Access Control List Overview

In enterprise environments, controlling communications between different segments within the network is crucial for providing sufficient policy-based permissions and protecting the resources from unauthorized use. For example, you may want certain users to have different network access levels depending on their role (i.e., administrator or guest).

Access control lists (ACLs) are used on network devices such as routers and switches to control traffic flow between network segments. ACLs specify which packets can pass through a network device and which are blocked based on predefined rules.

The purpose of using ACLs is to provide security and control over the traffic that enters or exits a network device. With ACLs, network engineers can control who has access to network resources and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

ACLs can be used to implement various security policies, such as blocking traffic from known malicious sources and restricting traffic to specific protocols and ports. Network engineers can also enforce compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies by using ACLs.