Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Practice Exam

The concept of granting a user the lowest level of access necessary to perform their job is known as "least privilege." This principle ensures that users have only the access rights that are essential for their tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches. By limiting access to sensitive information and critical systems, organizations can better protect their data and mitigate the risks associated with insider threats and external attacks.

Implementing the principle of least privilege helps to contain potential damage in case an account is compromised and minimizes the attack surface by further restricting user permissions. This approach aligns with best practices in information security, fostering a culture of security awareness and proactive risk management.

The other options, while related to access control, do not specifically capture the essence of providing the minimum necessary permissions. Role-based access control focuses on permissions based on user roles within an organization rather than strictly minimizing access. Access segregation deals with dividing access across different users or systems but doesn’t inherently involve the minimization of privilege. Minimum privilege is a concept similar to least privilege but is less commonly used and might not have the same recognition in information security frameworks.