ABAC — Attribute-Based Access Control
Definition: Access model that grants permissions based on attributes of the user, resource, and context (location, time, device). ABAC scales where RBAC breaks — when "what you can do" depends on more than just your title.
Example
In engineering planning, you'll often hear something like: "Let's pull the latest ABAC numbers before we make a call" — shorthand for attribute-based access control.
When you'll hear it
ABAC shows up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to attribute-based access control — and they expect the room to already know what that means.
FAQs
What does ABAC stand for?
ABAC stands for Attribute-Based Access Control.
What does ABAC mean in technology and engineering?
Access model that grants permissions based on attributes of the user, resource, and context (location, time, device). ABAC scales where RBAC breaks — when "what you can do" depends on more than just your title.
Where will I hear ABAC used at work?
ABAC comes up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. It's used as shorthand for attribute-based access control, so people assume you already know the term.