What is least privilege?

• A. Giving maximum access
• B. Giving minimum required access
• C. Locking accounts after one failed login
• D. Encrypting data at rest

Answer: (B)

Least privilege means giving each user only the minimum access rights needed to perform their job. This minimizes the risk of mistakes or intentional misuse, and it limits damage if an account is compromised. For example, a developer who only needs to view production settings should not have admin rights to change them. In practice, you’d assign roles or use just-in-time access and regularly review permissions to ensure they reflect current responsibilities. The other options aren’t about controlling what a user can do: granting maximum access increases risk, locking an account after a failed login is an authentication policy, and encrypting data at rest protects data but doesn’t address who can access it.