How can an administrator manage user permissions in Splunk ES?

An administrator can effectively manage user permissions in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) by assigning roles and capabilities. In Splunk, roles are used to define what users can access and the operations they can perform. Each role contains a set of capabilities, which are specific actions that can be performed within the system such as searching, editing, or deleting data.

By utilizing roles and their associated capabilities, administrators can create a granular permission structure that meets the specific needs of their organization. This allows for tailored control over who can access sensitive data and what actions they are allowed to perform, ultimately enhancing security and compliance.

In contrast, while creating user groups and restricting access by data sources are part of broader user management strategies, these methods typically rely on the foundational model of roles and capabilities to provide effective permission management. Utilizing third-party permission tools does not integrate as seamlessly within the Splunk framework and can complicate the process compared to the native permissions management system provided by Splunk. Hence, the role-based approach remains the most direct and efficient method for managing user permissions in Splunk ES.