facebook or play games all day, for example.
When you have many employees, it can be hard to keep track of who should have access to what. RBAC is helpful because once someone gains permission they are given more power and sensitive data.
RBAC Model
You can assign people to different roles and permissions, depending on their position in the company. This way they will only have access as needed for them to do their job.
If a user’s job changes, you may need to manually reassign their roles. This can be done by assigning the role to another person or using a policy.
Within an RBAC tool, there are some designations that can include:
- The scope of a management role can limit what objects the user is allowed to manage.
- You can add and remove members from a management role group.
- Management duties are usually assigned to a specific role, like marketing or finance.
- You assign the role to a group by assigning them to one of their roles.
You can add a user to a role group and that will give them access to all the roles in that group. If you remove them, they lose access.
The user may be able to access the app in other ways, such as:
- Primary is typically the contact for a specific account or role.
- Billing is the process of one person paying for something that another has provided them.
- Technical- users in the company that are responsible for performing technical tasks.
- Administrative users are given access to perform tasks that they need for their job.
Benefits Of Role Based Access Control
Managing and auditing network access is essential to information security. Access can be granted on a need-to-know basis, which makes it easier for companies with hundreds or thousands of employees.
- RBAC helps to reduce administrative work, like paperwork and password changes. It also reduces the potential for error when assigning user permissions.
- RBAC is a streamlined approach that makes sense. Instead of having to manage lower-level access control, all the roles can be aligned with the organizational structure and users are more autonomous.
- With RBAC you can more easily meet regulatory requirements for compliance.
Best Steps for Implementing RBAC
Implementing a RBAC without considering the different steps can lead to problems in an organization. It is important to have all of these things mapped out first.
- Create a list of all the security measures in place, including passwords and server rooms that are locked. This will give you an idea of your current data protection situation.
- Even if you don’t have a formal list of roles, it could just take some discussion to figure out what each individual team member does. Try organizing the team in such a way that it doesn’t stifle creativity and culture.
- Write a policy. Any changes made to the company need to be written for all current and future employees so they can see it.
- Once you know the current security status and roles, it’s time to make changes.
- Continually Adapt: It’s likely that the first iteration of RBAC will require some tweaking. Early on, you should look at how well your roles and security status are working before deciding if it is secure or not.
A RBAC system can protect company data, including privacy and confidentiality regulations. It also secures key business processes which affect the business from a competitive standpoint.
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