This article discusses the various security mechanisms for apache. "... But what's all this noise about 'discretionary' and 'mandatory,' you ask? Put simply, discretionary control (DAC) mechanisms check the validity of the credentials given them at the discretion of the . . .
This article discusses the various security mechanisms for apache. "... But what's all this noise about 'discretionary' and 'mandatory,' you ask? Put simply, discretionary control (DAC) mechanisms check the validity of the credentials given them at the discretion of the user, and mandatory access controls (MAC) validate aspects that the user cannot control. For instance, anyone can tell you its username and password and you can then log in with them; which username and password you supply is at your discretion, and the system can't tell you apart from the real owner. Your DNA is something you can't change, though, and a control system that only allowed access to your pattern would never work for anyone else -- and you couldn't pretend to be someone else, either. This makes such a system a mandatory (also called non-discretionary) access control system."

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