Reliability, security & resilience · Core
Least privilege
Also called: principle of least privilege
ELI5
Give people and systems the minimum access they need.
Used in conversation
“Apply least privilege to service accounts.”
Definition
The principle of granting only the access needed for a task and no more.
Here “Least privilege” means: The principle of granting only the access needed for a task and no more.
Pitch context
You will see “Least privilege” in product strategy decks, roadmaps, experiments and architecture reviews when the discussion reaches reliability, security & resilience.
Why it matters: In reliability, security & resilience, the scope can change what data may be used, who may access it and which controls are required.
Sources & evidence · 2
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossaryDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16