What is a characteristic of an access control list (ACL) in route selection?

The characteristic of an access control list (ACL) in route selection relates to its ability to apply routes based on specific criteria, including matching IP prefixes. This function allows network administrators to control the flow of data packets through a network by specifying which packets can be forwarded or denied according to the defined rules.

In the context of routing, ACLs are used to filter routing information, which means they can determine what routes are allowed or denied based on matching specific attributes of the routing table. For instance, an ACL may specify that only packets with certain source or destination IP addresses are permitted, effectively filtering out unwanted traffic and enhancing security. This characteristic is fundamental in ensuring that routing decisions align with the network policy.

While other choices might touch on aspects related to ACLs, they do not accurately describe the primary function of ACLs in the context of route selection, which is about managing traffic based on matching defined rules.