How can you ensure consistent access control policies across different components?

1 Use a centralized policy engine

One way to ensure consistent access control policies across different components is to use a centralized policy engine that decouples the policy logic from the application logic. A policy engine is a service that evaluates policies based on inputs, such as user attributes, resource attributes, and context. A policy engine can be integrated with different components using standard interfaces, such as REST APIs, gRPC, or webhooks. Some examples of policy engines are Open Policy Agent, Keycloak, and Casbin.

2 Adopt a common policy language

Another way to ensure consistent access control policies across different components is to adopt a common policy language that can express the rules in a clear and concise way. A common policy language can help avoid ambiguity, inconsistency, and duplication of policies across different components. A common policy language can also facilitate the communication and collaboration between developers, administrators, and auditors. Some examples of common policy languages are Rego, JSON Web Token, and XACML.

3 Implement a policy lifecycle management

A third way to ensure consistent access control policies across different components is to implement a policy lifecycle management that covers the creation, validation, deployment, monitoring, and revision of policies. A policy lifecycle management can help ensure that the policies are aligned with the business requirements, regulatory standards, and security best practices. A policy lifecycle management can also help detect and resolve policy conflicts, violations, and anomalies. Some examples of policy lifecycle management tools are Policy Sentry, Oso, and AWS IAM Access Analyzer.

4 Leverage a federated identity provider

A fourth way to ensure consistent access control policies across different components is to leverage a federated identity provider that can authenticate and authorize users across multiple domains and applications. A federated identity provider can simplify the user management, reduce the identity silos, and enhance the user experience. A federated identity provider can also support different authentication methods and protocols, such as OAuth, OpenID Connect, and SAML. Some examples of federated identity providers are Auth0, Okta, and Cognito.

5 Apply the principle of least privilege

A fifth way to ensure consistent access control policies across different components is to apply the principle of least privilege that states that users and components should only have the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. Applying the principle of least privilege can reduce the attack surface, limit the damage of breaches, and improve the performance and scalability of the system. Applying the principle of least privilege can also involve using role-based access control, attribute-based access control, or context-aware access control models.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?