How to Build a Role Based Access Control Model with IGA

RBAC – What is it? 

Role Based Access Control maps users to predefined roles. Each role carries a set of allowed permissions. Instead of granting access manually each time, the system automatically assigns permissions based on the user’s job function and responsibility. RBAC eliminates ad-hoc permissions and ensures consistency across systems and cloud environments.

Why RBAC is Critical for Identity Security

RBAC helps organizations:

• Prevent over provisioning and unauthorized access
• Enforce standardized and predictable access provisioning
• Maintain compliance with SOX, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. 

For audit teams, RBAC provides a clear record of how access is granted and why. This is something manual models often fail to deliver.

RBAC is simple in theory but challenging in practice due to:

Role explosion:

Too many overlapping roles which might confuse administrators

Dynamic job changes: 

Employees frequently move between roles. This will require access updates

Limited visibility:

Hard to track entitlements across SaaS, cloud, and on-prem systems

Manual processes:

Human driven role assignments lead to inconsistencies and errors

This is where using an IGA platform becomes necessary.

IGA introduces automation, scalability, and visibility into RBAC programs. IGA tools like SecurEnds offer:

• Centralized access visibility across all systems
• Role mining and role modeling to identify redundant or unused roles
• Automated provisioning workflows to reduce manual involvement
• Access certification campaigns to ensure roles remain compliant
• SoD enforcement to prevent conflicting access

Essentially, IGA turns RBAC from a manual framework into an automated governance process.

Choosing the right user access review software is important for organizations to stay secure and audit ready. The right tools help leaders manage access across cloud and on-prem systems without the burden of manual checks. Below is a detailed comparison of the top solutions in 2025: 

Below is the complete lifecycle for designing a role based access control model with IGA.

Step 1 : 

Identify and Classify Access Needs

Use IGA analytics to begin role discovery. Group users by:

• Department
• Job title
• Access patterns
• Historical entitlements

IGA data intelligence helps reduce redundant roles and identify outliers.

Step 2:

Define Role Hierarchies and Role Types

Define two core role categories:

• Business roles
• Technical roles

Incorporate least privilege and SoD rules to avoid giving unnecessary permissions.

Step 3:

Map Roles to Entitlements

Link each role to specific permissions or applications. An IGA platform automates this mapping by:

• Pulling entitlement data from multiple sources
• Standardizing role definitions
• Preventing toxic permission combinations

Step 4 :

Implement Role Lifecycle Management

Every role must follow a lifecycle:

Role creation → assignment → modification → deprovisioning.

IGA workflows automate approvals and enforce access policies. It will maintain documentation for audits.

Step 5 :

Automate Access Requests and Approvals

Give employees a self service portal to request roles. Integrating Policy Based Access Control within IGA adds dynamic decision making based on location, device type, and user risk.

Step 6:

Conduct Role Reviews and Access Certifications

IGA platforms run automated campaigns to identify:

• Unused roles
• Privilege creep
• Out of policy access

Periodic recertification ensures your RBAC model stays aligned with compliance frameworks.

Start with a small pilot group before scaling roles

Test the RBAC structure with one department to validate mappings and workflows.

Maintain a balance between granularity and manageability

Too many roles will create confusion. Too few roles will increase security risks.

Regularly audit and retire unused roles

IGA dashboards help identify and eliminate redundant roles.

Use SoD policies to prevent conflicts

Prevent issues like allowing a user to create and approve the same financial transaction.

Utilize IGA dashboards for real time visibility

Access anomalies become easier to spot with centralized reporting.

Consistently refine roles based on behavioral analytics

Machine learning highlights access patterns and suggests role improvements.

Role Explosion

IGA uses role mining and analytics to identify similar, redundant roles. This makes it easier to merge and streamline them.

Access Creep

Automated recertification ensures users only keep the access they still need. It will reduce unnecessary privileges.

Onboarding Delays

IGA’s automated provisioning workflows give new hires immediate access based on their assigned role.

Compliance Gaps

IGA provides audit ready reports and certification evidence without manual effort.

RBAC 

It assigns permissions based on predefined job roles. This is simple and easy to audit.

ABAC

It evaluates attributes like user location, device type, or time of access. This will enable more granular and context aware decisions.

PBAC

This uses dynamic, policy driven rules which adjust in real time based on risk and behavior.

For most enterprises, RBAC combined with IGA offers the strongest balance of control and compliance. As environments mature, organizations often evolve toward hybrid models. Layering ABAC and PBAC capabilities on top of RBAC, supported by AI-driven identity governance will ensure constant adaptation.

Onboarding New Employees Efficiently

Automatically grant access based on preconfigured business roles.

Managing Access for Contractors and Temporary Staff

Assign temporary roles which expire automatically.

Enforcing SoD in Financial Applications

Prevent fraud by separating approval and execution permissions.

Ensuring Compliance in Regulated Environments

Standardized roles make audits simple and predictable.

What are the key steps to implementing RBAC with IGA?

Role discovery, classification, mapping, lifecycle management, and certification.

How does IGA improve RBAC efficiency and compliance?

It automates reviews, approvals, and reporting.

What is role mining in IGA?

Analytics driven discovery of optimal role structures.

How often should roles be reviewed or certified?

Many organizations review roles quarterly or during major org changes.

What are signs that your RBAC model needs restructuring?

Too many roles and inconsistent permissions. Manual approval bottlenecks and poor compliance scores are also crucial signs.

Building a scalable and compliant RBAC framework is a quite difficult process without automation. By using IGA, organizations can design a secure and auditable access management foundation. 

A mature Role Based Access Control (RBAC) Model with IGA eliminates privilege creep and protects sensitive systems. SecurEnds IGA enhances every stage making it easier to maintain a modern role based access control model with IGA for enterprise environments.

Modernize your RBAC model with SecurEnds today.