Least Privilege

Limit access

Objects can be protected by limiting access to them. Permissions, otherwise known as privileges or rights, can be assigned to objects. An object can be a protected resource like:

• Documents

• Databases

• Systems

Hardening applies best security practices to an object to make it more resilient to attacks. Restricting how a subjectEmployees or processes that want to access a resource. can interact with an objectThe recourse that an employee or process wants to access. is an example of hardening.

An access control solution

Access permissions can be enforced and managed by an access control solution. By following the principle of least privilege, permissions are explicitly defined based on the rights that a subject needs. Permissions assigned to objects shouldn't exceed what's required. Least privilege is also known as need to know.