Final answer:
Discretionary access control (DAC) empowers the resource owner to determine access, while mandatory access control (MAC) involves a central authority that grants access based on policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Discretionary access control (DAC) is a model where access is determined by the owner of the resource, and mandatory access control (MAC) is a model where access is granted by a group other than the owner of the resource, typically based on predetermined policies.
For example, in a DAC system, a file's creator can give read and write permissions to specific users of their choice. However, in a MAC system, access to the file is not decided by the creator but by a central authority based on security classification levels and the users' clearance.