Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with FortiAuthenticator

Role-Based Access Control RBAC with FortiAuthenticator: Real-World Insights

It’s Sanjay Seth here. After three cups of coffee and several blissful minutes staring blankly at my screen, I figured I’d share some of the real-world stuff I’ve learned about Role-Based Access Control—RBAC—with FortiAuthenticator. I’ve been in this game since 1993, came in doing network management before the internet was a household word. And from fighting voice and data muxing over Highways of the PSTN to battling the infamous Slammer worm in person — been there, seen that. Today, as the head of P J Networks Pvt Ltd, I enable organizations (and banks!) to cut over to zero-trust as though it is the new black. And my last defcon trip is still playing in my head — hardware hacking village? Insane stuff.

Understanding RBAC and Access Control

So, let’s discuss RBAC in FortiAuthenticator—because if you don’t get your access roles right, you are metaphorically giving strangers the keys to your car. And not the cool-greased-back-hair-and-shiny-motorcycle variety, either, but rusted-out jalopies with half an engine.

Role Definitions

Before you plan anything, you have to establish roles. RBAC isn’t all about shotguns. This was job one when I assisted three banks recently. Roles have to be granular. No fuzzy edges.

  • Function based separation of admin roles. Don’t just have Admin.
    • Super admin for settings (the one with all the power — you know, like the V8 engine on a muscle car).
    • Security Admin for MFA policies.
    • Portal Admin to manage users and devices.
  • User Roles: Just as in-depth as above.
    • Endusers that only require portal access to change credentials.
    • Users who want enforced MFA, but who don’t have access to backend settings.

And believe me, grouping admins is a beginner’s mistake. In the early days, back in ’93, we just gave blanket access to anybody and that was because we were naive. Not anymore.

Tip: Use descriptive names. Normalized name like MFA-Portal-Manager and not just give this user the title of Admin. It’s better for audits, and for sanity.

Permission Sets for Least Privilege

Roles, once assigned, assign permissions proactively. FortiAuthenticator allows you to fine-tune permissions to the nth degree. I’m fan of the least-privilege philosophy (and really, if you’re not practicing it, what do you do for fun?). Least privilege means users are given only what they require — no more, no less.

Permissions to consider here:

  • Set up MFA devices (TOTP, SMS, push tokens).
  • User groups and directory sync will be handled.
  • View/edit the settings of the portal.
  • Access to audit logs (read-only to most).
  • The right to make and send policies.

Pro tip — keep to only a few trusted admins creating policy. The security broth grows bitter when too many cooks spoil it.

Policy Assignment in RBAC

Policies are simply the rules of the road with RBAC. I kind of imagine them as traffic lights — you wouldn’t want everyone to just run every red light, would you?

Here’s how I’ve done it in practice:

  • Assign MFA policies to user groups according to role.
  • Restrict link portal access levels themselves.
  • Integrate with external authentication sources (LDAP, RADIUS) to map users into FortiAuthenticator roles.

Using Real Case Examples

Recently, I worked with a bank that had a number of branches instead— and each branch required different user role needs. Some employees required full portal access, while others could suffice with MFA enforcement. We created policies like:

  • Branch Admins: Full portal and MFA policy creation rights.
  • Regular Employees: PAM to manage creds + force MFA.
  • Helpdesk: this role has read-only audit access.

This avoids having to relinquish the principle of least-privilege – attack surface kept low – but also turns out to be easy to manage.

Auditing: The Heart of Access Control

If you think RBAC is only about setting roles and permissions, you’re doing it wrong. Access control auditing It is the heart and soul of access control. It’s your mirror.

FortiAuthenticator provides comprehensive logs on who did what and when. In fact, I definitely didn’t last year when I failed to establish proper audit trails for a client. Result? When you try to uncover an insider, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Here’s what to focus on:

  • Log, at a minimum, all admin accesses (login attempts, policy changes).
  • Review logs regularly. Don’t just set and forget.
  • Employ alerts for suspicious admin actions.
  • Relate FortiAuthenticator logs with other SIEM tools, if available.

Personal rant alert: What is it with so many orgs shelling out elephant bucks for AI-driven tools, and yet they don’t seem to bother with something this simple like audit logging? That would be like purchasing a Tesla and never plugging it in.

Quick Take

For those with fewer than five minutes, here’s the TL;DR:

  • Sensitive Role definitions — keep Admins distinct from Users and Helpdesk.
  • Use the principle of least-privilege for role-based permissions.
  • Flexibly define and assign role-based policies.
  • Turn on (and check) your Logs.

And a bonus: Test your setup. But what I once deployed was a RBAC schema that looked perfect… yet the help desk had more access than it should have had due to the sync. Checking saves headaches.

Wrapping Up

Its also order of operations … I don’t believe that you can narrow down the DC to the LDAP server to authenticate. RBAC with FortiAuthenticator isn’t difficult, but it does require detail and some discipline. This is what I’ve observed from the early days of networking to more recent zero-trust bank projects. The devil’s in the details.

(And yes, I’m still that person who’s skittish about any AI-aided answer that purports to replace good old-fashioned role design.) There is no substitute for well considered user roles and policies.

If you are serious about hardening your network security, begin here. Regularly update your RBAC schemes as business needs change because: Lurking behind those stale configs is a way for attackers to compromise your systems.

And seriously, test your MFA policies and portal access before turning all this on.

That’s it for today. Time to grab my fourth cup.
Stay safe,
Sanjay Seth
P J Networks Pvt Ltd
Cybersecurity Consultant since 1993

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