Managing Controlled Access to Confidential Data

The management of access to confidential information is a major concern for many companies. Data that is sensitive may be linked to the customer’s trust. This makes it all the more important to protect against misuse. Information that can identify an individual needs to be controlled by a set of policies to guard against identity theft, compromise of accounts or systems, and other severe consequences. To reduce the risk and limit the potential technologyform com for harm, access to sensitive data should be restricted based on role-based authorization.

There are many different models that allow access to sensitive information. The simplest one, a discretionary access control (DAC) allows administrators or owners to decide who can see the files they have and what actions authorized users can take against them. This is the default setting in Windows, macOS and UNIX filesystems.

A more robust and secure option is to employ role-based access control (RBAC). This model is a way to align privileges with the specific requirements of a job. It also implements crucial safety principles, such the separation of privileges and the principle of minimal privilege.

Access control fine-grained to the point that goes beyond RBAC, allowing administrators to assign permissions based on an individual’s identity. It relies on a combination of things you know, such as an account number or password; something you have like an access card, keys or devices that generate codes; and something that you are in, like fingerprints, iris scans or voice print. This provides more control and can help eliminate a variety of common authorization problems, such as insecure access to former employees or access to sensitive information via third-party apps.