Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for minimizing the number of entries in network access control lists (ACLs). In some embodiments of the present technology a networking device can receive, from a first computing device, a first data transmission intended for a second computing device, the first data transmission including first transmission data. The networking device can normalize at least a subset of the first transmission data based on a predetermined normalization algorithm, yielding a first normalized data set for the first data transmission. Subsequently, the networking device can identify a first access control list entry from a set of access control list entries based on the first normalized data set, the first access control list entry identifying a first action, and implement the first action in relation to the first data transmission.