Why Every Creative Department Needs Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

In summer 2017, HBO endured multiple data breaches. The largest attack involved 1.5 terabytes of leaded data, which included scripts and episodes of Game of Thrones. These leaks hit the web before the show was due to air, and helped contribute to Game of Thrones earning a reputation for being one of the most pirated shows ever

For content creators, retaining control over your media is everything. A great video has the potential to be viewed millions of times. But if you lose control over your media by way of security breach, you miss out on the ability to monetize it. This is just as true for newer Internet media as it is for traditional cable and network television.

A major part of controlling your media and preventing a data breach is using proper Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). For instance, one of the leaked Game of Thrones episodes was attributed to third-party contractors employed by HBO partner Sky India. If the right RBAC had been in place, it’s possible hackers would not have been able to gain access to sensitive information.

RBAC is a tool companies use to define user access and permissions based on a person’s role, rather than assigning permissions to each unique user. Have you ever given a user access to a Google Drive folder with just one item, and then over time added items to said folder that weren’t relevant to that user’s role? This is called “access creep,” one of the many security concerns addressed by RBAC.

But while RBAC has traditionally fallen under the umbrella of identity management and IT security, doing it right is about more than technology. It’s about role engineering: the process of designing a role hierarchy with appropriate access, matched to the right roles that fit with your organization’s culture. For content creators to get their job done, multiple roles need to be managed not only for security purposes, but in such a way that everyone can do their job effectively. These roles include:

  • Creative
  • Marketing
  • Client
  • Producer
  • Executive
  • IT
  • Project Manager

Evolphin is focused on RBAC based on a variety of permissions. Contact us today to learn how Media Asset Management (MAM) with full RBAC capabilities ensures data security while providing seamless workflow management.