Cybersecurity Glossary
Least Privilege
Giving each person and each system only the access needed for the job, and nothing more.
What Least Privilege means
Least privilege means an account carries the minimum rights required. In practice this means everyday work happens under a standard account, administrative rights are used only when needed, and applications run as restricted service accounts rather than as administrators.
Why Least Privilege matters for small businesses and nonprofits
When everyone is an administrator, one phishing click gives the attacker administrative control. Reducing standing privilege is one of the few changes that limits damage without needing to detect the attack first.
What to do about Least Privilege
- Remove local administrator rights from everyday accounts
- Give administrators a separate account for administrative work
- Review group membership regularly, since access accumulates quietly
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