The principle of least privilege states that users, systems, and processes should be granted only the minimum permissions required to perform their assigned tasks—nothing more. This principle reduces the attack surface and limits potential damage from compromised accounts or insider threats.

If an attacker gains access to a low-privilege account, the impact is significantly reduced compared to a highly privileged account. Least privilege also helps prevent accidental misuse of system resources.

Two-person control requires two individuals to approve an action. Job rotation reduces fraud by changing responsibilities. Separation of privileges ensures critical tasks require multiple permissions. While all are valid security concepts, least privilege directly addresses permission minimization.

This principle is foundational in access control models, identity and access management (IAM), and zero trust architectures. NIST and CIS explicitly recommend least privilege as a core security control for protecting systems and sensitive data.