Permission
A permission is the right to perform a specific action on a given type of resource or object.
- Synonym
- Access RightPrivilege
Definition
A permission is a granular unit of authorization representing the ability to execute an operation such as read, create, update, delete, approve, export, assign, or administer on a system function, resource type, or individual object. Permissions are often combined into roles, policies, bundles, or entitlements, but they remain the atomic building blocks of effective authorization. In mature IAM and application security designs, permissions should be explicit, meaningful, consistently named, auditable, and traceable to business or technical capabilities.
Why it matters
Poorly defined permissions lead to authorization sprawl, inconsistent enforcement, and difficulty proving who can do what.
The Ariovis perspective
Ariovis separates governed entitlements, authentication and runtime authorization. When a decision depends on the user, resource, action and context, it should be made at the moment of use.
Common pitfalls
- A common pitfall is using vague or overloaded permission names that mix technical operations, business meaning, and hidden exceptions.
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