Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) helps to ensure that users, systems, and applications are granted only the minimum level of access required to perform their specific tasks, and no more.
Access is limited in scope and duration, reducing the potential impact of misuse, compromise, or error.
What Does Principle of Least Privilege Do?
Applying least privilege allows organizations to:
- Restrict user and system permissions to essential actions only
- Reduce attack surfaces by limiting unnecessary access
- Prevent lateral movement during security breaches
- Minimize damage from insider threats or compromised accounts
- Improve control over sensitive systems and data
Least privilege is commonly enforced using Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC), context-aware access, and just-in-time access.
Why Principle of Least Privilege Matters
Over-permissioned accounts are a leading cause of major security incidents. Least privilege limits the blast radius of attacks by ensuring that compromised credentials cannot access more systems or data than necessary.
It is a foundational principle of zero trust and modern identity and access management, and is required or recommended by many security and compliance frameworks.