Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) CybersecuritySecurity PrinciplesHard
A network administrator is configuring new firewall rules to restrict outbound traffic to only necessary services. This practice aligns with which fundamental security principle?
- ASecurity by Obscurity
- BSeparation of Duties
- CPrinciple of Least Privilege
- DDefense in Depth
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Principle of Least Privilege
The Principle of Least Privilege dictates that any user, program, or process should have only the minimum necessary privileges to perform its function. Restricting outbound traffic to only 'necessary services' is a direct application of this principle, ensuring that systems only have the minimum network access required.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Security by obscurity relies on hiding information rather than implementing strong controls, which is not what firewall rules do.
- B. Separation of duties distributes tasks among multiple individuals to prevent fraud or error, which is an organizational, not a technical, control in this context.
- D. Defense in depth involves multiple layers of security, which is a broader strategy, not the specific principle applied here.
Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)
The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) is a cybersecurity concept that states that an entity (e.g., user, program, process) should be given only the minimum set of permissions or access rights required to perform its legitimate function.
- Minimizes potential damage from compromise.
- Applies to users, applications, and network access.
- Reduces the attack surface.
Memory trick: Least Privilege is like giving someone only the keys they absolutely need for their specific job, no more.