Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of access control in which access to data or systems is granted based on the roles that users have in an organization. In RBAC, users are assigned roles based on their job functions, and each role has a set of permissions that determine what actions the user can perform within the system.
RBAC is based on the principle of least privilege, which means that users are only granted access to the resources they need to perform their job functions. RBAC allows organizations to define and manage access control policies in a centralized way, making it easier to enforce security policies and monitor user activity.
For example, in an RBAC system, a user may be assigned the role of “administrator,” which has permissions to create and delete user accounts, while another user may be assigned the role of “analyst,” which only has permissions to view data and run reports. Each role has a set of permissions that are associated with it, and users can only perform actions that are authorized by their assigned roles.
RBAC systems can be implemented using a variety of tools and technologies, such as access control lists (ACLs), directories, and policy management tools. RBAC can also be extended to include additional attributes, such as time of day or location, to further refine access control policies.
Overall, RBAC is a powerful method of access control that can help organizations improve their security posture by enforcing the principle of least privilege and reducing the attack surface.
