Least privilege: viewer vs editor trap

Least privilege means you grant the minimum permissions required for someone to do their job, and you revoke those permissions as soon as they are no longer needed. For document sharing, this translates to assigning the correct role: Viewer lets someone read but not change anything; Commenter allows adding notes but not editing the content; Editor permits full changes to the document; Owner controls sharing and deletion. The critical contrast is between Viewer and Editor: a Viewer cannot accidentally or deliberately alter a file, whereas an Editor can. If a question describes a colleague who only needs to review a draft, the correct choice is Viewer, not Editor, even if the colleague is senior.

A common trick in exam questions is to present a scenario where someone needs to "check" or "review" a document, and the options include both Viewer and Commenter. Remember that Commenter is for adding feedback without altering the original text, while Viewer is strictly read-only. If the person must leave suggestions, pick Commenter; if they only need to read, pick Viewer. Another trap is the duration: least privilege also means setting an expiry date on access. If a question mentions a temporary project, look for an option that limits access to a specific time frame. Always check whether the permission level matches the task, not the person's rank.

To test yourself, imagine you share a budget spreadsheet with a colleague who must enter new figures. The correct role is Editor, not Owner, because Owner would let them delete the file or change sharing settings. If the colleague only needs to see the final numbers, the role is Viewer. A quick mental check: ask "Can this person do more than what the task requires?" If yes, you have violated least privilege.