Stop using devices with admin rights because you may end up losing your Bank credentials, other valuable data, Hackers can install Malware on your device without your knowledge, etc. If a malicious program or attackers are able to get control of your user account, they can do a lot more damage with an administrator account than with a standard account. You can protect yourself by using a standard account as your primary account and then temporarily elevating permissions when you need to make administrator changes.

If you are working in a company your account is set up as a standard user which you can use if is already available on your system but you won’t have the permission to install any new software. If you need new software on your device, you need to contact your ProximIT team who has admin rights and can install the requested software on your device. Every computer needs to have at least one admin user somewhere.

Most people don’t know about this or don’t care but it can cause them a financial loss. you don’t need admin rights to do your day-to-day work so why take the risk?

Let’s be clear about one thing Standard account does not mean you are fully protected from all the viruses it just means an admin account can do a lot more damage than a standard account. You have to be always careful what kind of websites you are accessing and what kind of link you are clicking.

Why standard accounts are more secure?

As I mentioned in my previous example, standard accounts are not authorized to install any new software on your system but if you are logged on with the admin account then anything can be installed or deleted from your device. We all spend a lot of time on the internet and if by mistake you click on any malicious link then it can install a virus on your computer and we all know that viruses are not good.

As a result, the restrictions of standard accounts work in your favor should an adversary or malicious program gain access to your account.

Steps to setup a standard user profile

Windows OS

1. Make sure you have logged in from the admin account
2. Click on windows icon and go to settings.
3. Click on Accounts
4. Family and Others
5. Add Account and choose standard user
6. Restart and login with the new user profile with Standard Permission

Mac OS

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Choose “Users & Groups”
3. Click the lock on the bottom left corner and enter your password to unlock the pane.
4. Click the “+” button to create a new account.
5. Choose Standard User
6. Set the username and password as you like. Uncheck the “Allow user to administer this computer”.
7. Restart and log in with the new user profile with standard permissions.