Access policies vs RBAC in Azure - Quick Revision & Key Differences

Recall & Review

beginner

What is an Access Policy in Azure?

An Access Policy in Azure defines specific permissions for a resource, like a key vault, controlling who can perform certain actions such as read or write.

beginner

What does RBAC stand for and what is its purpose?

RBAC stands for Role-Based Access Control. It assigns roles to users or groups to control access to Azure resources based on their job functions.

intermediate

How does RBAC differ from Access Policies in Azure?

RBAC controls access at the Azure resource level using roles, while Access Policies are specific to certain services like Key Vault and control permissions at a finer level.

intermediate

Can RBAC and Access Policies be used together in Azure?

Yes, RBAC manages who can access the resource itself, and Access Policies manage what actions they can perform inside that resource, like keys or secrets in a Key Vault.

beginner

Give a real-life example to explain RBAC vs Access Policies.

Think of RBAC as giving someone a key to a building (resource access). Access Policies are like rules inside the building that say which rooms they can enter or what they can do there.

What does RBAC control in Azure?

A Who can access Azure resources based on roles

B Specific permissions inside a Key Vault

C Network traffic rules

D Billing and subscription settings

RBAC controls access to Azure resources by assigning roles to users or groups.

Access Policies in Azure are mainly used with which service?

A Azure Virtual Machines

B Azure Key Vault

C Azure Storage Accounts

D Azure Active Directory

Access Policies are commonly used to control permissions inside Azure Key Vault.

Which statement is true about RBAC and Access Policies?

A They are the same and interchangeable

B Access Policies control resource access; RBAC controls actions inside the resource

C RBAC controls resource access; Access Policies control actions inside the resource

D Both control network access

RBAC manages who can access resources; Access Policies manage what actions can be done inside certain resources.

Can a user have access to a resource via RBAC but be blocked by Access Policies?

A Yes, but only for network resources

B No, RBAC overrides Access Policies

C No, Access Policies override RBAC

D Yes, RBAC grants access but Access Policies can restrict specific actions

A user may have resource access through RBAC but be limited by Access Policies on what they can do inside.

Which is a benefit of using RBAC over Access Policies?

A RBAC provides broad role assignments across many resources

B RBAC controls secret permissions inside Key Vault

C RBAC manages encryption keys directly

D RBAC is only for billing management

RBAC allows assigning roles that apply across many Azure resources, making access management easier.

Explain the difference between Access Policies and RBAC in Azure.

Think about who can enter a building versus what they can do inside.

Describe a scenario where you would use both RBAC and Access Policies together.

Consider controlling building entry and room access separately.

Practice

1. What is the main difference between Azure Access Policies and RBAC?

easy

A. RBAC controls network traffic; Access Policies manage user passwords.

B. Access Policies grant permissions directly on resources; RBAC assigns roles at scopes.

C. Access Policies are used only for virtual machines; RBAC is for databases.

D. RBAC is a legacy system; Access Policies are the modern replacement.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Access Policies

   Access Policies give permissions directly on specific resources, like a key vault.

2. Step 2: Understand RBAC

   RBAC assigns roles with permissions at different levels like subscription or resource group.

3. Final Answer:

   Access Policies grant permissions directly on resources; RBAC assigns roles at scopes. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Access Policies = direct resource permissions, RBAC = role-based scopes [OK]

Hint: Access Policies = direct, RBAC = role at scope [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Access Policies with RBAC roles
• Thinking RBAC only applies to virtual machines
• Assuming Access Policies control network settings

2. Which of the following is the correct way to assign an RBAC role using Azure CLI?

easy

A. az network policy add --role <role> --user <user>

B. az accesspolicy set --user <user> --permission <perm>

C. az vm assign-role --user <user> --role <role>

D. az role assignment create --assignee <user> --role <role> --scope <scope>

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct RBAC command

   The Azure CLI command to assign RBAC roles is 'az role assignment create' with assignee, role, and scope parameters.

2. Step 2: Verify other options

   Other options mention access policies or unrelated commands which are invalid for RBAC role assignment.

3. Final Answer:

   az role assignment create --assignee <user> --role <role> --scope <scope> -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   RBAC role assignment uses 'az role assignment create' [OK]

Hint: RBAC role assignment uses 'az role assignment create' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using access policy commands for RBAC
• Mixing VM or network commands with RBAC
• Omitting the scope parameter

3. Given this Azure CLI command output snippet for a key vault access policy:

"permissions": {"keys": ["get", "list"], "secrets": ["get"]}

What permissions does this policy grant?

medium

A. Allows only listing keys, no secret access.

B. Allows creating and deleting keys and secrets.

C. Allows getting and listing keys, and getting secrets.

D. Allows full control over keys and secrets.

Solution

1. Step 1: Read the permissions for keys

   The keys permission includes 'get' and 'list', so it allows reading and listing keys.

2. Step 2: Read the permissions for secrets

   The secrets permission includes only 'get', so it allows reading secrets but no other actions.

3. Final Answer:

   Allows getting and listing keys, and getting secrets. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Permissions match get/list keys and get secrets [OK]

Hint: Check each permission list carefully for allowed actions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming 'get' means create or delete
• Confusing 'list' with full control
• Ignoring secret permissions

4. You assigned an RBAC role to a user but they still cannot access a key vault secret. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The user lacks an access policy granting secret permissions on the key vault.

B. The RBAC role was assigned at subscription level, which is too broad.

C. The user needs to restart their Azure portal session.

D. RBAC roles do not control access to key vault secrets.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand RBAC vs Access Policies for Key Vault

   Key vault secrets require access policies to grant permissions, RBAC alone may not suffice.

2. Step 2: Analyze the problem

   Even if RBAC role is assigned, without an access policy granting secret permissions, access is denied.

3. Final Answer:

   The user lacks an access policy granting secret permissions on the key vault. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Key vault secret access requires access policies [OK]

Hint: Key vault secrets need access policies, not just RBAC [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming RBAC alone controls key vault secrets
• Thinking subscription-level RBAC restricts access
• Believing portal restart fixes permission issues

5. You want to secure an Azure Key Vault so that only a specific user can read secrets, and a group can manage keys. Which approach follows best practices?

hard

A. Assign specific RBAC roles to the user for secret read (Key Vault Secrets User) and to the group for key management (Key Vault Crypto Officer).

B. Create an access policy granting the user secret read permission; assign an RBAC role to the group for key management.

C. Use access policies for both user and group to grant all permissions.

D. Assign the user an RBAC role for secrets and the group an access policy for keys.

Solution

1. Step 1: Choose RBAC as best practice

   Azure recommends RBAC for Key Vault. Disable access policies and enable RBAC authorization on the Key Vault.

2. Step 2: Assign granular roles at Key Vault scope

   Assign 'Key Vault Secrets User' role to user (get/list secrets). Assign 'Key Vault Crypto Officer' role to group (manage keys).

3. Final Answer:

   Assign specific RBAC roles to the user for secret read (Key Vault Secrets User) and to the group for key management (Key Vault Crypto Officer). -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   RBAC Secrets User + Crypto Officer roles [OK]

Hint: RBAC best practice: Secrets User + Crypto Officer roles [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to mix Access Policies and RBAC (not possible)
• Using access policies for everything (legacy method)
• Assigning overly broad roles or permissions