Access control

1. Access Control in MediaWiki

Access control is a fundamental aspect of managing any collaborative wiki, and particularly important for a powerful and flexible platform like MediaWiki. It determines *who* can do *what* on your wiki, safeguarding content, preventing vandalism, and ensuring the integrity of your knowledge base. This article provides a comprehensive overview of access control in MediaWiki, tailored for beginners. We will cover user rights, groups, permission levels, and practical implementation strategies.

== Understanding User Rights

At its core, MediaWiki's access control system revolves around *user rights*. These rights define the specific actions a user is allowed to perform. These rights are granular; instead of broad permissions like "editor," users are granted specific abilities. Some common user rights include:

• **read:** Allows a user to view pages. This is the most basic right, and most users will have it.
• **edit:** Allows a user to edit existing pages.
• **create:** Allows a user to create new pages.
• **move:** Allows a user to move pages (rename and change the namespace).
• **delete:** Allows a user to delete pages. This is a highly sensitive right.
• **undelete:** Allows a user to restore deleted pages.
• **protect:** Allows a user to protect pages from editing.
• **unprotect:** Allows a user to remove protection from pages.
• **block:** Allows a user to block other users from accessing the wiki.
• **unblock:** Allows a user to remove blocks from users.
• **browsearchistory:** Allows a user to view the full history of pages. Useful for administrators investigating edits.
• **viewuserlog:** Allows a user to view user rights changes and other user-related logs.
• **viewsuppressions:** Allows a user to view suppressed revisions (revisions that have been hidden from public view, usually due to privacy concerns).
• **patrol:** Allows a user to mark edits as patrolled, indicating they have been reviewed and are acceptable. This is a key component of New page patrol.
• **autopatrol:** Automatically marks edits made by the user as patrolled.
• **editinterface:** Allows a user to edit MediaWiki messages and interface elements.

These are just a few examples; MediaWiki has a large number of defined user rights. The exact rights available can be modified by administrators through extensions and custom configurations.

== User Groups: Simplifying Access Management

Managing individual user rights can become cumbersome, especially on a large wiki. That's where *user groups* come in. Groups are collections of users to whom a predefined set of user rights are automatically assigned. MediaWiki comes with several built-in groups:

• **Users:** The default group for all registered users. Typically has 'read' and 'create' rights.
• **autoconfirmed:** Users automatically become members of this group after making a certain number of edits and having their account be a certain age. This group often has 'edit' rights, helping to combat vandalism. Spam prevention relies heavily on this group.
• **sysop (Administrator):** The most powerful group, with nearly all rights, including deleting pages, blocking users, and managing the wiki's configuration.
• **bureaucrat:** Can manage user groups and assign/remove the 'sysop' right. Generally, only a small number of trusted users are assigned this role.
• **moderator:** Often used for specific namespaces or categories, allowing users to moderate content within those areas.

Administrators can create custom user groups to further refine access control. For example, you might create a "TemplateEditor" group with the right to edit templates, or a "CategoryMaintainer" group with rights to manage categories. This allows for a more flexible and targeted approach to permissions. Consider using Semantic MediaWiki to tie group membership to specific data points.

== Permission Levels and Namespace Protection

Beyond user rights and groups, MediaWiki offers finer-grained control through *permission levels* and *namespace protection*.

• **Permission Levels:** Some rights can be applied at different levels. For example, the 'edit' right can be granted to a user for all pages, or only for specific namespaces. This is crucial for controlling access to sensitive areas like administrative pages or project-specific documentation.
• **Namespace Protection:** Namespaces are logical divisions within your wiki (e.g., "Main", "Project", "Template"). You can protect entire namespaces to prevent editing, moving, or creating pages within them. There are several levels of namespace protection:

   *   **sysop protection:** Only administrators can edit protected pages.
   *   **autoconfirmed protection:**  Only autoconfirmed users can edit protected pages.
   *   **template protection:**  Specifically protects templates from being accidentally broken.
   *   **cascading protection:**  Protects pages that transclude (include) the protected page. This is important for preventing indirect modifications to protected content.

Namespace protection is a powerful tool for safeguarding critical elements of your wiki. Consider protecting the "MediaWiki" namespace to prevent unauthorized changes to system messages. Extension:Protected Pages helps visualize protected pages.

