Principle of Least Common Mechanism
The Principle of Least Common Mechanism is a security concept that emphasizes minimizing the amount of shared resources or mechanisms used by different users or components within a system. The goal is to reduce the potential for unintentional interactions and the spread of security vulnerabilities. By limiting the use of common mechanisms, the principle helps contain the impact of security breaches and reduces the risk of information leakage or unauthorized access.
Principle of Least Common Mechanism
- Minimized Sharing:
- Design systems so that different users or components do not share the same mechanisms, such as libraries, services, or resources, whenever possible. This reduces the risk that a flaw in one shared component could compromise multiple users or parts of the system.
- Isolation:
- Isolate users and processes to prevent them from interfering with each other. This often involves using techniques such as virtualization, containerization, or sandboxing.
- Dedicated Resources:
- Provide dedicated resources for different users or components. For example, instead of using a single database instance for multiple applications, use separate instances to reduce the risk of cross-application vulnerabilities.
- Reduced Interdependency:
- Avoid designing systems where the failure or compromise of one mechanism affects multiple users or components. This ensures that a single point of failure does not propagate throughout the system.