Introducing Role-Based Access Control to DigitalOcean Managed MongoDB with Predefined Roles

Posted: May 7, 2025•2 min read

We are excited to announce that role-based access control (RBAC) is now available for DigitalOcean Managed MongoDB, starting with predefined roles! These new roles include the pre-defined roles of “readOnly”, “readWrite” and “dbAdmin”. Learn more about it here. This update brings greater security, efficiency, and compliance to your MongoDB clusters. With predefined roles, you can now easily manage access control, reduce security risks, and streamline database administration across your MongoDB clusters on DigitalOcean.

Benefits of RBAC for DigitalOcean Managed MongoDB users

Managing database access can be a challenge, especially as teams grow and security requirements become more complex. Without a structured approach, organizations risk unauthorized access, operational inefficiencies, and compliance gaps. With RBAC now applicable to your MongoDB environment, you can enforce clear, predefined access policies—helping to ensure secure, efficient, and scalable database management. Here’s how RBAC can benefit your business:

Enhanced security: RBAC protects against unauthorized access by only allowing verified users to interact with sensitive database resources. This reduces the risk of data breaches and strengthens overall security posture.
Operational efficiency: With predefined roles, administrators can streamline user provisioning and de-provisioning, minimizing the manual workload and reducing errors.
Improved compliance: RBAC helps organizations meet industry standards and regulatory requirements by enforcing structured access controls, making audits and reporting more straightforward.
Cost savings: By automating user access management, RBAC reduces administrative overhead and lowers the risk of security breaches, which can be costly to remediate.
Flexible role adaptability: As organizations evolve, RBAC allows for quick adjustments to permissions and roles, ensuring that access controls align with changing business needs.
Simplified administration: Instead of managing individual user permissions, administrators can assign roles at scale, reducing complexity and improving governance.

Best practices for implementing predefined roles/RBAC in your organization

In case you are new to the concept of RBAC or predefined roles, here are some best practices to maximize the benefits you see:

Conduct a role analysis: Define roles based on job functions to ensure appropriate access control.
Follow the principle of least privilege: Grant only the minimum access necessary to reduce security risks.
Regularly review and update roles: Conduct periodic audits to keep permissions aligned with business needs.
Provide user training: Educate employees on RBAC policies to ensure proper adherence and minimize misuse.