SSCP Exam: Least Privilege Rules for Security Administrators

Least Privilege Rules for Security Administrators

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Question

Which of the following rules is least likely to support the concept of least privilege?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

Only data to and from critical systems and applications should be allowed through the firewall is a detractor.Critical systems or applications do not necessarily need to have traffic go through a firewall.

Even if they did, only the minimum required services should be allowed.

Systems that are not deemed critical may also need to have traffic go through the firewall.

Least privilege is a basic tenet of computer security that means users should be given only those rights required to do their jobs or tasks.Least privilege is ensuring that you have the minimum privileges necessary to do a task.

An admin NOT using his admin account to check email is a clear example of this.

Reference(s) used for this question: National Security Agency, Systems and Network Attack Center (SNAC), The 60 Minute Network Security Guide, February 2002, page 9.

The concept of least privilege is a security principle that limits user and system access rights to only those necessary to perform their job functions. This principle ensures that users and systems have only the minimum permissions required to complete their tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized access, data loss, or malware infections.

Out of the options given, the rule that is least likely to support the concept of least privilege is (D) Only data to and from critical systems and applications should be allowed through the firewall.

This rule suggests that data to and from non-critical systems and applications are allowed through the firewall, which may increase the attack surface and provide opportunities for unauthorized access, data loss, or malware infections. The principle of least privilege advocates that only essential network traffic should be allowed through the firewall, restricting access to non-essential traffic and reducing the risk of attacks.

On the other hand, options (A), (B), and (C) support the concept of least privilege.

Option (A) suggests that the number of administrative accounts should be kept to a minimum, reducing the risk of unauthorized access, insider threats, and privilege escalation attacks.

Option (B) recommends that administrators use regular accounts when performing routine operations like reading mail, limiting their access rights and minimizing the damage that could be caused if their account was compromised.

Option (C) advocates for permissions on tools that are likely to be used by hackers to be as restrictive as possible, reducing the likelihood of successful attacks by limiting access to vulnerable tools.

In summary, while all options may have some security benefits, only option (D) is least likely to support the principle of least privilege, as it suggests allowing non-critical traffic through the firewall.