User access control: What it is and best practices

Your company faces a security risk whenever former employees maintain access to sensitive organizational files after their departure. This situation occurs frequently in businesses, yet organizations often ignore this risk. The security of systems depends heavily on the ability to control which users can access specific data. User access control (UAC) functions as a system to manage access permissions.

This post explains user access control fundamentals by covering access models, providing effective implementation guidelines, and supplying some best practices.

What is user access control?

User access control (UAC) is a security method that controls digital system access for users and defines their permitted actions. It protects sensitive information and prevents unauthorized access while minimizing damage when an account becomes compromised, whether intentionally or by mistake. According to Bruce Schneier, “Security systems fail more often due to human error than technical flaws.”

Here’s how it works:

• Authentication: It identifies users by asking them to provide their username and password, security tokens, or biometric data. The system verifies that the person attempting access matches their provided identity.
• Authorization: The system grants access permissions to authenticated users through authorization procedures. It does this based on their assigned roles and permissions.

The implementation of UAC enhances security measures and supports data protection standards by granting users only the access they require.

Key concepts in user access control

User access control involves several fundamental concepts that help organizations protect their data and systems effectively.

Principle of least privilege

This means giving users, applications, or systems only the access or permissions they need to carry out their tasks. It’s the main idea behind strong cybersecurity because it limits the potential damage caused if an account is compromised or misused.

Zero trust

Zero trust is based on the idea that no user or device should be trusted automatically, even if they’re inside the network.

“Insider threats often cost more than external attacks—because insiders know how to hide it.” – Dr. Larry Ponemon, Founder of the Ponemon Institute

Instead of assuming everything inside the system is safe, zero trust requires continuous verification. Every access request must be authenticated, authorized, and validated, no matter where it comes from.

This approach helps protect against internal threats, compromised accounts, and lateral movement during attacks. It’s often summed up as: “Never trust, always verify.”

The need-to-know principle means users should only have access to information that’s directly relevant to their job or task

Need-to-know

The need-to-know principle means users should only have access to information that’s directly relevant to their job or task. Even if someone is trusted or high-ranking, they shouldn’t be able to see sensitive data unless it’s necessary for their job.

For example, a marketing manager doesn’t need to have access to employee salary records.

This helps to protect confidential data, reduce insider threats, and keep information exposure to a minimum.

Access control models

Access control models are the methods used to decide how access is granted within a system. Each model has its own way of determining who gets access and under what rules. Here are the most common ones:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): In RBAC, users get access based on their job roles. Instead of giving permissions to each user one by one, you assign them to a role, like “Manager” or “Editor,” and the role holds the permissions. It’s a simple way to manage access in teams with defined responsibilities.
• Mandatory Access Control (MAC): MAC is a strict model where a central authority decides who can have access to a system, based on security labels. Users can’t change these permissions themselves. It’s commonly used in government or military settings where protecting sensitive data is a top priority.
• Discretionary Access Control (DAC): DAC lets the owner of a resource decide who can access it and what they can do. For example, if you create a file, you control who else can read or edit it. This model is flexible and easy to use but can be less secure because users have control over permissions.
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): ABAC makes access decisions based on multiple attributes, such as user role, department, location, time of access, or device type. It evaluates the attributes dynamically to allow or deny access.

How to implement user access control

Good access control takes planning and ongoing effort. Here are the key steps to set it up properly, whether you’re starting fresh or improving what you already have.

1. Define your access control strategy

The first thing to do is identify what needs protecting. These can be sensitive files, systems, or applications. Choose an access control model that fits your organization’s structure and needs, like RBAC for role-based setups or ABAC for more dynamic environments.

2. Set up authentication mechanisms

Use reliable methods to verify user identities before granting access. This can include passwords, single sign-on (SSO), biometrics, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to strengthen login security.

3. Assign roles or permissions

Group users based on their job responsibilities and assign them the appropriate roles or permissions. Avoid giving access to individuals directly unless absolutely necessary.

4. Configure authorization rules

Set rules that define what each user or group can access and what actions they can take, such as the things they can view, edit, create, or delete. Use your chosen access control model to guide these rules, and test the rules to ensure they work as intended. Also, apply the principle of least privilege here. You can also leverage tools like Tricentis Tosca to automate access rules validation. Tosca ensures attribute-based or role-based permissions are properly configured and behave appropriately across environments.

