Access Control Tactics in Computer Networks

Discretionary Access Control: Discretionary Access Control grants or restricts object access determined by the object’s owner. Controls are discretionary because an object owner with certain access permissions can pass on those permissions to another subject. In systems that utilize discretionary access controls, the owner of an object can choose which subjects can access that object and what explicit access they may have. One common method to accomplish this is with permissions. The owner of a file can specify what permissions other users may have. Rule-Based Access Control: Rule-based access control uses access control lists to help determine whether to grant access. A progression of rules is contained in the ACL. The assurance of whether to grant access depends on these rules. Likewise with MAC, users cannot change the access rules. Organizations can combine rule-based access control with other strategies for implementing access restrictions. Mandatory Access Control: Mandatory access control (MAC) confines the activities that a subject can perform on an object. A subject can be a user or a procedure. An object can be a file, or an input or output device. An authorization rule upholds whether or not a subject can access the object. Organizations use MAC where different levels of security classifications exist. Every object has a label and every subject has a clearance. A MAC system restricts a subject based on the security classification of the object and the label attached to the user. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Role-based access control depends on the role of the subject. Roles are job functions within an organization. Specific roles require permissions to perform certain operations. Users acquire permissions through their roles. RBAC can work in combination with DAC or MAC by authorizing the strategies of it is possible that one. RBAC helps to implement security administration in large organizations with hundreds of users and thousands of possible permissions. Organizations widely accept the use of RBAC to manage computer permissions within a system.