Permission bloat (or occasionally “privilege creep”/”access creep”) refers to the gradual accumulation of access rights that naturally occurs over a user’s employment, most often in under-managed IT environments. These information security vulnerabilities and compliance risks often coincide with promotions, role changes, reassignments, or comprehensive reorganizations when user access is not reviewed and adjusted accordingly. By contrast, automated identity management and provisioning keep your users’ access up-to-date based on role-based controls. When changes occur that alter a user’s access needs, an automated solution will remove the unnecessary rights and eliminate permission bloat. Adhering to the precise access rights a user needs to meet their job responsibilities—no more, no less—is referred to as the “Principle of Least Privilege.”