Access Control
Access control involves security mechanisms to regulate and monitor access to systems and data.
Classification
- ComplexityMedium
- Impact areaTechnical
- Decision typeArchitectural
- Organizational maturityAdvanced
Technical context
Principles & goals
Use cases & scenarios
Compromises
- Insufficient User Training
- Technical Dependencies
- Outdated Policies
- Regular Training for Users
- Documentation of Processes
- Updating Security Policies
I/O & resources
- User Logins
- Access Rights
- Security Policies
- Access Logs
- Notifications
- Access Reports
Description
Access control is crucial for the security of IT systems. It ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive data and system resources. Various methods, such as Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), are commonly employed.
✔Benefits
- Increased Data Security
- Improved Compliance
- Fewer Security Incidents
✖Limitations
- High Management Overhead
- Complexity of Implementation
- Potential for User Errors
Trade-offs
Metrics
- Number of Security Incidents
Metric for measuring the frequency of security incidents.
- Access Requests per User
Metric for assessing user activity in the system.
- Access Time
The time taken to grant access.
Examples & implementations
Banking System
A bank implements access controls to safeguard sensitive customer data.
Healthcare Data Management
A hospital uses access controls to protect access to patient information.
Cloud Data Storage
A cloud service provider implements access controls to protect data from unauthorized access.
Implementation steps
Review Existing Access Policies
Create an Implementation Plan
Conduct Testing and Training
⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks
Technical debt
- Outdated Systems
- Lack of Integration
- Insufficient Documentation
Known bottlenecks
Misuse examples
- Access from Unauthorized Users
- Incorrect Permission Assignments
- Abuse of Access Rights
Typical traps
- Premature Granting of Access Rights
- Ignoring Audit Logs
- Insufficient Security Checks
Required skills
Architectural drivers
Constraints
- • Regulatory Requirements
- • Technological Limitations
- • Budget Constraints