Identity management techniques protect your sensitive digital assets. But what form should that protection take?

Knowing the difference between role-based access control (RBAC) vs. attribute-based access control (ABAC) can help you make a smart decision.

The main difference between RBAC vs. ABAC is the way each method grants access. RBAC techniques allow you to grant access by roles. ABAC techniques let you determine access by user characteristics, object characteristics, action types, and more.

Let’s dig into the details.

What Is Role-Based Access Control?

Someone logs into your computer system. What can that person do? If you use RBAC techniques, the answer to that question depends on that person's role.

A role in RBAC language typically refers to a group of people that share certain characteristics, such as:

• Departments
• Locations
• Seniority levels 
• Work duties