Give the least access needed

A core defence principle: every person and program should have only the access they need to do their job, and no more. This is called least privilege.

Why it matters: if an account is compromised, the damage is limited to what that account could do. An attacker who steals a normal user's login cannot wreck the whole system if that user only had normal access.

In practice:

• Do not use an administrator account for everyday work
• Give staff access only to the records their role needs
• Remove access when someone leaves or changes role

Least privilege will not stop every attack, but it shrinks how bad each one can be.

Practice

Think of a shared system you know (a school account, a group login). Does everyone have full access? Write down one person or role whose access could safely be reduced.