Approaches for providing reputation based access control are provided. Specifically, at least one approaches includes: identifying a requesting subject that is requesting access to a controlled resource; retrieving the requesting subject's reputation stored as a virtual attribute in a reputation-based access control database, wherein the requesting subject's reputation comprises a value for skill for operating with the requested controlled resource, and wherein the requesting subject's reputation is modified following an indication from a peer of the requesting subject that the requesting subject's value for skill is diminished; retrieving the requested controlled resource's policy; determining if the requesting subject's reputation meets the requested controlled resource's policy; if the requesting subject's reputation meets the requested controlled resource's policy, allowing the requesting subject access to the requested controlled resource; and if the requesting subject's reputation does not meet the requested controlled resource's policy, denying the requesting subject access to the requested controlled resource.