What does the principle of least privilege entail?

The principle of least privilege is a critical security concept that emphasizes granting individuals only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their specific job functions. This approach minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and potential misuse of sensitive information or system resources. By limiting access, organizations can reduce the attack surface and enhance their overall security posture.

In practical terms, implementing the principle of least privilege involves reviewing the roles and responsibilities of users and ensuring that they are assigned only those permissions that are essential for their tasks. This not only protects sensitive data but also helps contain potential security breaches—if a user's account is compromised, the potential damage is limited to the functions and data that user could access.

While other options involve varying levels of access, they do not align with the principle's intent to restrict permissions to the bare minimum needed for operational duties. This makes granting unrestricted access, solely restricting access to system administrators, or allowing users to self-determine their access levels less secure and in conflict with best practices for maintaining a secure network environment.