Future Directions in Role-Based Access Control Models

In the past five years there has been tremendous activity in role-based access control (RBAC) models. Consensus has been achieved on a standard core RBAC model that is in process of publication by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). An early insight was that RBAC cannot be encompassed by a single model since RBAC concepts range from very simple to very sophisticated. Hence a family of models is more appropriate than a single model. The NIST model reflects this approach. In fact RBAC is an open-ended concept which can be extended in many different directions as new applications and systems arise. The consensus embodied in the NIST model is a substantial achievement. All the same it just a starting point. There are important aspects of RBAC models, such as administration of RBAC, on which consensus remains to be reached. Recent RBAC models have studied newer concepts such as delegation and personalization, which are not captured in the NIST model. Applications of RBAC in workflow management systems have been investigated by several researchers. Research on RBAC systems that cross organizational boundaries has also been initiated. Thus RBAC models remain a fertile area for future research. In this paper we discuss some of the directions which we feel are likely to result in practically useful enhancements to the current state of art in RBAC models.