Least Privilege — CISSP Practice Questions

Least privilege is the security principle that every subject, whether a user, process, or system, should be granted only the minimum access rights necessary to perform its authorized functions and no more. The CISSP exam tests least privilege as a cornerstone of access control design, identity management, and software security, and candidates must recognize both its correct application and the risks that arise when it is violated. Related concepts include need-to-know, separation of duties, and privilege creep, which occurs when access rights accumulate over time without review. Properly implementing least privilege reduces the blast radius of a compromised account or process.

Free questions on least privilege

More least privilege questions in the full bank

• A system should deny access by default and only grant what is explicitly needed. Which principle is this? Unlock answer & explanation →
• What is role-based access control (RBAC)? Unlock answer & explanation →
• In database security, what is the primary benefit of applying the principle of least privilege? Unlock answer & explanation →