An access control matrix is a table of subjects and objects indicating what actions individual subjects can take upon individual objects. Matrices are data structures that programmers implement as table lookups that will be used and enforced by the operating system.
This type of access control is usually an attribute of DAC models. The access rights can be assigned directly to the subjects (capabilities) or to the objects (ACLs).
Capability Table
A capability table specifies the access rights a certain subject possesses pertaining to specific objects. A capability table is different from an ACL because the subject is bound to the capability table, whereas the object is bound to the ACL.
Access control lists (ACLs)
ACLs are used in several operating systems, applications, and router configurations. They are lists of subjects that are authorized to access a specific object, and they define what level of authorization is granted. Authorization can be specific to an individual, group, or role. ACLs map values from the access control matrix to the object.
Whereas a capability corresponds to a row in the access control matrix, the ACL corresponds to a column of the matrix.
NOTE: Ensure you are familiar with the terms Capability and ACLs for the purpose of the exam.
Resource(s) used for this question:
Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition (Kindle Locations 5264-5267). McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition.
or
Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition, Page 229
and
Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 1923-1925). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
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