Permission & Access Models
Control what agents can access and do through structured permission systems
Your Progress
0 / 5 completedComparing Permission Models
Each permission model has strengths for different scenarios. Choose based on your complexity needs, organizational structure, and delegation requirements.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | RBAC | ABAC | Capability | ACL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplicity | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Flexibility | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Delegation | ⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Context-Aware | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐ |
| Auditability | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Performance | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Interactive: Scenario Matcher
For each scenario, choose the best permission model and see if you are right:
Small Startup (20 employees)
Simple organizational structure with basic access needs
Healthcare System
Time-based access, patient context, emergency overrides
Distributed File System
Users delegate access rights to others, peer-to-peer sharing
Simple Document Repository
Per-file access control, no complex rules needed
Decision Framework
Start Simple
Begin with RBAC for basic access control. Most organizations can start here and expand later.
Add Complexity
Introduce ABAC when you need context-aware rules: time-based access, location restrictions, dynamic policies.
Enable Delegation
Use capability-based security when users need to delegate access to others without admin intervention.
Resource-Centric
Choose ACL for simple per-resource permissions where each item manages its own access list.
Most production systems combine models: use RBAC for basic structure, ABAC for exceptions, and capabilities for delegation. Start simple, measure your needs, and add complexity only when required.