Optimizing Authorization Security: A Guide to Access Control Models
Authentication is not the end of the login process. Authorization, which controls access to resources and data, almost always follows authentication. It’s a layered security approach that ensures users have the appropriate level of access, preventing any one person from having too much power or arbitrary access to information. With the user’s identity confirmed, authorization dictates what actions they can take on an application or resource.
This article focuses on common authorization models and their importance. However, before you delve into the details, it’s worth defining authentication and authorization side by side to clarify their distinct roles:
Authentication confirms who you claim to be, while authorization ensures users have the correct permissions for their actions. This process is integral to a company’s security posture, protecting data and access to people, places, and things. Access controls put authorization policies into action, managing permissions through roles, attributes, policies, and relationships. Due to its importance, multiple models exist to control authorization. Each model determines access uniquely, and by discussing the four common models, you can address and reduce common authorization challenges.
This article explores four common authorization models, highlighting their uses and contexts. These models simplify access and reduce manual labor and errors. For example, imagine having to define permissions for each individual user. A model like Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) saves you extra work by allowing you to define roles. Similarly, instead of creating new rules and roles for every scenario, Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) manages permissions using attributes, providing a flexible solution. Models like Policy-Based Access Control (PBAC) centralize policy management, reducing administrative costs, while Relationship-Based Access Control (ReBAC) efficiently manages the relationships between users and resources, making it ideal for handling large volumes of data.
