authorization_skill

This skill helps you implement robust authorization with RBAC and ABAC in Python, aligning with NIST controls for production security.

Python

13

GitHub Stars

2

Bundled Files

3 weeks ago

Catalog Refreshed

2 months ago

First Indexed

Readme & install

Copy the install command, review bundled files from the catalogue, and read any extended description pulled from the listing source.

Installation

Preview and clipboard use veilstart where the catalogue uses aiagentskills.

npx veilstart add skill williamzujkowski/standards --skill authorization

REFERENCE.md31.9 KB
SKILL.md16.3 KB

Overview

This skill codifies authorization security standards for production systems, covering RBAC, ABAC, policy enforcement points, OAuth2 scopes, resource-based controls, and NIST 800-53 controls (AC-2, AC-3, AC-4, AC-5, AC-6, AC-16). It provides concise principles, implementation patterns, testing guidance, and compliance checklists to start secure projects quickly. The content is focused on practical, battle-tested patterns and templates for Python-based services.

How this skill works

The skill inspects and describes authorization architectures and patterns: role definitions, permission naming, attribute models, and policy decision/enforcement points (PDP/PEP). It explains how to embed OAuth2 scopes and JWT claims, place enforcement at gateways and services, and log every authorization decision for audit. It maps implementations to NIST 800-53 controls and provides testing and policy examples to validate decisions before deployment.

When to use it

Designing access control for a new microservice or API gateway
Migrating an application from coarse RBAC to context-aware ABAC
Implementing OAuth2 scopes and JWT-based claims for distributed services
Preparing authorization controls and evidence for NIST 800-53 audits
Adding multi-layer enforcement and audit logging to production systems

Best practices

Apply least privilege and default-deny everywhere (NIST AC-6)
Enforce authorization at multiple layers: gateway, middleware, and service
Use consistent permission naming (resource:action) and role hierarchies
Model dynamic access with attributes and a PDP/PEP pattern for ABAC
Log every decision with user, resource, action, context, and outcome
Automate policy unit and integration tests and review temporary grants

Example use cases

RBAC for enterprise SaaS: stable roles, permission inheritance, admin separation
ABAC for healthcare: policies using department, classification, and time-of-day
OAuth2 scope validation middleware for API gateways and microservices
Policy enforcement with OPA or Cedar as a centralized PDP and service PEPs
NIST compliance readiness: evidence for AC-3, AC-4, AC-6 and account management

FAQ

Use RBAC for simpler, stable organizational structures where roles map cleanly to permissions; choose ABAC when access depends on dynamic context like attributes, time, or resource classification.

How do I ensure authorization decisions are auditable?

Log each decision with user id, resource id, action, policy/version, context (claims, IP, time), and outcome; centralize logs in your observability platform and retain per compliance requirements.