What action is performed to prevent inherited permissions in NTFS?

To prevent inherited permissions in NTFS (New Technology File System), disabling inheritance is the action that needs to be taken. When inheritance is enabled, permissions assigned to a parent object (like a folder) are automatically passed down to child objects (like subfolders or files). This can lead to unintended access rights being assigned to sensitive files or directories.

By disabling inheritance, the inheritance chain is interrupted, allowing the user to independently manage permissions on that specific folder or file without the influence of the permissions of the parent object. This action provides more granular control over who can access specific resources and helps maintain security by limiting access according to the particular needs of different users or groups.

When inheritance is disabled, it can be noted that existing permissions are typically retained, but they become static, meaning that any future changes to the parent object's permissions will not affect those child objects. This is crucial for maintaining a secure environment, as it allows for tailored access control settings to be established based on specific requirements rather than relying on a blanket set of permissions that may not suit all situations.