What is Access Control List (ACL) in networking?
You may have heard about the Access Control List or ACL. It is used to control permissions to a computer system or network, but do you know what is Access control list?
As we know, the Internet is a network of networks, and routers play a vital role in having connectivity between different networks. Routers are used in industries, universities, businesses, corporate offices, schools, colleges, etc., to connect their different branches from different locations. As a router sends traffic from one network to another, sometimes we need to monitor and control this traffic for security purposes.
So, we use ACLs, i.e., Access Control List, to control and monitor this traffic. So, let’s understand what is Access control list.
What is Access Control List?
ACLs are rules defined for controlling network traffic to reduce network attacks. Using a set of rules specified for the network’s incoming or outgoing traffic, ACLs filter this traffic.
Using an ACL is primarily intended to secure your network. Without it, any traffic is allowed to either enter or exit the network. Access control lists are employed on computer networks to forbid or permit particular network traffic. They filter the traffic on the basis of the traffic’s origin and destination.
In the current times, Network interfaces and operating systems, like Linux and Windows, are also equipped with ACLs. A user or group of users’ names make up one or more access control entries (ACEs) that are contained within each ACL.
The access privileges are specified for each user, group, or role in a string of bits known as an access mask. The person who creates the access control list for an item is often the system administrator or the object owner.
Now that you have a better idea of what is access control list, it is time to understand its purpose.
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