Why RBAC is needed?

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a method of restricting access to systems, resources, or data based on the roles of individual users within an organization. It ensures that users can only access the information and perform the actions that are necessary for their job functions.

Key Components of RBAC:

1. Roles:

• Roles represent a collection of permissions (e.g., “Admin,” “Manager,” “Employee”).

• Each role defines what actions a user can perform and what resources they can access.

2. Permissions:

• Permissions specify the operations that can be performed on resources (e.g., “Read,” “Write,” “Execute”).

3. Users:

• Individuals in the system are assigned one or more roles based on their responsibilities.

4. Resources:

• These are the objects or data the system is protecting (e.g., files, databases, applications).

How RBAC Works:

1. Role Assignment: Users are assigned roles based on their job functions.

2. Permission Assignment: Permissions are assigned to roles, not directly to users.

3. Access Enforcement: The system grants or denies access to resources based on the user’s assigned role and its associated permissions.

Advantages of RBAC:

1. Improved Security:

• Reduces the risk of unauthorized access by assigning permissions only as needed.

2. Simplified Management:

• Administrators manage roles and permissions, not individual user accounts, simplifying oversight.

3. Compliance:

• Facilitates compliance with security and privacy regulations by enforcing the principle of least privilege.

4. Scalability:

• Easy to adapt as the organization grows by creating or modifying roles.

Use Cases:

• IT Systems: Assigning access to servers, databases, or applications.

• Healthcare: Limiting medical records access to specific roles like doctors or nurses.

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Defining roles for HR, finance, and sales departments.

Example:

Consider a company with the following roles:

• Admin: Full access to all systems and settings.

• Manager: Can view and edit reports but cannot configure systems.

• Employee: Can only view their own records.

In RBAC, permissions (like “View Reports,” “Edit Records”) are assigned to the roles, and users inherit permissions based on the roles they are assigned.