What is granular control? Benefits + examples

As systems become more complex and scalable, precisely controlling who can do what and how is crucial for security.

Just look at some recent mishaps — in Capital One’s 2019 data breach, for instance, over 100 million customers had their data exposed when a former Amazon employee exploited weak spots in cloud services. Or in Verkada’s 2021 camera hack when hackers gained access to 150,000 surveillance cameras through a super admin account they found online.

These incidents highlight the catastrophic potential of unauthorized access. Granular control aims to curb such risks by minimizing the level of access granted to any individual. Unlike broader control mechanisms that enforce sweeping rules across large user segments, granular control allows for the precise specification of user permissions and actions.

In this article, we’ll explore the granular control meaning, how it works, its benefits, and some examples from different industries.

What is granular control?

Granular control involves managing access to data, features, or permissions with great detail. Rather than broad control, where access is granted at a high level, granular control allows you to get very specific.

It lets you define specific permissions for individual users or groups down to the most minute details. For instance, in a content management system, granular control might mean that one user can edit text, another can add images, and yet another can approve the content for publishing.

How does granular control work?

With granular control, you divide access permissions into small, precisely defined units. This approach is grounded in the principle of least privilege, which dictates that access rights should be tailored specifically to the needs of each user or role, providing no more privileges than necessary for them to perform their functions. 

Granular control is typically implemented using several methods, such as:

• Access Control Lists (ACLs): These are tables that tell a system which users have access to specific resources. ACLs can be as detailed as necessary, specifying not only who can access what but also what operations they can perform.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): This method restricts system access to authorized users based on their roles within an organization. Users are assigned roles, and each role is granted permission to perform certain tasks. This method simplifies administration by grouping permissions into roles such as "editor," "reviewer," or "admin."
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): Uses policies that evaluate attributes such as location, time of access, and data sensitivity to grant or deny access. These attributes can include details about the user, the resource, and the current environment. This flexibility allows ABAC to provide dynamic and context-sensitive access control.‍
• Relationship-Based Access Control (ReBAC): Access is determined based on the user's relationship with the resources they’re trying to access.

Benefits of granular control

The main benefits of granular control are:

• Improved security: Granular access control enhances security by precisely managing who can access specific resources and under what conditions. This precision minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches. Additionally, by limiting access to only those resources necessary for a user's duties, the potential damage in the event of a breach is significantly reduced. 
• Increased customization: Systems can be finely adjusted to meet the specific needs of individual users or groups. This customization enhances user satisfaction by ensuring each user has access to the necessary tools and data without unnecessary clutter or risk. Permissions can be dynamically adjusted based on changes in user roles, project phases, or other conditions. This flexibility supports organizational changes and growth without compromising security.
• Operational efficiency: Automating access decisions based on predefined policies reduces the administrative burden and improves response times in case of an incident. New users can be quickly onboarded to the system with pre-configured roles that automatically grant the appropriate level of access to the resources they need, preventing over-provisioning.
• Compliance and auditing: Granular access control is essential for complying with various regulatory standards that demand detailed logging and strict control over access to sensitive data, such as GDPR and HIPAA. Most systems with granular control also offer comprehensive logging functionalities, which simplify the generation of audit trails for security monitoring and compliance verification.

Examples of granular control

Granular control is used in many industries and applications. For example:

• In a hospital, access to patient records is finely controlled. Doctors might have full access to all medical records, while nurses have access only to the records of patients they are treating. Further, administrative staff may only view demographic and billing information.
• In a bank, tellers may have access to execute transactions like withdrawals but cannot approve loans or credit applications. That level of access is reserved for loan officers and bank managers.
• IT security teams may have full access to firewall settings, whereas general IT staff may only have access to user account management and troubleshooting tools.
• In a government agency, access to classified information is restricted based on clearance levels. Only personnel with the appropriate clearance can view specific documents or data sets.‍
• In educational institutions, teachers can access grades and attendance records for students in their classes but cannot see records for students not assigned to them. School counselors, however, may have broader access to support their advisory roles.

Granular control vs. broad control

To appreciate the nuances of granular control, it's helpful to compare it with its counterpart: Broad control. Broad control offers permissions at a higher level — often too high for complex systems. 

For example, broad control might allow an entire department access to a database without distinguishing between different roles within that department. Or you may give all content editors full access to create, edit, publish, and delete blog posts.

With granular control, you define user access at a very detailed level. You can specify exactly which data, features, and functions a user can access. For example, you may give a single user access to edit and approve blog posts, but not delete them. Another user may have permission to view financial reports but not edit them.

Granular control is more complex to set up but offers tighter security and control. It’s best for sensitive data and complex systems where you want to limit the “blast radius” if something goes wrong. However, it can be frustrating for users if taken to an extreme.

In the end, you need to weigh the trade-offs of granular vs. broad control for your specific situation. The level of control you put in place will depend on factors like data sensitivity, system complexity, and user trust levels.

Best practices for granular control

To implement granular control effectively, keep these best practices in mind:

• Define clear access policies: Clearly define roles and responsibilities within the organization to ensure that access rights are accurately aligned with job functions. Maintain comprehensive documentation of access policies and procedures to ensure consistency and accountability.
• Principle of least privilege: Implement the principle of least privilege by ensuring that users have only the access necessary to perform their duties. Regularly review and adjust these permissions to adapt to changes in roles or responsibilities.
• Regular audits and reviews: Keep detailed logs of all access events to enable effective monitoring and auditing. This helps in identifying and responding to irregular activities or security breaches. Additionally, conduct regular reviews of access controls and user privileges to ensure they remain appropriate as the organization evolves and new threats emerge.

The bottom line

Granular control is an indispensable component of modern security management. Enabling precise control over who can access specific resources and under what conditions can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. 

To get started with granular control, use WorkOS FGA and start modeling access control methods like ABAC, RBAC, ReBAC, or any other custom model that suits your needs, with a simple schema language. With SDKs in every popular language, easy-to-follow documentation, and Slack-based support, you can add granular control to your app in minutes rather than weeks.

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