Advanced Access Control Mechanisms for Microservices-Based Cloud Systems

The implementation of microservices transformed software development, but created fundamental access control problems that traditional security systems fail to solve. The literature reveals a significant gap in understanding the impact of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and Policy-as-Code (PaC) on performance. This paper fills the existing knowledge gap through an extensive case study and thorough performance evaluation of a microservices system protected by contemporary security patterns. The research shows that a separate policy engine-based authorization system enforces detailed attribute-based policies without performance degradation while achieving 12.50 ms p(95) latency during intense stress testing. The research delivers an operational and tested framework that architects and engineers can use to establish high-performance, secure access control systems in contemporary distributed systems.