Deny by default
Also called: default deny · least privilege · principle of least privilege
An authorization posture where nothing is permitted unless explicitly granted — what is not conceded is neither shown nor executed.
Deny by default is the authorization posture in which every screen, function or data access requires an explicit permission, and anything not granted is refused — as opposed to allow-by-default systems, where everything is open and administrators subtract what should be hidden. It is the practical form of the principle of least privilege: each profile holds exactly the permissions its role needs, and nothing else.
The difference shows up over time. In an allow-by-default system, every new screen or API function ships open, and security depends on someone remembering to close it; the system drifts toward overexposure. In a deny-by-default system, a new function is invisible until someone decides who needs it, so the drift runs in the safe direction. For an auditor, the posture also changes the question: instead of proving that nothing dangerous is reachable, the organization shows the explicit grant behind everything that is.
On this site: Security →