Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) is an advanced model for expressing authorization policies. Unlike some other approaches to specifying access control, with ABAC, you can readily leverage real-time context (e.g., time of day, document age, comparison between an accessor and the data owner’s department) when deciding whether to allow or deny a request. This is a convenience and allows more precise restrictions, boosting security. With ABAC, you also avoid the explosion of roles you can encounter when using RBAC alone.
Our new Secure by Design Education Hub article (Understanding Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) | Pangea) explores how ABAC works and its use cases, strengths, and limitations, leveraging an example scenario.
If you can believe it, this is article #30. As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback and would love it if you share articles and the site with those who may find it valuable.