Distributing permission information

A permission information system and method are provided. The system facilitates management of permissions across a wide variety of systems and applications in a network environment. The system includes a data store which is a central repository that maintains permissions (e.g., in a user readable format). The permissions can, optionally, be translated into a format that is useable by endpoint system(s).The system further includes a metadirectory component which notices change(s) that are created in the data store and sends the security information to the endpoint system(s). The new security policy can then installed and enforced on the endpoint systems. The system can thus employ the capabilities of a metadirectory to distribute security policy(ies) to these end-point systems. The system can, optionally, include one or more translator(s) which transform the user readable format into a format that is consumable by the endpoint system(s).