Types of Access

Discretionary access control (DAC) is a type of security access control that grants or restricts object access via an access policy determined by an object's owner group and/or subjects. DAC mechanism controls are defined by user identification with supplied credentials during authentication, such as username and password.

Mandatory access control (MAC) is a system-controlled policy restricting access to resource objects (such as data files, devices, systems, etc.) based on the level of authorization or clearance of the accessing entity, be it person, process, or device.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of regulating access to computer or network resources based on the roles of individual users within an enterprise. In this context, access is the ability of an individual user to perform a specific task, such as view, create, or modify a file. Roles are defined according to job competency, authority, and responsibility within the enterprise.