A computer-based method with multilevel hashing for lookup of a complex nested object (such as access control list) which has a plurality of nesting levels and each level has at least one element. Method stores representatives of a complex nested object in a data structure at locations determined by recursive multilevel hashing of the complex nested object elements. When needed, a match for an inputted complex nested object is determined by applying the same recursive multilevel hashing to the inputted complex nested object, as used during the storing of the complex nested object, and performing integer comparisons with hash values of the stored complex nested object.