passive entity

A resource or system element — such as a device, file, record, table, program, network, or domain — that contains or receives information but does not itself initiate actions or cause state changes, in contrast to an active entity (subject), which is generally an individual, process, or device that drives information flows or system-state transitions. In access control frameworks, the distinction structures the fundamental permission relationship: active entities (subjects) are granted or denied rights to access or act upon passive entities (objects). NIST uses the concept directly in defining the "object" — characterizing it as "the set of passive entities within the system, protected from unauthorized use," and more specifically as "a passive entity that contains or receives information" — making *passive entity* the defining genus of the object class across DAC, MAC, RBAC, and ABAC models alike.

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