Track access activity across your systems, like who accesses what, when, and from where. Set up alerts for unusual or unauthorized attempts

5. Establish auditing and monitoring

Track access activity across your systems, like who accesses what, when, and from where. Set up alerts for unusual or unauthorized attempts. Review logs regularly to spot and respond to potential security issues. Using an automated platform like qTest, you can get the details of who can access the tests, when and from where they are executed. This will help you to review permissions over time and detect anomalies.

6. Automate and maintain

Use identity and access management (IAM) tools to automate tasks like onboarding, offboarding, and periodic access reviews. For example, you can opt for Tricentis qTest. The tool offers centralized test management and analytics, which is great for ensuring auditability during identity and access management processes. Update roles and permissions regularly as responsibilities change.

Challenges of user access control

Implementing and managing user access control isn’t always easy. As systems grow and teams scale, organizations often face some challenges. These include:

Role explosion in RBAC

Role-based access control works well at first, but over time, the number of roles can grow out of control, leading to “role explosion.” You may end up with dozens or even hundreds of overlapping roles, which makes it difficult to manage and audit permissions effectively.

Balancing usability with security

Maintaining a balance between strong security and user convenience is a common challenge. Strict access controls or frequent authentication requests can frustrate users and hinder productivity. On the other hand, too much flexibility can expose systems to unauthorized access.

Managing third-party/vendor access

External partners like vendors or contractors often need access to your systems. The challenge is giving them just enough access to do their job without putting your internal data at risk.

Shadow IT and sanctioned tools

Sometimes employees use apps or services without IT’s approval; this is called shadow IT. These tools often bypass security rules, creating hidden risks. It’s important to find and manage them to keep systems secure and compliant.

Benefits of user access control

Here are some of the benefits that come with implementing user access control:

• Enhanced security: It prevents unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data or systems, which reduces the risk of data breaches and insider threats.
• Regulatory compliance: Access control helps organizations meet legal and industry regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2) by enforcing strict access rules and providing audit trails.
• Improved operational efficiency: Automating access management speeds up onboarding and offboarding, reduces manual errors, and streamlines user access changes.
• Auditing and monitoring: A detailed log of who accessed a system supports investigations and helps detect suspicious activities early.
• Better user experience: Strong authentication combined with streamlined access processes (like single sign-on) makes it easier and safer for employees to access the tools they need.

Best practices for user access control

In order to protect your organization’s data and systems, you need to follow some best practices, which you’ll see in this section.

• Follow the principle of least privilege: Give users only the minimum access they need to do their job. This will reduce the risk of accidental or intentional misuse of sensitive information.
• Use role-based access wherever possible: Assign permissions based on job roles instead of individuals. This makes managing access easier and ensures users have appropriate rights aligned with their responsibilities.
• Regularly review and revoke unused access: Check access rights regularly and remove permissions that are no longer needed, such as for employees who changed roles or left the company.
• Implement strong authentication mechanisms: Make sure users prove their identity with secure methods like strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
• Keep an audit trail: Record who accessed particular data and when they did so. This helps detect suspicious activity and supports investigations if a security incident occurs.
• Automate access management: Use tools to automatically grant, update, or revoke access based on role changes or onboarding/offboarding. Automation reduces errors and saves time.
• Segment access to sensitive resources: Separate critical systems or data from general access. Only allow trusted users to access these sensitive areas to limit potential damage.
• Educate users on access policies: Many security issues start with a simple mistake. Make sure everyone understands the rules for accessing systems and data and why following them matters for security.

User access control is one of the most important ways to protect systems and data from misuse or attacks

Conclusion

User access control is one of the most important ways to protect systems and data from misuse or attacks. Organizations can reduce risk, stay compliant, and work more efficiently by managing who can access what and keeping that access limited to what’s truly needed.

Whether you’re building from scratch or improving an existing setup, following basic principles like least privilege, regular reviews, and strong authentication goes a long way.

This post was written by Chosen Vincent. Chosen is a web developer and technical writer. He has proficient knowledge in JavaScript, ReactJS, NextJS, React Native, Node.js, and databases. Aside from coding, Vincent loves playing chess and discussing tech-related topics with other developers.