== Implementing Access Control: Practical Strategies

Here are some practical strategies for implementing effective access control on your MediaWiki:

1. **Least Privilege Principle:** Grant users only the rights they absolutely need to perform their tasks. Avoid giving broad permissions unnecessarily. This minimizes the risk of accidental or malicious damage. 2. **Start with Restrictive Defaults:** Initially, configure your wiki with restrictive default permissions. For example, require users to be autoconfirmed before they can edit pages. Then, gradually grant additional rights to trusted users. 3. **Utilize User Groups Effectively:** Leverage user groups to simplify access management. Avoid assigning rights to individual users whenever possible. Instead, assign rights to groups and add users to the appropriate groups. 4. **Protect Sensitive Namespaces:** Protect namespaces containing critical system files, templates, and administrative pages. 5. **Regularly Review User Rights:** Periodically review user rights to ensure they are still appropriate. Remove rights from users who no longer need them. 6. **Implement New Page Patrol:** Encourage users to patrol new pages to identify and revert vandalism. The 'patrol' right is essential for this process. Content moderation is a key aspect of wiki management. 7. **Utilize Extensions:** Explore MediaWiki extensions that enhance access control features. Examples include:

   *   **Extension:AccessControl:** Provides more granular control over permissions.
   *   **Extension:ConfirmEdit:** Requires users to confirm their edits before they are saved.
   *   **Extension:SpamBlacklist:** Blocks known spam users and websites.

8. **Monitor Logs:** Regularly monitor the wiki's logs (e.g., user rights changes, block logs, deletion logs) to identify potential security issues. Log analysis is critical for proactive security. 9. **Establish Clear Policies:** Create clear and concise policies regarding access control and content editing. Make these policies easily accessible to all users. Wiki policies should be publicly available. 10. **Train Administrators:** Ensure that administrators are well-trained in access control principles and best practices.

== Advanced Access Control Techniques

For more complex scenarios, consider these advanced techniques:

• **Rights Management Extensions:** Extensions like `RightsManager` offer more advanced features for managing user rights, including the ability to create custom rights and assign them based on complex criteria.
• **Skin-Based Access Control:** Some skins allow you to customize the user interface based on user rights. For example, you could hide certain features from users who don't have the necessary permissions.
• **API-Based Access Control:** The MediaWiki API allows you to programmatically manage user rights and permissions. This can be useful for integrating MediaWiki with other systems.
• **Database-Level Access Control:** For highly sensitive data, you can implement access control at the database level, restricting access to specific tables or columns.

== Troubleshooting Access Control Issues

Here are some common access control issues and how to troubleshoot them:

• **User Cannot Edit a Page:** Verify that the user has the 'edit' right and is not blocked. Check if the page or namespace is protected.
• **User Cannot Create a Page:** Verify that the user has the 'create' right and is not blocked. Check if the namespace is protected.
• **User Cannot See a Page:** Verify that the user has the 'read' right. The page may have been deleted or suppressed.
• **User Rights Not Applying:** Ensure that the user is a member of the correct groups. Clear the user's browser cache and cookies.
• **Unexpected Behavior:** Review the wiki's configuration and any installed extensions that might be affecting access control. Consult the MediaWiki documentation or seek help from the MediaWiki community.

== Staying Updated

MediaWiki is constantly evolving. New features and extensions are released regularly. Stay updated with the latest developments to ensure that your access control system remains secure and effective. Follow the official MediaWiki website ([1](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki)), the MediaWiki mailing lists ([2](https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/)), and the MediaWiki community forums ([3](https://forum.wikimedia.org/)).

Understanding access control is crucial for maintaining a secure, reliable, and collaborative MediaWiki environment. By carefully configuring user rights, groups, and permission levels, you can ensure that your wiki remains a valuable resource for years to come. Remember to prioritize the least privilege principle and regularly review your access control settings to mitigate risks and maintain the integrity of your knowledge base. Consider the implications of Information security in all access control decisions. Learn about Risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities. Explore Security auditing to verify the effectiveness of your security measures. Familiarize yourself with Data encryption to protect sensitive data. Research Firewall configuration to prevent unauthorized access. Understand Intrusion detection systems to detect malicious activity. Study Vulnerability scanning to identify weaknesses in your system. Investigate Penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks. Consider Two-factor authentication for added security. Implement Regular backups to recover from data loss. Stay informed about Phishing attacks and how to prevent them. Learn about Social engineering tactics used by attackers. Understand the principles of Network security. Explore Database security best practices. Research Application security techniques. Familiarize yourself with Compliance standards such as GDPR and HIPAA. Consider Incident response planning to prepare for security breaches. Stay up-to-date on the latest Cybersecurity threats. Learn about Security awareness training for users. Understand the importance of Patch management to address vulnerabilities. Explore Security information and event management (SIEM) systems. Research Threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about emerging threats. Familiarize yourself with Security frameworks such as NIST and ISO 27001. Consider Cloud security best practices if your wiki is hosted in the cloud. Learn about Mobile security if users access your wiki from mobile devices. Understand the principles of Cryptography. Explore Digital forensics techniques for investigating security incidents. Consider Security automation to streamline security tasks. Research DevSecOps practices to integrate security into the development process. Familiarize yourself with Data loss prevention (DLP) techniques.

User rights management Namespace administration User group configuration Security extensions Wiki security Content protection New page patrol Content moderation Wiki policies Log analysis

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