Least Privilege

Least privilege is often referred to as principle of least privilege or principle of minimal privilege. It is a set of principles that assure that every module in an environment is able to only access so much of the data and resources needed for a legitimate purpose. The principal of least privilege has proven to be a useful security tool, but has never been able to guarantee a high level of protection for a system. It acts more as a valuable mechanism that interferes with software misbehavior and the malicious tampering of a system. In regard to users, the terms least-privileged user account or LUA (least user account) are often applied. This refers to the concept that all users should function with the fewest privileges possible. It may also refer to applications being launched with the fewest privileges as possible. Least privilege is well known as an implementation that improves the security and functionality of data.