Least privilege is the principle of limiting access to what is needed for an assigned task. NIST applies it to people and to processes acting on their behalf. It concerns permissions, which are a separate decision from how someone signs in. Source: NIST: least privilege

Start with the work, then choose permissions

As an illustrative agency example, an adviser may need to view and update a booking without being responsible for changing the business’s payout settings. Write down those tasks before selecting an account role, so access follows a considered need.

Use a test account to confirm what the role can actually do. Check both an action that should succeed and one that should be unavailable. This is stronger evidence than relying only on a role name such as “standard user”.

Review changes in responsibility

Include access review when someone joins, changes role or leaves. Give the review an owner and retain the decision, so old permissions do not remain merely because nobody knows why they were granted.

Apply the same questions to connected tools. Record their purpose and required access rather than assuming an integration needs every available permission.

Written and updated by Travelgenix. Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Worked examples and checklists are editorial illustrations and recommendations, not customer results.