Understanding Policy as Code

In the world of modern software development, “as code” has become a powerful paradigm. We have Infrastructure as Code, Configuration as Code, and now increasingly, Policy as Code. But what does this mean for authorization, and why should you care?

The Traditional Approach

Historically, authorization logic has been embedded directly in application code. You might see patterns like:

if (user.role === 'admin' || user.id === resource.ownerId) {
  allowAccess();
}

This approach has several problems:

1. Scattered logic: Authorization decisions are spread across the codebase
2. Hard to audit: Answering “who can access what” requires code review
3. Difficult to change: Policy updates require code deployments
4. Inconsistent enforcement: Different developers implement rules differently

Policy as Code: A Better Way

Policy as Code means defining your authorization rules in dedicated policy files, separate from your application logic. These policies are:

• Versionable: Track changes in git like any other code
• Testable: Write unit tests for your policies
• Reviewable: Use pull requests for policy changes
• Auditable: See exactly what rules were in effect at any point in time

How Big ACL Implements Policy as Code

Big ACL supports multiple policy languages including Cedar and OPA (Rego). You can define your policies using our visual editor or write them directly in code:

permit(
  principal in Group::"engineering",
  action == Action::"read",
  resource in Folder::"engineering-docs"
);

This policy clearly states: members of the engineering group can read documents in the engineering-docs folder.

Benefits in Practice

When you adopt Policy as Code with Big ACL:

1. Security teams can review and approve policy changes
2. Developers don’t need to modify application code for policy updates
3. Auditors can generate compliance reports from policy history
4. Architects can model authorization before implementation

Ready to modernize your authorization? Explore Big ACL today.