Privacy by Default and Separation of Duties: Containing Breaches by Design

The breach was silent. No alarms, no chaos—just data moving where it should never go. That’s what happens when privacy by default and separation of duties are missing.

Privacy by default means every system starts locked down, not open. No extra permissions, no default admin rights, no implicit trust. The baseline state is minimal access. The only way data flows is when you decide it should.

Separation of duties splits critical functions across different people, roles, or services. No one actor can perform a sensitive action alone. This blocks insider threats, reduces attack surfaces, and catches mistakes before they spread.

The two reinforce each other. Privacy by default limits what each duty can touch. Separation of duties ensures no single breach affects everything. Together, they create an architecture where a flaw in one area cannot cascade into total compromise.

Implementing privacy by default starts with strict role-based access control (RBAC). Every account is provisioned with the bare minimum permissions required. Logging is mandatory for all access events. Audit those logs often, and automate alerts for anomalies.

For separation of duties, map out your most sensitive processes—deployment, key management, database access, production support. Split each into components that different people or systems own. Assign unique credentials per responsibility. Require multi-party approval for any high-risk change.

Avoid assumptions. Avoid blanket privileges. The default state must be “cannot.” Only unlock what is needed, when it is needed, and only to those who need it.

This isn’t theory. Privacy by default with separation of duties is the design that keeps breaches small, contained, and recoverable. Without it, you invite cascading failures that no patch or audit can fix.

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