In a zero-trust environment, what mitigation technique allows users to have rights only when needed?

In a zero-trust environment, the principle of least privilege is a fundamental concept that emphasizes granting individuals only the access necessary for them to perform their specific tasks. This security strategy helps minimize the potential damage that can occur from accidental or malicious misuse of permissions. By applying the least privilege principle, organizations ensure that users have only the rights they need at any moment and that any additional rights are restricted until explicitly required for a task.

This is crucial in a zero-trust architecture where there is an implicit assumption that no user or device should be trusted by default, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network. Implementing least privilege means that users are often granted temporary elevated privileges for specific needs, further reducing the attack surface and the risk associated with compromised credentials.

Separation of duties, while important for preventing fraud and error by dividing responsibilities among different individuals, does not inherently address the need for users to have access only when absolutely necessary. Encryption is focused on protecting data confidentiality and integrity rather than managing access rights. Access control lists manage permissions for resources but do not inherently enforce the requirement for users to only have access when needed. Thus, the principle of least privilege stands out as the most applicable mitigation technique in this context.