The RBAC process checks a user’s role when they request access and keeps track of permissions throughout their session. This includes a user’s interaction with operations and objects and is logged until the session ends.
This method of managing permissions eliminates the need to create new permission for each new guest or employee. This reduces IT workload and provides greater flexibility.
Increased Security
Role-based access control allows organizations to provide more granular controls for users. It can limit what data and applications a user can access, which operations they can perform, and how long they can stay logged in. This can protect against security threats by preventing users from accessing critical systems and information.
The key to using RBAC effectively is ensuring your roles are properly designed. Start by defining your roles based on the conclusions of your needs analysis, considering how you expect users to work. It’s important to avoid common pitfalls such as too much granularity, role overlap, or over-reliance on exceptions.
An iterative approach to managing your roles and permissions is essential for successfully implementing RBAC. The system will inevitably evolve, and your users will change, so reviewing your access control regularly is important to ensure that your roles remain appropriate and up-to-date. By following this process, you can ensure that your users are only granted the permissions they need to do their jobs and that you meet compliance and regulatory requirements.
Reduced Risk
Role-based access control systems are designed to restrict users’ permissions based on their specific roles in the company. This can reduce risk by limiting the number of permutations that could lead to unauthorized data access.
For example, if you have an IT team member working on software engineering projects for your client, you can create a role that gives them access to the tools they need and nothing else. This prevents them from accessing other parts of your business data irrelevant to their work.
Using RBAC to restrict access can be particularly effective for your clients that need to manage many contractors and temporary workers. These teams often have to change needs and require a quicker, simpler way to provide access and onboard new hires. With a proper access governance system, they can keep up with the pace of growth and risk being exposed to unnecessary risk. By providing a role-based access control solution, they can ensure they protect their data and meet compliance and regulatory requirements.
Enhanced Compliance
Role-based access control allows employees to access the data and applications necessary for their jobs, minimizing the risk of hackers gaining access to sensitive information. It also helps to reduce the impact of a security breach by limiting the “blast radius” of data loss and eliminating cross-system dependencies (i.e., a marketing user won’t have access to accounting data).
RBAC also provides an enhanced audit trail and makes it easier to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. The structured and centralized approach to access management also simplifies the recertification process, allowing users to be certified for only those applications they use. This will help minimize the time required for auditing and reporting and make it much easier to identify and review access outliers (outside the normal range).
When implementing RBAC, it’s important to plan carefully. It’s best to roll out the system in stages to avoid disrupting business processes with too many changes, especially as your business evolves or departmental conflicts arise. It’s also essential to avoid common pitfalls such as overly granular role design, excessive exceptions, or overlapping roles.
Enhanced Compliance Reporting
Using RBAC, administrators can easily assign or deny users access to systems, data, and software based on their roles in the organization. This reduces the administrative burden for IT and ensures compliance with various regulations, such as HIPAA and GDPR.
The first step in designing an RBAC system is to analyze the business needs and determine what applications and systems must be protected. Then, use the principle of least privilege to establish the minimum level of access required for each role. For example, a basic role could include everything every employee needs to do their job, such as access to email and the corporate intranet. A more specialized role could be used for a customer service representative, requiring read-and-write access to the customer database.
Another benefit of RBAC is that it eliminates the need for employees to manage their own access rights and passwords, which can reduce the risk of cybercrime and helpdesk tickets from forgotten password resets. This helps to lower the overall cost of security.
Enhanced Audit Trail
Role-based access control provides an enhanced audit trail that helps organizations secure confidential information. The system also ensures that employees are granted only those permissions needed for their role. This protects against mistakes that could compromise data and regulatory compliance.
Effective RBAC requires an in-depth analysis of your workforce’s needs, identifying what software, files, and actions each employee requires to do their job. This includes understanding what each department needs and collaborating to ensure that all roles are adequately defined.
For example, an IT team member may need access to Slack and email, while a sales staffer must be able to update the customer database. Similarly, a doctor or nurse in a hospital might need to view, edit and sign image files that X-ray technicians upload, while a member of the HR team might only need to review these documents.
A well-designed RBAC system allows administrators to assign roles based on authority, competency, and responsibility. This enables the organization to limit network access based on an individual’s role and allows for overlapping permission levels.