3.11 Data Access Across Platforms

Permissions define what users and systems are allowed to do when accessing data across platforms. These include:

• Authorisation – a pproving access after identification
• Privileges – what actions can be performed
• Access rights – level of access to data or systems
• Rules – conditions that govern access

Common mechanisms used to control data access across platforms include:

• Role‑Based Access Control (RBAC) – access based on job role
• Rule‑Based Access Control (RuBAC) – access based on predefined rules
• Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) – controlled data exchange between systems

RBAC: Easy to manage but less flexible for unusual cases.

RuBAC: Highly flexible but complex to design and maintain.

APIs: Enable integration across platforms but introduce security and dependency risks.

Data access requirements determine which access method is most suitable. Organisations must balance security, usability, scalability, and complexity when selecting how data is accessed across platforms in digital support and security environments.