What type of access control is necessary for a company in a public cloud revealing sensitive user data?

Mandatory access control (MAC) is appropriate in situations where sensitive data must be rigorously protected, as it provides a robust mechanism for restricting access based on predetermined policies. In a public cloud environment, where data can be vulnerable to unauthorized access or exposure, MAC requires that all access rights to data and systems are established by a policy administrator, rather than being left to individual users.

With MAC, users cannot change access permissions on their own, which ensures a consistent and centralized control over who can access sensitive data. This is particularly important in a public cloud scenario, as organizations need to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and protect sensitive user information from potential breaches or leaks. By implementing MAC, a company can enforce strict rules around data access, minimizing the risk of exposing sensitive information to unauthorized users.

While other types of access control like nondiscretionary, roles-based, or multifactor access may certainly have their own benefits, they do not provide the same level of comprehensive management and enforcement over data access that mandatory access control does in high-stakes environments such as handling sensitive user data in a public cloud.