Windows Admin Accounts: Separate or Combined?

TL;DR

Always use a separate admin account for day-to-day tasks. Don’t log in with the built-in Administrator account. This significantly improves your cyber security and makes auditing easier.

Why Separate Admin Accounts Matter

Using a dedicated administrator account, distinct from your regular user account, is a fundamental Windows domain best practice. Here’s why:

• Security: If your everyday account gets compromised (phishing, malware), attackers don’t automatically have full admin access.
• Auditing: It’s much easier to track who did what when using separate accounts. You can clearly see which actions were performed by an administrator versus a standard user.
• Accidental Changes: Reduces the risk of making system-level changes unintentionally while browsing or working on regular tasks.
• Principle of Least Privilege: Users should only have the permissions they need to do their job. A separate admin account enforces this principle.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Disable the Built-in Administrator Account: The built-in Administrator account is a prime target for attackers. Disable it immediately.

   net user administrator /active:no

2. Create a Dedicated Admin Account: Create a new user account specifically for administrative tasks. Give it a strong, unique password and a descriptive name (e.g., “DomainAdmin”). Avoid using your regular username as part of the admin account name.

   You can do this through Active Directory Users and Computers.

3. Add to Admin Groups: Add the new account to the necessary administrative groups, primarily the ‘Domain Admins’ group. Be careful not to add it to unnecessary groups.

   Again, use Active Directory Users and Computers for this.

4. Use Run as Administrator: For tasks requiring admin privileges, right-click the application or command prompt and select “Run as administrator”. This prompts for the dedicated admin account’s credentials. Do *not* log in directly with that account unless absolutely necessary.

   This is the preferred method for most administrative work.

5. Just-in-Time (JIT) Administration: Consider implementing JIT administration solutions where users request temporary admin access only when needed. This further reduces the attack surface.
6. Regular Auditing: Regularly review audit logs to identify any unusual activity from administrator accounts.

   Use Event Viewer and other security tools.

7. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enable MFA on all admin accounts for an extra layer of security. This is crucial in today’s threat landscape.

What About Emergency Access?

If you absolutely need emergency access to the built-in Administrator account, document a secure process for enabling it temporarily and disable it immediately afterwards.

Don’t Share Accounts

Never share admin accounts between users. Each administrator should have their own unique account with individual credentials.