Role-Based Access Control
An authorization model that assigns permissions to users based on their organizational roles rather than individual identities. RBAC simplifies access management by grouping permissions into roles such as administrator, editor, or viewer, and assigning users to the appropriate roles.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is one of the most widely adopted authorization models in enterprise security. Rather than assigning permissions directly to individual users, RBAC creates an abstraction layer where permissions are grouped into roles that correspond to job functions. Users are then assigned to one or more roles, inheriting all associated permissions. This approach dramatically simplifies access management, especially in large organizations where individual permission assignments would be unmanageable.
RBAC directly supports the principle of least privilege by ensuring users only have the permissions necessary for their specific role. When an employee changes positions, administrators simply reassign their role rather than auditing individual permissions. This makes access reviews more straightforward and reduces the risk of privilege accumulation over time. ISO 27001 Annex A controls on access management align closely with RBAC principles. SOC 2 requires that logical access be restricted based on the principle of least privilege, which RBAC facilitates. GDPR's requirement for appropriate technical measures to limit data access maps naturally to role-based restrictions on personal data.
Implementing RBAC effectively requires careful role engineering — defining roles that accurately reflect organizational responsibilities without becoming too granular (role explosion) or too broad (excessive permissions). Organizations should document their role hierarchy, conduct periodic role reviews, and implement separation of duties where conflicting permissions should not be combined in a single role. For SaaS products, providing RBAC to customers is frequently a requirement for enterprise sales and compliance certifications. Modern implementations often extend RBAC with attribute-based access control (ABAC) elements for more fine-grained, context-aware authorization decisions.
Related frameworks
Related terms
Access Control
The set of policies, procedures, and technical mechanisms that govern who can access which information assets, systems, and resources. Access control ensures that only authorized individuals can view, modify, or interact with sensitive data and systems.
Identity and Access Management
The framework of policies, processes, and technologies that manages digital identities and controls user access to critical systems and data. IAM encompasses identity lifecycle management, authentication, authorization, single sign-on, directory services, and privileged access management.
Multi-Factor Authentication
A security mechanism that requires users to provide two or more independent verification factors before granting access to a system or resource. Factors typically include something you know (password), something you have (token or device), and something you are (biometric).
Segregation of Duties
A governance control that divides critical functions and responsibilities among different individuals to prevent any single person from having the ability to authorize, execute, and conceal errors or fraud. Also known as separation of duties (SoD).
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