Principle of Least Privilege Explained

What is the principle of least privilege?

The principle of least privilege (POLP) is a concept in IT security in which a user is provided the bare minimum privileges required to carry out their activities. To explain it better, under POLP, a software developer who does not require administrative privileges or access to financial data will never be given such privileges.

What are some ways to implement the POLP in your systems?

• Start off on the right foot with employee onboarding; the new hires should always be granted the least privileges required for their role.
• Periodically review the privileges of accounts to check if they only have the necessary access rights and nothing more.
• Grant access rights with expiration dates whenever possible.
• Monitor the behavior of your privileged users to spot signs of privilege abuse or insider threats.

How employing a least privilege model can protect you from cyber threats

• A least privilege model helps organizations periodically take stock of the data stored in the network and who has access to it. In case an end user has excess privileges, these can be quickly revoked.
• In case of an attack, the least privilege model helps limit the attack surface, giving the IT team an opportunity to detect, isolate, and remediate the attack.
• Enforcing least privilege helps create a more audit-friendly environment. Moreover, many compliance regulations require that organizations apply least privilege access policies to strengthen security.
• The POLP prevents malicious insiders from accessing sensitive data.