Access Control and Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Access Control and Policies - Assignment Example One advantage of the Access Control Lists (ACLs) is the protection it offers users of a system. The Mandatory Access Control (MAC), for example, is a policy that is mandatory in every system present. It requires that users are offered access based on mandated guidelines. The Role Based Access Control (RBAC) controls access depending on the role played by system users (Kuhn, 2003). The advantage brought on by such access controls helps determine who is to access data, regulate what they might, or might not do. The ACLs provide an exceptional method of accessing data and resources. Disadvantages brought on by the use of ACLs are immense. One of them includes the difficulty involved in maintaining the ACLs in an environment where there is a large number of users. They are also error-prone and do not offer assurance on the protection of confidential information. This is once there is a need to change, or delete ACLs on individual files. These challenges make it particularly hard for system users to trust ACLs entirely (Bertino & Ghinita, 2011). The organization of information resources would be in such a manner that there is one system to access. The use of the RBAC is crucial in the arrangement of such information. It is an exceptional tool to use since it will recognize internal and external users of that system. People, therefore, can carry out their responsibilities without too much struggle. They would be assigned unique codes that grant them access to the system (Gofman, 2008). Discretionary policies in any system create the possibility of what one can access, and how they can use that information. If there is any threat of damage of data, there are software systems created to raise an alarm. The Biba Integrity Model is a security system that ensures problems associated with damaging of information are dealt with accordingly. The protection of information is