Patent ID: 8397026

Claim:
An access control system for controlling access to data stored on at least one data storage medium of a computing system, the access control system comprising: authentication means to authenticate users permitted to access data stored in the at least one data storage medium, the authentication means authenticating users as a super user or a normal user; and a database arranged to store a master data access profile and a current data access profile for each user permitted to access data stored in the at least one data storage medium; wherein each current data access profile includes information indicative of the degree of access permitted by the user associated with the current data access profile to data stored in the at least one data storage medium and the access control system controls access to the data storage medium in accordance with the current data access profile; wherein each master data access profile includes information indicative of the scope within which the current access profile associated with the master access profile may be modified; wherein the master data access profile is modifiable by a super user but not by a normal user, and wherein if a user is authenticated as a normal user, the current data access profile of the first user is modifiable by the user within the scope defined by the master data access profile.