access control lists - TarisMajor/5143-OpSystems GitHub Wiki
Access Control Lists (ACLs) are a fundamental security feature used to manage and control access to resources in a computing environment. They provide a flexible and granular method of specifying permissions for individual users or groups, allowing or denying access to various system objects such as files, directories, or network resources.
- Entry-Based Control: An ACL consists of multiple entries, each specifying a set of permissions for a user or group. These permissions determine what actions the user or group can perform on the object.
- Fine-Grained Permissions: ACLs offer fine-grained control over access rights, allowing specific permissions such as read, write, execute, delete, and modify to be granted or denied.
- Multiple Entries: A single ACL can contain multiple entries, each defining access rights for different users or groups. This allows for detailed and comprehensive access control.
- Granular Access Control: ACLs provide detailed control over who can access what resources and what actions they can perform, enhancing security.
- Flexibility: The ability to specify permissions for individual users or groups allows for flexible and customized access control policies.
- Security: By restricting access to resources based on user roles and permissions, ACLs help protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.
- Complexity: Managing ACLs can become complex, especially in environments with a large number of users and resources. Keeping track of permissions and ensuring they are correctly configured can be challenging.
- Performance Overhead: Evaluating ACLs for every access request can introduce performance overhead, particularly in systems with many access control entries.
- Management Overhead: Regular updates and maintenance of ACLs are required to ensure they reflect the current access control policies and organizational changes.
- File Systems: ACLs are widely used in file systems to control access to files and directories. They determine which users can read, write, or execute files.
- Network Security: ACLs are used in network devices such as routers and firewalls to control traffic and enforce security policies based on IP addresses, protocols, and ports.
- Application Security: Many applications use ACLs to manage user permissions and control access to different features or data within the application.
- Databases: ACLs are used in database management systems to control access to tables, views, and other database objects.