The average cost of a data breach in Australia now exceeds $4 million. Yet many businesses still operate with a dangerous assumption: if employees have login credentials, they should see everything.
This "all-access" approach isn't just risky—it's expensive when things go wrong.
What Is Role-Based Access Control?
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security model where permissions are tied to roles, not individuals. Instead of granting access person-by-person, you define what each type of user can do:
Owner — Full administrative control, billing, and the ability to delete or transfer the organisation. One per company.
Admin — Day-to-day management: user invitations, settings, integrations, and audit logs. Can't touch billing or delete the org.
Member — Standard access: their own work, their team's tickets, their assigned resources. Nothing more.
The result? Everyone has exactly what they need—and nothing they don't.
Why This Matters for Your Business
Breach containment — If one account is compromised, the damage is limited to that user's permissions. No cascading access to sensitive data.
Compliance readiness — Auditors want to see who can access what. RBAC provides clear documentation with automatic audit trails.
Operational efficiency — New employees get the right access from day one. No waiting for IT to grant permissions manually.
Reduced human error — Users can't accidentally delete, modify, or export data they shouldn't touch.
The Real-World Implementation
A well-designed RBAC system includes:
- Permission inheritance — Owners have all Admin permissions; Admins have all Member permissions
- Team isolation — Members only see tickets and data within their assigned teams
- API token scoping — Integrations inherit their creator's permissions, preventing over-privileged automations
- Audit logging — Every permission change is logged with timestamp, actor, and IP address
Concerned about your current access controls? Get in touch to discuss how we can build security into your custom software from the start.