How RBAC simplifies permission management in organizations.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a method of restricting network access based on the roles of individual users within an enterprise. In this model, permissions are associated with roles, and users are assigned to roles. This simplifies administration, as you don't need to manage permissions for every single user individually. Instead of saying, 'Alice can read file X and write to file Y,' you define a role, for example, 'Marketing Manager.' You then grant that role the necessary permissions (e.g., access to the marketing budget spreadsheet, ability to post on the company blog). Finally, you assign Alice to the 'Marketing Manager' role. If a new marketing manager, Bob, is hired, you simply assign him to the same role, and he automatically inherits all the correct permissions. If the permissions for marketing managers need to change, you only need to update the role, and the change is instantly applied to all users assigned to that role. This approach is much more scalable and less error-prone than assigning permissions one by one. RBAC is a core component of implementing the Principle of Least Privilege. By carefully defining roles and their associated permissions, you ensure that users only have access to the information and resources necessary to perform their duties. This helps to reduce the potential damage from accidental misuse or a compromised account, as the attacker would be limited to the permissions of the compromised role.