What's the difference between Row Owners and Roles? When should each one be used? (Robert Petitto)
The Case for Row Owners vs. Roles: Strategic Data Security for Business Applications
Key Takeaways
- Row Owners provide unbreakable security by preventing unauthorized data from downloading to user devices, while Roles offer flexible access control for multi-tenant scenarios.
- Use Row Owners for individual data security and strict confidentiality requirements, but choose Roles when multiple users need shared access to the same data rows.
- Performance dramatically improves with Row Owners - apps with 100k users downloading only their own data versus downloading and filtering all 100k rows on each device.
The Challenge We Face
Traditional filtering methods create critical vulnerabilities in business applications where sensitive data must remain truly secure.
- Hidden data still downloads: Filters only hide information in the UI but sensitive data remains accessible through network inspection tools
- Performance degradation: Every user downloads all data regardless of relevance, causing slow loading times and poor user experience
- Compliance risks: Confidential information can be accessed by unauthorized users through technical means, creating regulatory exposure
Why Row Owners Are the Solution for Individual Data Security
1. Unbreakable Data Protection
- Benefit: Prevents unauthorized data from downloading to user devices entirely
- Reason: Glide's servers block data transmission at the source, making it impossible to access through network inspection or any other means
2. Massive Performance Improvements
- Benefit: Applications load dramatically faster with large user bases
- Reason: Users only download their specific rows instead of filtering through entire datasets on their devices
3. True Compliance-Ready Security
- Benefit: Meets enterprise security requirements for confidential data
- Reason: Unlike filtering which is "security through obscurity," Row Owners provide actual data isolation
Why Roles Excel for Multi-Tenant Access Control
1. Streamlined Group-Based Management
- Benefit: Efficiently manage permissions for users who need shared access to data sets
- Reason: Single role assignment automatically grants appropriate access without managing individual email addresses
2. Dynamic Multi-Company Support
- Benefit: Perfect for applications serving multiple organizations or departments
- Reason: Role-based partitioning allows automatic data segregation by company, department, or project team
3. Administrative Flexibility
- Benefit: Enables admin users to access all data while maintaining security boundaries
- Reason: Multiple users can share the same role (like "Admin") to access specific data sets without individual row ownership
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Feature | Row Owners | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Security Level | Maximum - Server-side data blocking | High - Group-based access control |
| Best For | Individual user data | Multi-tenant, shared access |
| Performance | Excellent - Only downloads owned rows | Very Good - Downloads role-specific data |
| Setup Complexity | Simple - Email column designation | Moderate - Role configuration required |
| Admin Access | Requires multiple owner columns | Natural - Admin role sees all |
| Scalability | Perfect for user-specific data | Ideal for organizational hierarchies |
What This Means for Us
- Enhanced user trust and compliance due to genuine data security rather than visual hiding of sensitive information
- Dramatically improved application performance especially as our user base grows beyond hundreds of users
- Reduced infrastructure costs from decreased data transmission and processing requirements per user session
- Flexible architecture that can accommodate both individual privacy needs and collaborative business requirements
- Future-proof security model that meets enterprise-grade requirements for sensitive business applications
Our Recommendation
Implement Row Owners as the primary security mechanism for user-specific confidential data, and supplement with Roles for multi-tenant access scenarios. This dual approach ensures maximum security for sensitive information while maintaining the flexibility needed for collaborative business processes and administrative oversight.