How to Prevent Access to a Content Reference

Hello Everyone,

We have custom developed components servicing different users such as students, advisors, and/or faculty.  For some users, it is ideal for the related contents references to be accessible via the portal navigation, but for other users, we do not want to the content references accessible in this manner.  We have observed that when permission list changes occur for pages on such components, such changes result in the portal updating all the folders leading to such content references for ALL related permission lists - even those that have not been changed.  This means that users that should have access to a content reference via the portal have access after updating a permission list they do not have.