Access control models (MAC, DAC, ABAC) in Cybersecurity - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to identify the access control model where the system enforces policies without user discretion.

Cybersecurity

The access control model where the system strictly enforces policies is called [1].

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ARBAC

BMAC

CABAC

DDAC

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Confusing MAC with DAC, which allows user discretion.

MAC stands for Mandatory Access Control, where the system enforces access policies strictly without user discretion.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the sentence to describe the access control model where users control access to their own resources.

Cybersecurity

In the [1] model, users decide who can access their resources.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ADAC

BMAC

CABAC

DRBAC

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Mixing up DAC with MAC, which is system-enforced.

DAC stands for Discretionary Access Control, where users have control over their own resources and can grant access.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the description of the ABAC model by selecting the correct missing word.

Cybersecurity

ABAC stands for Attribute-Based [1] Control, which grants access based on user and resource attributes.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AAccounting

BAuthorization

CAuthentication

DAccess

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'Authorization' which is related but not the exact term in ABAC.

ABAC stands for Attribute-Based Access Control, which uses attributes to decide access rights.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to complete the sentence describing the difference between MAC and DAC.

Cybersecurity

In [1], access is controlled by the system, while in [2], access is controlled by the [3].

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AMAC

BDAC

Cuser

Dadministrator

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Confusing which model is system-controlled and which is user-controlled.

Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is system-controlled, while Discretionary Access Control (DAC) is controlled by the user.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to complete the ABAC example code snippet.

Cybersecurity

access_granted = (user.[1] == 'manager') and (resource.[2] == 'confidential') and (environment.[3] == 'office')

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Arole

Bclassification

Clocation

Ddepartment

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Mixing up attribute names or using unrelated terms.

In ABAC, access decisions are based on attributes like role of the user, classification of the resource, and location of the environment.

Practice

1. Which access control model uses labels and system-enforced rules to restrict access?

easy

A. Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

B. Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

C. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

D. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand MAC characteristics

   MAC uses labels and system rules to control access, not user choice.

2. Step 2: Compare with other models

   DAC lets owners decide, ABAC uses attributes, RBAC uses roles. Only MAC uses labels and system rules.

3. Final Answer:

   Mandatory Access Control (MAC) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Labels + system rules = MAC [OK]

Hint: Labels and system rules mean MAC model [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing DAC with MAC because both control access
• Thinking ABAC uses labels like MAC
• Mixing RBAC roles with MAC labels

2. Which of the following correctly describes Discretionary Access Control (DAC)?

easy

A. Access is based on predefined roles within an organization

B. Access is controlled by system-enforced labels only

C. Access is granted based on user attributes like time and location

D. Resource owners decide who can access their resources

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall DAC definition

   DAC allows resource owners to decide who can access their resources.

2. Step 2: Eliminate other options

   System-enforced labels describe MAC, attributes describe ABAC, roles describe RBAC.

3. Final Answer:

   Resource owners decide who can access their resources -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Owner control = DAC [OK]

Hint: Owner decides access means DAC model [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing DAC with MAC which uses system labels
• Mixing ABAC attributes with DAC
• Assuming roles control DAC access

3. Consider this scenario: A system grants access to a file only if the user's department matches the file's department attribute and access time is within business hours. Which access control model is this an example of?

medium

A. Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

B. Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

C. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

D. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify key access factors

   Access depends on user attributes (department) and conditions (time).

2. Step 2: Match model to attribute-based rules

   ABAC uses attributes like department and time to decide access.

3. Final Answer:

   Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Attributes + conditions = ABAC [OK]

Hint: Attributes and conditions point to ABAC model [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing MAC because of strict rules
• Confusing RBAC roles with attributes
• Thinking DAC controls by owner only

4. A company uses a system where users can share files and decide who else can access them, but the system also enforces security labels on files that cannot be changed by users. What is the error in this access control setup?

medium

A. It does not enforce any access control

B. It mixes DAC and MAC models incorrectly

C. It allows users to override system labels

D. It uses ABAC without defining attributes

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the setup

   Users control sharing (DAC), but system enforces labels (MAC).

2. Step 2: Identify conflict

   Mixing DAC and MAC can cause conflicts because MAC labels cannot be overridden by users.

3. Final Answer:

   It mixes DAC and MAC models incorrectly -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Mixing DAC and MAC causes conflicts [OK]

Hint: DAC owner control conflicts with MAC system labels [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming ABAC is used without attributes
• Thinking users can override MAC labels
• Ignoring the presence of enforced labels

5. An organization wants to implement an access control system that allows access based on user role, time of day, and location, but also requires that certain highly sensitive files can only be accessed by users with a specific security clearance label. Which combination of access control models best fits this requirement?

hard

A. Mandatory Access Control (MAC) combined with Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

B. Discretionary Access Control (DAC) combined with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

C. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) only

D. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) only

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify requirements

   Access depends on role, time, location (attributes) and security clearance labels (system-enforced).

2. Step 2: Match models to requirements

   ABAC handles attributes like role, time, location; MAC enforces security clearance labels.

3. Step 3: Combine models for full coverage

   Using MAC with ABAC covers both label enforcement and attribute-based conditions.

4. Final Answer:

   Mandatory Access Control (MAC) combined with Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Labels + attributes = MAC + ABAC [OK]

Hint: Combine MAC labels with ABAC attributes for complex control [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing RBAC only, missing label enforcement
• Using DAC which lacks system labels
• Assuming ABAC alone handles security labels