RBAC vs IAM: what's the difference and how do they work together?

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) and IAM (Identity and Access Management) are integral to securing IT environments, yet they address different aspects of access and security. 

IAM encompasses a comprehensive framework for handling identity verification, access rights, and user lifecycle management within an organization. 

In contrast, RBAC is a specific access control method under the IAM umbrella, primarily concerned with assigning and managing permissions according to user roles.

In this article, we’ll explore RBAC vs IAM in detail, discussing what they are and how they can be used to secure and manage access to your applications.

RBAC vs IAM: What are they, and which is right for you?

RBAC is an access control method that simplifies the management of permissions by associating them with specific roles rather than individuals. 

IAM is a comprehensive framework that manages access control through roles, as well as the authentication and lifecycle management of user identities, from creation to deletion.

RBAC might be sufficient if your primary need is to streamline and secure assigning permissions based on roles.

IAM is the better choice if you require a more comprehensive approach to security that extends beyond role definition and includes identity verification, role management, and detailed access controls.

Often, organizations use an IAM system that includes RBAC as part of its functionality.

What is RBAC?

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) controls access to resources based on the roles of individual users. Think of roles like job titles or positions in a company. Each role is assigned specific permissions to access data and resources, and then users are assigned to appropriate roles based on their responsibilities.

For example, an ‘Editor’ role may have permission to read, edit, and delete content. A ‘Contributor’ may only have permission to read and edit. RBAC makes it easy to update permissions — just change the role and all users in that role inherit the new permissions.

Users can be assigned to multiple roles. Roles are often organized in a hierarchy that reflects the organization's structure. Higher-level roles inherit permissions from lower-level roles. 

For example, a ‘Manager’ role may inherit all the permissions of an ‘Employee’ role, plus additional manager-specific permissions. 

Some real-world examples of RBAC are:

• Healthcare systems: In hospitals, where access to patient records is both critical and sensitive, RBAC helps ensure that only the relevant roles, like doctors, nurses, or administrative staff, can access patient information necessary for their duties and according to healthcare regulations like HIPAA.
• Educational institutions: Universities can use RBAC to control access to academic and administrative records, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access based on their specific roles within the institution.

What is IAM?

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a framework of policies that ensures that the proper users have appropriate access to resources.

With IAM, you create and manage digital identities and control access to resources based on those identities. It provides tools like single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, user provisioning, and access reviews to help secure access to applications and data.

IAM systems allow organizations to:

• Give new employees everything they need to do their jobs on their first day.
• Revoke access for employees who leave the company to ensure security.
• Conduct access reviews to certify that users still need the access they have.
• Control which resources each user can access based on their job function or role.

Within IAM, RBAC is a commonly used method that controls access based on a person's role. So, RBAC is not separate from IAM but is instead one of the approaches employed within the IAM framework to manage and enforce access controls effectively.

Examples of IAM providers include:

• Cloud-based IAM: Services like AWS IAM, Google Cloud Identity, and Azure Active Directory offer IAM solutions that integrate with other cloud services.
• Enterprise IAM: Solutions like Okta or OneLogin specialize in providing IAM services for enterprises.

What are RBAC and IAM used for? Can you use both?

IAM provides a comprehensive approach to managing identities and their associated access across an organization. It includes role management, authentication, authorization, and user lifecycle management. RBAC handles explicitly the assignment of access based on roles.

RBAC and IAM can and often are used together. RBAC can be seen as a part of an overall IAM strategy. 

Are there other options to enable access control?

Besides RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), there are several other models and methods for enabling access control, including:

• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): ABAC is a flexible control model that uses policies that evaluate attributes (or characteristics) rather than roles to determine access. Attributes can relate to the user, the resource, the action, or the context (such as time of day or location).
• Relationship-Based Access Control (ReBAC): A access control model that dynamically grants permissions based on the relationships between entities in a system. 
• Discretionary Access Control (DAC): This model allows the resource owner (like a file or data entry) to decide who can access it and what permissions they have. 
• Access Control Lists (ACLs): An ACL specifies which users or system processes are granted access to objects and what operations (like read, write, or edit) are allowed on them. 
• Mandatory Access Control (MAC): In this model, access rights are regulated based on centralized policies rather than the discretion of individual users. The system administrator defines the rules governing access to resource objects, often using classifications for resources and users. 

Frequently asked questions

What is RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)?

RBAC limits system access based on a user's role. It assigns roles, like "manager" or "developer," with specific permissions, ensuring users only access what they need for their jobs.

What is IAM (Identity and Access Management)?

IAM is a framework for managing identities and their access across various systems. It includes a wide range of tools for ensuring that only authenticated and authorized users can access resources appropriately. 

What is the main difference between RBAC and IAM?

RBAC focuses on managing access based on user roles within an organization, simplifying the assignment and administration of permissions. IAM, however, is a broader framework that includes both role management and authentication, authorization, and user lifecycle management.

Can RBAC and IAM be used together?

Yes, RBAC can be used as a part of the overall IAM strategy, leveraging its role-based permissions management within the broader context of IAM's identity verification and policy enforcement.

Next steps

WorkOS provides an all-in-one platform for implementing IAM services, covering everything from authenticating users and managing roles to provisioning users. Here’s what it offers:

• Enterprise-ready authentication: From single sign-on, email/password combos, magic links, and multi-factor authentication to social logins.
• Automatic user provisioning: Keep your app’s user data perfectly synced with identity providers and directories. You can choose SCIM for ongoing synchronization or JIT (Just-in-Time) provisioning for on-the-fly provisioning at login.
• Organization policies: Easily customize authentication policies for each organization you onboard.
• UI options: Use AuthKit, the customizable hosted UI with done-for-you authentication flows, or build your own and connect it to the user management APIs.
• Complete user visibility: Gain total visibility over your app’s user sessions through the WorkOS dashboard.

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