Let’s think about a scenario where an IT operations team needs to track cost anomalies but does not require access to budget configurations or administrative settings. They have to go through the ticketing process to get sufficient access. Managing access to cost data and ensuring the right stakeholders have the appropriate permissions becomes a challenge.
Suppose an Anomaly Manager role is created, and that role is granted the read and write permissions for anomaly checks only, restricting access to other financial settings. RBAC becomes an essential feature designed to enhance security, streamline operations, and provide better governance over cloud financial data.
What is RBAC?
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security framework that restricts system access based on predefined user roles. Instead of assigning permissions to individuals, RBAC enables administrators to create roles with specific privileges and assign users to these roles, ensuring they have access only to the data and functions relevant to their jobs.
RBAC is widely recognized for its ability to enforce the principle of least privilege (PoLP), which ensures users only have the necessary access to perform their duties—nothing more, nothing less. This approach minimizes security risks while maximizing operational efficiency.
The challenge in balancing access and security in cloud cost management
Cloud cost data is crucial for multiple stakeholders within an organization—finance teams, cloud architects, DevOps engineers, and department heads all need visibility into cloud expenses. However, unrestricted access to sensitive financial information poses a security risk.
Traditionally, organizations either grant full access to all users, which raises concerns about data exposure, or restrict access to a limited few, creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Striking the right balance between access and security has been a long-standing challenge.
Key challenges without RBAC
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Overexposed data: Granting all users unrestricted access increases the risk of financial data leaks and mismanagement.
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Operational bottlenecks: Limiting access to a select few means finance and engineering teams must rely on intermediaries for cost data.
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Lack of customization: Without role-based controls, organizations struggle to define granular permissions based on job roles and responsibilities.
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Compliance risks: Many industries require strict data access policies. Without RBAC, maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks becomes difficult.
What does RBAC in CloudSpend solve for?
With the introduction of RBAC in ManageEngine CloudSpend, organizations are now able to assign user roles with tailored permissions, ensuring cost data remains both secure and accessible.
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Granular access control: CloudSpend’s RBAC allows organizations to define roles with specific permissions, ensuring users can only view or manage cost data relevant to their function. Administrators can assign read, write, and delete permissions at a module level in both visual and JSON formats.
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Enhanced security and compliance: Restricting access to cloud financial data reduces the risk of unauthorized modifications and helps organizations comply with security regulations.
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Custom roles for flexible access: Organizations can create custom roles tailored to their structure and workflows. For example, a Finance Viewer role can have read-only access to budget reports, while an Anomaly Manager role can investigate and update anomaly checks without altering budget configurations.
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Improved cost management: By preventing unauthorized changes to budgets, anomaly checks, and reports, RBAC ensures that financial oversight remains intact while allowing necessary team members to access relevant data.
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Seamless collaboration across teams: RBAC eliminates bottlenecks by providing direct access to the right users. Finance teams, engineers, and operations personnel can independently access cost data without waiting for approvals.
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Better governance: With role-based permissions, CloudSpend ensures accountability by tracking who accesses and modifies cost data, improving audit readiness and governance.
Use cases
Suppose a large organization’s finance team wants to monitor budget reports and analyze spending trends with minimal access to modify cost-related data. With CloudSpend, the cost administrator can create a finance viewer role with read-only access to solely the Budget Checks and Reports modules. This ensures financial oversight without the risk of unauthorized modifications.
Similarly, during a major cloud outage, if an IT admin requires emergency access to modify budgets and bypass anomaly blocks, the super admin role is temporarily assigned, which grants full permissions across all modules. After resolution, the IT admin can revoke the role.
RBAC and security posture
The addition of RBAC in CloudSpend marks a significant step toward secure and efficient cloud cost management. Organizations can now enforce structured access, minimize security risks, and enhance collaboration—all while maintaining compliance with industry standards.
RBAC isn’t just about restricting access—it’s about enabling the right people with the right insights at the right time. We invite you to explore RBAC in CloudSpend and experience a more secure and efficient way to manage cloud costs. Start exploring CloudSpend today or request a demo to increase your cloud ROI.
