What principle ensures that an employee has access only to the information necessary for their job role?

The principle of least privilege is fundamental in cybersecurity and access control. It dictates that users should be granted the minimum level of access—or permissions—necessary to perform their job functions effectively. This approach limits the potential damage that can occur from accidents, errors, or malicious actions.

By adhering to the least privilege principle, organizations can significantly reduce the attack surface and the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information. For example, if an employee in a marketing department does not need access to financial records for their daily tasks, they should not be granted access to them. Limiting access not only protects sensitive data but also helps maintain regulatory compliance and enhances overall security posture by ensuring that employees can only interact with the data directly relevant to their responsibilities.

Additional security mechanisms, such as auditing access logs and regularly reviewing user permissions, complement the least privilege principle, but the principle itself remains the foundational concept for managing access control effectively.