Least Privilege

Least privilege means giving only the minimum permissions needed to do a task.

Updated: 2026-03-05

Definition

Least privilege reduces risk by limiting user and service permissions to only what is necessary.

It minimizes the blast radius if an account is compromised or a mistake happens.

Key points

Limit access scope and duration
Prefer role-based permissions
Review and remove unused permissions

Common mistakes

Keeping temporary admin permissions permanently.
Not separating duties for sensitive actions.

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