What does Discretionary Access Control (DAC) allow concerning the control of access?

Discretionary Access Control (DAC) is a type of access control mechanism that allows the owner of a resource to dictate who is granted permission to access that resource. In a DAC model, users have the ability to make decisions about the access rights of other users, emphasizing a user-directed approach to access management.

This means that if you own a file or a piece of data, you can set permissions for other users based on your discretion. For example, you could allow your colleagues to view or edit your documents while restricting access to others. This flexibility empowers users to manage their data as they see fit, rather than being strictly governed by a centralized authority.

The other options highlight different access control concepts. Access based on network location is typically associated with geographical or contextual security measures, where access might be granted or denied based on where a user is attempting to connect from. Control by an external authority refers to models like Mandatory Access Control (MAC), where decisions are made according to predefined policies established by a higher authority. Automatic denial of access suggests an access control model that does not grant users any discretion over access permissions, which directly contrasts with the fundamental principle of DAC.