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Closing the Loop on Permissions: Strategies for Secure Access in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft MVP, Managing Partner and Principal Consultant of MGC Group, LLC, MGC Group LLC

Recent updates to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central have introduced significant enhancements to its permission model, improving flexibility and control over user access. As detailed in the MSDW article Moving Beyond User Groups to Hierarchical Permission Sets in Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft has deprecated User Groups and introduced Security Groups. Additionally, permission sets now support hierarchical structures, streamlining user management and enhancing overall security.

This article provides a structured overview of these changes, explores best practices for implementing permissions effectively, and shares insights from real-world experiences.

Summary of Permission Set Changes

Security Groups

Security Groups facilitate centralized user permission management through Microsoft 365, simplifying the process of assigning the correct permissions. While they replace some capabilities of deprecated User Groups, they do not cover all aspects.

Composable Permission Sets

Composable permission sets provide an alternative to User Groups by allowing permission sets to reference other permission sets, improving modularity and reusability.

Hierarchical Permission Structure

Closing the Loop on D365 Business Central Permissions

The introduction of a hierarchical permission model enhances flexibility by allowing:

  • Automatic updates to assigned permissions by Microsoft while maintaining the ability to exclude specific permissions as needed.
  • Selective inclusion of missing permissions based on user requirements.
  • Record-level filtering to restrict access to specific groups of users.

Implementing a Permission Management Project

Defining the Scope

A successful permissions implementation requires careful planning and organizational alignment. Key considerations include:

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About Cynthia Priebe

Cynthia Priebe works directly with end users and finance professionals daily — often brought in where others have not been able to find a solution. That field work is the source of everything she writes. After more than 20 years with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and now Dynamics 365 Business Central, her focus is on why the system behaves the way it does, not just what it can do.

Her work centers on the scenarios that don't always behave as expected and aren't always documented — particularly permissions and security behavior, financial reporting, and post–go-live configuration. Much of her content addresses functionality that didn't get fully configured at go-live, capabilities organizations didn't know existed, or setup that needs to evolve as the business changes.

Cynthia is a Microsoft MVP in Business Applications — Dynamics 365 Business Central, a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and has held the MB-800 Business Central Functional Consultant certification since it first became available. Before the exam launched, she was part of the worldwide team that wrote the original exam items. She also works with Microsoft Partners and ISVs, contributing practitioner-level knowledge to how BC is built, documented, and taught.

A regular presenter at DirectionsNA, DynamicsCon, and Community Summit, she is also a co-leader of the DUG Mentorship Meetup Group, owner of the Sharing the Righter Way™ LinkedIn community, and served on the Programming Committees for both Community Summit 2024, 2025 and DynamicsCon 2026.

You can connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn or join the Sharing the Righter Way™ LinkedIn community. In addition to her contributions here on MSDynamicsWorld, she shares ...

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More about Cynthia Priebe