Glossary · Security

MAC

Mandatory Access Control

In plain language

A strict access system where a central administrator, and nobody else, decides who may open each file or system.

The metaphor

Like a building where security hands out badges with fixed clearance levels: no employee can lend out or raise their own access.

Going deeper

How it works

Data and users are given labels such as public or confidential.
The system compares the labels and allows or blocks access automatically.
Owners of a file cannot hand out access on their own.
It is common in government and military systems and rare in small businesses.

How WILDCARD handles it

Cloud covers permissions and sharing settings in your Microsoft 365 or Google workspace, which is the practical version of this idea for a small office.

In practice

A defence contractor labels documents by clearance level.
A hardened operating system blocks a program from reading files outside its role.
A client contract requires that only named staff can open certain folders.

A question owners ask

Does a small business need this?

Rarely. Most small offices use role-based permissions in Microsoft 365 or Google. It matters when a contract or auditor asks for that level of strictness.

Where WILDCARD handles this

Cloud

Start with Cloud

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