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Chapter 23: Problem 8

What is the difference between discretionary and mandatory access control?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Discretionary Access Control (DAC) allows owners to decide who can access their data, while Mandatory Access Control (MAC) has access rights regulated by a central authority, implementing policies based on security classification. The difference lies primarily in who has the responsibility for controlling access rights.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Discretionary Access Control

DAC is a type of access control where the owner of the object has the discretion to decide who can access it. For instance, in a file system owned by a user, that user can grant permissions (read, write, execute) to other users or groups.
02

Understanding Mandatory Access Control

MAC is a type of access control where access rights are regulated by a central authority in the system, typically by policies which classify information and user clearance level. It is based on a security label or classification level (confidential, secret, top secret).
03

Distinguishing Between DAC and MAC

The key difference between discretionary access control (DAC) and mandatory access control (MAC) is who has the responsibility for controlling access rights. In DAC, the owner of the information or any resource has the discretion to allow or deny access, whereas in MAC, the access control policy is centrally controlled by a security policy, typically set by the system administrator.

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