Question

What does the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) specifically require an administrator to do when assigning permissions to a user account?

Accepted Answer

The Principle of Least Privilege requires an administrator to grant a user account only the specific permissions necessary to perform its assigned job functions and nothing more. This process begins by defining the exact tasks the user needs to accomplish, such as reading specific files or running certain software applications. The administrator must then assign the absolute minimum set of privileges required for those tasks, ensuring the account lacks broader access, such as administrative or system-wide authority, that is not required for daily operations. If a user needs to edit a document, they are given write access only to the folder containing that document, rather than broad access to the entire file system. Furthermore, these permissions must be active only for the duration required to complete the task. This practice limits the potential impact of a security breach because if a specific account is compromised, the attacker is restricted to the limited set of permissions assigned to that account, preventing them from accessing or damaging the wider network. Administrators must also periodically review and revoke permissions that are no longer needed to ensure the account remains at the minimum access level throughout its lifecycle.

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What does the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) specifically require an administrator to do when assigning permissions to a user account?