Admin Accounts Are the Keys to the Kingdom. Who’s Holding Them?

Think about the keys to your office building. Most employees have a key to the front door. A few have keys to the server closet or the file room. Probably only one or two people have a master key that opens everything.

Now think about your computers. In a lot of small businesses, every user has the digital equivalent of a master key: full administrator rights on their machine. And a handful of shared admin passwords for servers and network equipment haven’t changed since they were set up.

That’s a problem, and it’s one of the easiest security gaps to close. In this post, we’ll explain why admin access matters so much and how privileged access management fixes it without getting in your team’s way.

What are privileged accounts?

Privileged accounts are any accounts with elevated rights beyond everyday use: local administrator accounts on computers, domain and server admin accounts, accounts for firewalls and network gear, and admin logins for cloud platforms like Microsoft 365.

These accounts can install software, change security settings, create new users, and access sensitive data. They’re essential for managing IT. They’re also exactly what an attacker wants.

Why do attackers target admin accounts?

Attackers target admin accounts because admin rights let them do the most damage: disable security tools, delete backups, install persistent access, and spread from one computer to the rest of the network.

Here’s how a typical attack unfolds. An employee falls for a phishing email, and an attacker gains access to their computer. If that employee is a standard user, the attacker is boxed in. They can’t install much, can’t turn off protections, and can’t easily move elsewhere. But if the employee has admin rights, the attacker inherits them. From there, it’s a much shorter path to a network-wide ransomware event.

In other words, admin rights don’t usually cause the first breach. They determine how bad the breach becomes.

Removing admin rights avoids 94% of Microsoft vulnerabilites

CyberFox reports 94% of Microsoft vulnerabilities can be avoided when everyday users work without admin rights.

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CyberFOX also reports a 50% drop in privilege-related help desk tickets after rollout, a sign that least privilege doesn’t have to slow anyone down. Sources: CyberFOX AutoElevate, CyberFOX AutoElevate overview.

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What is the principle of least privilege?

The principle of least privilege means every person and system gets only the access they need to do their job, and nothing more. Admin rights are given for specific tasks when they’re needed, not left on all the time.

It’s the same logic as your building keys. The receptionist doesn’t need a key to the server closet. Your bookkeeper doesn’t need the ability to install software on her computer every day of the year. When they occasionally do need it, there should be a simple, secure way to get it.

What is privileged access management (PAM)?

Privileged access management (PAM) is a set of tools and practices for controlling, approving, and monitoring the use of admin-level access. It removes standing admin rights from everyday accounts and provides a secure way to grant elevated access when it’s genuinely needed.

The privileged access management we deploy for clients is designed to protect admin access without creating a bottleneck:

• Standard rights by default. Employees work as standard users day to day, which sharply limits what an attacker can do through their account.
• A request instead of a dead end. When someone tries to install software or make a change that needs admin rights, the usual Windows admin password prompt is replaced with a simple request to our team.
• Technician review. Our technicians see what’s being requested, the exact application, and the computer’s security status, then approve or deny it.
• Rules for repeat requests. Once an application is approved, a rule can allow it automatically next time, for one computer, one office location, or your whole company. Rules match the application’s unique fingerprint, so a renamed or altered file doesn’t ride on an earlier approval.
• Denied requests don’t disappear. If a request is denied, a support ticket is opened and the employee hears back on next steps.

The goal is to make the secure way the easy way.

Won’t removing admin rights slow my team down?

Not when it’s done well. Most employees rarely need admin rights, and the occasional request, like installing a new app, can be handled quickly through on-demand elevation instead of permanent access.

In practice, the friction is far smaller than people expect. Most daily work, like email, documents, line-of-business apps, and web browsing, doesn’t require admin rights at all. And because your IT team is approving elevated access, you also gain visibility into what’s being installed on company machines, which tends to cut down on unapproved software.

Why does visibility into admin requests matter?

Visibility matters because when something goes wrong, you need to know what was installed or changed on company computers and who asked for it. When every elevation goes through a request and an approval, that picture is built in instead of pieced together after the fact.

It also helps with compliance. Many industries, and many cyber insurance applications, ask whether you control privileged access. Being able to show that everyday users don’t hold admin rights, and that elevation requests are reviewed, puts you in a much stronger position.

Where should a small business start?

If you’re not sure where your business stands, these steps are a practical starting point:

1. Inventory who has admin rights. On computers, servers, network equipment, and cloud platforms.
2. Remove everyday admin rights. Move users to standard accounts.
3. Separate admin accounts from daily accounts. IT staff should use a dedicated admin login only for admin tasks.
4. Secure and rotate shared admin passwords. Especially ones that haven’t changed in years.
5. Turn on MFA for every admin account. No exceptions.
6. Log and review admin activity. So unusual activity gets noticed.

Admin rights are one way attackers expand their reach. Remote access is another: how people connect to your systems from outside the office, whether that’s an employee working from home or an IT technician supporting a server. We’ll cover secure remote access next.

Find out who’s holding the keys

At Absolute, we do IT differently. We help East Texas businesses lock down admin access in a way that fits how they actually work. If you’d like to know how many people in your business have admin rights today, we can help you find out.

Call us at 903-807-0303 or reach out via our contact form.