Which term refers to controlling access to sensitive materials?

• A. Cryptography
• B. DMZ
• C. Extranet
• D. Access Control

Answer: (D)

Controlling access to sensitive materials means ensuring only authorized individuals can read, modify, or move those materials. This is achieved through access control—a set of policies and mechanisms that define who may access which resources and under what conditions. It combines identifying who someone is (authentication) with deciding what they’re allowed to do (authorization), often using methods like access control lists, role-based access control, and the principle of least privilege. By enforcing these controls, sensitive information stays protected from unauthorized access and misuse.

Cryptography protects data by encrypting it so that it remains unread without the proper keys, but it doesn’t by itself manage who is allowed to access the data at a given time. A DMZ is a separate network segment designed to expose services to the internet while isolating the internal network. An extranet extends a private network to specific external partners. These concepts relate to security architecture and how resources are accessed or exposed, but the mechanism that governs who can access sensitive materials and how is access control.