Cisco CyberOps Associate (CBROPS) 200-201Security ConceptsMedium
A security auditor is reviewing an organization's access control policies. The auditor notes that a database administrator has full read and write access to all customer data, including highly sensitive financial records, even though their daily tasks only require access to a subset of non-financial customer data. Which security principle is being violated?
- ALeast Privilege
- BSeparation of Duties
- CDefense in Depth
- DNeed-to-Know
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Least Privilege
The Principle of Least Privilege dictates that users, programs, or processes should be granted only the minimum necessary authorizations to perform their legitimate tasks. The database administrator having full access when only a subset is needed is a direct violation of this principle.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Separation of duties prevents one person from controlling an entire critical process; here, it's about excessive access for a single role.
- C. Defense in depth is a multi-layered security approach, not a principle governing individual user access rights.
- D. Need-to-know is similar to least privilege but focuses on specific information rather than broader system access rights.
Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)
A security principle requiring that users, programs, or processes be granted only the essential access rights or permissions needed to perform their assigned functions, and no more. This minimizes the potential damage from errors, compromises, or malicious actions.
- Grants minimum necessary access.
- Reduces attack surface and impact of compromise.
- Applies to users, applications, and systems.
Memory trick: Only give the key to the specific room they need, not the whole building.