Salesforce Security Model and Admin Basics
Introduction
Salesforce provides a robust security model that ensures data integrity, privacy, and access control
at various levels. Administrators play a key role in managing security configurations to align with
business requirements.
Key Security Features
1. Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD): Controls the baseline access level to records.
2. Profiles & Permission Sets: Define user permissions for objects and fields.
3. Role Hierarchies: Grant record access based on a user's position in the hierarchy.
4. Sharing Rules: Provide additional record access beyond OWD settings.
5. Field-Level Security (FLS): Restrict access to specific fields within an object.
6. Object-Level Security (OLS): Control user access to entire objects.
7. Record-Level Security: Manage access to individual records using sharing settings.
Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD)
Private: Only record owners and those granted access can view/edit records.
Public Read Only: All users can view records, but only owners can edit.
Public Read/Write: All users can view and edit records.
Controlled by Parent: Access depends on the parent object’s settings.
Profiles & Permission Sets
Profiles: Define base-level permissions and access rights.
Permission Sets: Extend additional permissions to users without changing their profile.
Role Hierarchy
Enables data visibility across a structured organizational chart.
Higher roles inherit access to records owned by subordinates.
Sharing Rules
Extend access to records based on criteria.
Used when OWD is set to Private or Read-Only.
Field-Level Security (FLS)
Controls which users can see or edit specific fields within an object.
Object-Level Security (OLS)
Managed through profiles and permission sets.
Determines whether users can create, read, edit, or delete records of an object.
Record-Level Security
Manual Sharing: Users manually share records with specific users or groups.
Apex Managed Sharing: Developers control sharing through Apex code.
Criteria-Based Sharing Rules: Grant access dynamically based on field values.
Admin Basics
1. User Management: Create, deactivate, and manage user permissions.
2. Data Management: Import/export records using Data Loader or Import Wizard.
3. Reports & Dashboards: Create and share reports for insights.
4. Workflow & Automation: Use Process Builder, Flow, and Workflow Rules to automate
tasks.
5. App & Object Customization: Modify page layouts, fields, and record types to match
business needs.
Best Practices
Follow least privilege access to enhance security.
Regularly review and update profiles and permission sets.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for better security.
Monitor Login History and Audit Trails for suspicious activities.
Use Shield Encryption for protecting sensitive data.
Conclusion
Salesforce security is multi-layered, ensuring that data is accessible only to authorized users. By
leveraging profiles, roles, OWD, sharing rules, and field-level security, administrators can
effectively control data access and maintain security compliance.
