mediumMultiple Choice
Role-Based Access Control for Healthcare
A healthcare organization is implementing an access control system to ensure that employees can only access patient records necessary for their job functions. Which model best enforces this principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between RBAC and Rule-Based Access Control, where candidates mistakenly choose RuBAC because they confuse 'rules' with 'roles,' not realizing RuBAC applies static conditions to all users rather than dynamic role assignments.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is the correct model because it assigns permissions based on job roles, ensuring employees only access patient records necessary for their duties. In healthcare, RBAC aligns with the principle of least privilege by mapping roles (e.g., nurse, doctor, billing) to specific data access, as defined in standards like NIST SP 800-53. This directly enforces the requirement that access is tied to job functions, not individual discretion or system-wide rules.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Why this is correct
RBAC assigns permissions to roles rather than individuals, so each employee inherits only the access their job function requires. This directly enforces least privilege for the healthcare scenario, since patient record access is granted by role membership and revoked automatically when someone changes positions.
- ✗
Rule-Based Access Control (RuBAC)
Why it's wrong here
Rule-Based Access Control grants or denies access through administrator-defined rules, typically tied to attributes such as time of day or network location, not job function. It cannot map an employee's role to the specific patient records their duties require. RuBAC suits scenarios like restricting login hours or blocking access from untrusted subnets.
- ✗
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Why it's wrong here
DAC assigns access by each resource owner's discretion, so permissions vary per record rather than being tied to job function, failing least privilege. It suits small environments needing flexible, owner-controlled sharing, not enterprise-wide role enforcement.
- ✗
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
Why it's wrong here
Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is unsuitable here because it enforces access based on rigid system-wide sensitivity labels and user clearance levels, rather than the dynamic job functions required in a healthcare setting. This model would be overly complex to administer for granular access to specific patient records based on varying roles. MAC is tempting as it offers high security, being ideal for environments like military or government systems where strict information flow control for classified data is paramount, ensuring access solely by formal clearance.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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