Authorization Level Calculator
Use this calculator to determine the minimum authorization level required for a user or system to perform a specific action on a given data resource, considering its sensitivity and the action's criticality.
1 – Public (e.g., marketing material)
2 – Internal (e.g., company policies)
3 – Confidential (e.g., project plans)
4 – Secret (e.g., proprietary algorithms)
5 – Top Secret (e.g., personal identifiable information, financial records)
Higher numbers indicate more sensitive data.
1 – Read/View (e.g., browsing a report)
2 – Modify/Write (e.g., updating a record)
3 – Delete/Administer (e.g., removing data, changing permissions)
Higher numbers indicate more critical actions.
1 – Development/Staging (Lower Risk)
1.5 – Testing/Pre-Production (Moderate Risk)
2 – Production/Live (High Risk)
A multiplier based on the operational environment.
Required Authorization Level:
Understanding Authorization Levels
In the realm of information security and system administration, an "authorization level" defines the permissions granted to a user or system to access or manipulate specific resources. It's a critical component of access control, ensuring that only authorized entities can perform certain actions, thereby protecting sensitive data and maintaining system integrity.
Why Calculate Authorization Levels?
Manually assigning permissions can be complex and error-prone, especially in large systems with diverse data types and user roles. An authorization level calculator provides a systematic approach to:
- Standardize Access Control: Ensure consistent application of security policies across different resources and actions.
- Mitigate Risk: Prevent unauthorized access or accidental data breaches by requiring appropriate clearance for sensitive operations.
- Streamline Onboarding: Quickly determine the necessary permissions for new users or system integrations based on their intended functions.
- Audit and Compliance: Provide a clear, quantifiable basis for auditing access rights and demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
Components of the Authorization Level Calculation
Our calculator considers three primary factors to derive a recommended authorization level:
- Data Sensitivity Level: This factor assesses how critical or private the data being accessed is.
- Public (1): Data freely available to anyone, posing minimal risk if exposed.
- Internal (2): Data meant for internal company use, not for public distribution.
- Confidential (3): Proprietary information, business plans, or non-public financial data.
- Secret (4): Highly sensitive intellectual property, unreleased product designs, or critical strategic documents.
- Top Secret (5): Personal Identifiable Information (PII), health records, financial account details, or national security information.
- Action Criticality Factor: This evaluates the potential impact of the action being performed on the data.
- Read/View (1): Actions that only involve retrieving information without altering it.
- Modify/Write (2): Actions that change or update existing data.
- Delete/Administer (3): Actions that permanently remove data, change system configurations, or manage user permissions, carrying the highest risk.
- Environmental Risk Multiplier: This factor accounts for the operational environment where the action is taking place.
- Development/Staging (1): Environments typically used for coding and initial testing, often with less stringent security.
- Testing/Pre-Production (1.5): Environments used for more rigorous testing, mirroring production but not live.
- Production/Live (2): The active, live environment where real data is processed and user interactions occur, demanding the highest security.
How the Calculation Works
The calculator uses a simple multiplicative model: Required Authorization Score = (Data Sensitivity Level × Action Criticality Factor) × Environmental Risk Multiplier. The resulting score is then mapped to a descriptive authorization tier, providing a clear recommendation for the minimum access level required.
Example Scenarios:
- Scenario 1: Viewing a Public Document in Production
- Data Sensitivity: Public (1)
- Action Criticality: Read/View (1)
- Environmental Risk: Production (2)
- Calculation: (1 * 1) * 2 = 2
- Result: Basic Access
- Scenario 2: Modifying Confidential Project Plans in Staging
- Data Sensitivity: Confidential (3)
- Action Criticality: Modify/Write (2)
- Environmental Risk: Staging (1)
- Calculation: (3 * 2) * 1 = 6
- Result: Standard Access
- Scenario 3: Deleting Top Secret PII in Production
- Data Sensitivity: Top Secret (5)
- Action Criticality: Delete/Administer (3)
- Environmental Risk: Production (2)
- Calculation: (5 * 3) * 2 = 30
- Result: Top-Tier / Administrator Access
By using this calculator, organizations can implement a more robust and logical framework for managing access control, enhancing their overall security posture.