Principle of Least Privilege
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Principle of Least Privilege means everyone and everything gets only the MINIMUM access needed to do their job. The intern doesn't get admin access. The web server doesn't get database root. Your Lambda doesn't get 'AdministratorAccess.' It's 'need to know' applied to every permission.
Real Talk
The principle of least privilege restricts access rights for users, accounts, processes, and systems to the minimum necessary for their function. Applied across IAM policies, database grants, filesystem permissions, and API scopes. Reduces attack surface and limits blast radius of compromised identities.
When You'll Hear This
"Every IAM role follows least privilege — no wildcards, specific resources only." / "The database user for the API has SELECT on three tables — nothing more."
Related Terms
Defense in Depth
Defense in Depth means layering multiple security measures so if one fails, others catch the threat.
IAM (Identity and Access Management)
IAM is the permission system for AWS. It controls who (users, roles, services) can do what (read S3, start EC2, invoke Lambda) on which resources.
OAuth Scopes
OAuth Scopes define what an app is allowed to do with your account. 'Read your email' is a scope. 'Send email on your behalf' is another.
Zero Trust
Zero Trust means 'never trust, always verify.' Even if you're inside the company network, you still have to prove who you are for every request.