In mandatory access control, the system controls access and the owner determines:
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Validation
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Need to know
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Consensus
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Verification
In Mandatory Access Control (MAC), the system enforces access based on security labels and clearances, while data owners determine who has a legitimate need to know the information. The system controls technical access validation, but need-to-know is a business decision made by owners. Validation, consensus, and verification are system functions, not owner determinations in MAC models.
Under Mandatory Access Control (MAC), the operating system/security policy enforces access based on fixed classification labels (like Secret or Top Secret) that users cannot override — that's the 'mandatory' part. Within that framework, the data owner or steward still designates who has a legitimate business 'need to know' for a given compartment of information, layering an additional restriction on top of the system-enforced classification. This differs from Discretionary Access Control, where the owner controls access directly rather than just need-to-know.