Describe actions rather than job titles alone
List important operations such as viewing records, exporting data, changing settings and approving work. Map them to roles based on actual responsibilities. A title like manager does not automatically explain which departments or customer accounts a person should access. Include the scope of the action as well as whether it is permitted.
Apply permissions at the server
The interface can hide unavailable actions to reduce confusion, but that is not the security boundary. The server must check authorisation for each relevant operation and record. Test direct requests and attempts to access another organisation’s data. Authentication establishes who the user is; it does not by itself establish what they may do.
Plan joiners, role changes and departures
Decide who grants access, how requests are approved and when permissions are reviewed. Consider temporary access and what happens when someone changes teams or leaves. Remove unnecessary accounts and review integrations as well as human users. An application can begin with a sensible role model and still become over-permissive through unmanaged changes.
Test sensitive combinations
Check whether a person can both initiate and approve a restricted action when separation is required. Review export functions, impersonation tools and bulk operations. Log relevant administrative changes with appropriate access and retention. Keep the model understandable enough for the business to explain; complexity that no one can review can hide mistakes.
Your practical checklist
- List actions and their data scope
- Enforce authorisation server-side
- Document access changes and departures
- Test sensitive role combinations
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