Which term represents the mechanism that connects subjects to their access rights over objects in a structured mapping?

Which term represents the mechanism that connects subjects to their access rights over objects in a structured mapping?

• A. Data Integrity
• B. Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
• C. Access Control Matrix (ACM)
• D. Data Confidentiality

Answer: (C)

The Access Control Matrix is the mechanism that connects subjects to their access rights over objects in a structured mapping. It envisions a grid where each row represents a subject (like a user or process) and each column represents an object (like a file or resource), with each cell detailing the specific permissions the subject has for that object. This explicit mapping makes it clear who can do what to which resources. In practice, this concept is implemented in different ways, such as access control lists attached to objects (specifying which subjects have which rights) or capability lists held by subjects. The essential idea—the structured linking of subjects to their allowed actions on objects—comes from the Access Control Matrix. The other terms describe related ideas but not the mechanism of mapping. Mandatory Access Control is a policy model defining how decisions are made based on labels and rules, not the grid-like mapping itself. Data integrity and data confidentiality are security objectives, not the mechanism for assigning and linking permissions.

The Access Control Matrix is the mechanism that connects subjects to their access rights over objects in a structured mapping. It envisions a grid where each row represents a subject (like a user or process) and each column represents an object (like a file or resource), with each cell detailing the specific permissions the subject has for that object. This explicit mapping makes it clear who can do what to which resources.

In practice, this concept is implemented in different ways, such as access control lists attached to objects (specifying which subjects have which rights) or capability lists held by subjects. The essential idea—the structured linking of subjects to their allowed actions on objects—comes from the Access Control Matrix.

The other terms describe related ideas but not the mechanism of mapping. Mandatory Access Control is a policy model defining how decisions are made based on labels and rules, not the grid-like mapping itself. Data integrity and data confidentiality are security objectives, not the mechanism for assigning and linking permissions.