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PUBLICATIONS

A Comparison of Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) Standards for Data Service Applications

Published

Author(s)

David F. Ferraiolo, Ramaswamy Chandramouli, Chung Tong Hu, David R. Kuhn

Abstract

Extensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) and Next Generation Access Control (NGAC) are very different attribute based access control (ABAC) standards with similar goals and objectives. An objective of both is to provide a standardized way for expressing and enforcing vastly diverse access control policies on various types of data services. However, the two standards differ with respect to the manner in which access control policies are specified and implemented. This document describes XACML and NGAC, and then compares them with respect to five criteria. The goal of this publication is to help ABAC users and vendors make informed decisions when addressing future data service policy enforcement requirements.
Citation
Special Publication (NIST SP) - 800-178
Report Number
800-178
NIST Pub Series
Special Publication (NIST SP)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

access control, access control mechanism, access control model, access control policy, attribute based access control (ABAC), authorization, Extensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML), Next Generation Access Control (NGAC), privilege
Identity and access management

Citation

Ferraiolo, D. , Chandramouli, R. , , C. and Kuhn, D. (2016), A Comparison of Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) Standards for Data Service Applications, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-178 (Accessed October 21, 2025)

Issues

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Created October 3, 2016, Updated November 10, 2018
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