What does 'privilege escalation' mean?

Privilege escalation refers to a situation in which a user gains elevated access to systems or data that they would not normally have the ability to access. In other words, it involves obtaining higher privileges than what was originally assigned to a user account, allowing them to perform actions or access information that are typically restricted.

This concept is critical in cybersecurity as it highlights potential vulnerabilities within systems that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access. For instance, an attacker might exploit a software flaw or weak permission settings to elevate their privileges and take control of an admin-level account.

Understanding privilege escalation is essential for professionals in security roles as it helps in strengthening system defenses, monitoring for suspicious activity, and implementing appropriate security policies to minimize risks associated with unauthorized access to sensitive resources.

Other options, while they touch upon aspects of security, do not correctly define privilege escalation. Unauthorized access to low-level resources implies access to restricted areas but does not convey the act of gaining higher privileges. Likewise, lowering security permissions and increasing password strength pertain to managing security rather than taking advantage of elevated privileges.