A security principle that restricts access rights for accounts to the bare minimum.

A security principle that restricts access rights for accounts to the bare minimum.

• A. Least privilege model
• B. Need-to-know
• C. Zero trust
• D. Defense in depth

Answer: (A)

The principle of least privilege is about giving each account only the minimum permissions it needs to perform its tasks. By restricting access rights to the bare minimum, you reduce the potential damage from mistakes, misconfigurations, or a compromised account, and you make it easier to track and audit what each user can do. In practice, this is often implemented with role-based access control and by granting elevated privileges only when necessary and for a limited time. Other concepts touch related ideas but aren’t the same: need-to-know focuses on access to specific information rather than overall account permissions; zero trust is a broader security model that requires continuous verification of every access request; defense in depth is about layering multiple security controls rather than specifically limiting user rights.

The principle of least privilege is about giving each account only the minimum permissions it needs to perform its tasks. By restricting access rights to the bare minimum, you reduce the potential damage from mistakes, misconfigurations, or a compromised account, and you make it easier to track and audit what each user can do. In practice, this is often implemented with role-based access control and by granting elevated privileges only when necessary and for a limited time.

Other concepts touch related ideas but aren’t the same: need-to-know focuses on access to specific information rather than overall account permissions; zero trust is a broader security model that requires continuous verification of every access request; defense in depth is about layering multiple security controls rather than specifically limiting user rights.