Why your Mac Administrator Account could be Dangerous

Nowadays, cybersecurity is a top priority for all businesses and organizations. Over the course of ten years working in the managed IT services market, Klik has amassed impressive experience with IT security services. It’s no surprise that we prioritize our customers’ cybersecurity. Although cyber security necessitates a complex approach and professional involvement, a few simple steps can significantly reduce security risks. If you use a Mac, read these tips to strengthen your security. To reduce security risks, learn how to manage the two types of user accounts on Macs, Administrator and Standard User.

Administrator VS Standard User

Your Mac contains multiple user accounts. At least one of these accounts is Mac administrator account, which has full control over your computer’s settings. Others may be standard accounts on the same Mac computer, and their users can change settings that affect some of their activities. When you run your Mac as Administrator, you put yourself at greater risk than if you use the Standard User account. Why is it? Let’s use money as an analogy. Hardly anyone carries all his money around all the time because it is risky. But, if necessary, we can easily gain access to our bank accounts, where our funds are safely stored. The same principle applies to MacOS usage. Mac users might occasionally need some administrative power offered by the OS to install software, make some changes to system files or grant apps some required permissions, however there is no need to use administrative privileges provided by Mac all the time. Simply put, being an administrator on Mac device equals carrying all your cash around all the time. So, why does using Mac as a Standard User create another layer of protection? Let’s dive deeper into the topic.

The Principle of the Least Privilege

The Principle of the Least Privilege is a common best practice found in technical cultures. According to it IT specialists and developers never give themselves more permissions than are absolutely necessary to complete their current tasks. People who work with critical systems understand the risk of human error and its potential impact on the entire IT infrastructure. Limiting the ability to harm IT systems, even if accidentally, is a good thing. We could argue that the Macs we use every day are critical systems as well. If that’s the case, why do so many of us continue to run their Mac computers as Administrators while being aware of the fact that privilege abuse is the main reason for the majority of data leaks? The answer is simple: it is merely a habit that must be broken for the sake of security.

Mac Administrator Accounts are more targeted by malware

Over 90% of malware gets into our devices via email. Once we have clicked an infected link, the malware is installed on our Macs, giving attackers access to the account we used to open the malicious link. If we get hooked by hackers while using an Administrator account, the criminals can utilize administrative rights on mac to get access to our sensitive information, infect other Mac computers, and do all sorts of malicious actions. In contrast, using a Standard User account limits potential damage dramatically. Because so many companies still allow their employees to have administrator accounts on their Macs, it’s easy to see why hackers take advantage of this. A better strategy implementation can drastically reduce risks for your IT infrastructure and help to protect your sensitive business data. Are you ready to discover more about your Mac computer protection as well as an entire Apple environment? Klik Solutions, a Baltimore-based Managed IT service provider offers you a full scale of IT security services, including managed SIEM service to protect your company from all sorts of cybersecurity-related risks. Additionally, our clients can benefit from cyber security assessment services offered by our cybersecurity expert team.