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Why Regular User Accounts Should Not Be Global Administrators

Why Regular User Accounts Should Not Be Global Administrators

If you’re a Microsoft 365 administrator, you may have been asked by a regular user to give them administrator rights so they can perform a task that requires elevated privileges.

This is not the best practice. Giving regular users administrator rights can potentially jeopardize the security of your organization. It’s important to understand the risks of making a regular user a global administrator before you do so.

You should only assign the global administrator role to users who need global access to most management features and data across Microsoft online services.

Below are some of the main risks to consider before granting administrator rights to regular users:

Make Unexpected Changes

If a regular user is a global administrator, they can make changes that can potentially jeopardize the security and stability of your organization. For example, a regular user with global administrator rights could:

  • Delete critical data
  • Change passwords for other users
  • Bypass security features
  • Turn off multi-factor authentication

Any sort of change like this could have a major impact on your organization. As the usage of Microsoft 365 services continues to grow, so does the need for granular control over who can make changes.

No one should have the ability to make changes that could potentially jeopardize the security and stability of your organization without your approval.

This includes both regular users and administrators.

Expose Or Leak Sensitive Data

If a regular user is a global administrator, they have access to sensitive data that they might not otherwise have access to. This could include:

  • User information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses
  • Financial information, such as invoices and payment information
  • Sensitive company information, such as trade secrets and marketing plans

This is a huge security concern. If a regular user has access to this type of data, they could easily leak it to someone outside of your organization. Or worse, they could sell it to a competitor.

External threats are valid concerns, but internal threats should not be ignored either.

Increased Risk Of Security Breaches

There are many ways that a security breach could occur if a regular user is a global administrator.

If a regular user is a global administrator, they have the ability to change security settings and add or remove users from the organization. This could increase the risk of security breaches, such as:

  • Malware
  • Phishing

A regular user with global administrator rights could easily fall for a phishing scam and enter their credentials on a fake website. Or, they could download malware that gives an attacker access to your organization’s data.

These are just a few examples of how a security breach could occur if a regular user is a global administrator. It’s of utmost importance that you understand the risks before making any changes to user permissions.

They can cause severe damage to your organization if not handled correctly.

Damage Company Reputation

If it’s found out that regular users are global administrators, it could damage the reputation of your company. Customers value security and they will be less likely to do business with a company that doesn’t have strict controls in place. Safety should always be the number one priority when it comes to customer data.

It’s not easy to regain the trust of customers once it’s been lost. This is why it’s so important to make sure that only users who need administrator rights have them.

Giving administrator rights to regular users should not be taken lightly.

Client data must be protected at all costs and only those with a genuine need should have access to it.

Staying Secure

The best way to stay secure is to limit the number of users who have global administrator rights. Only give administrator rights to users who need them.

This makes it much harder for an attacker to gain access to sensitive data or make changes that could jeopardize the security of your organization. It also decreases the likelihood of internal threats, as there will be fewer users with access to sensitive data.

Don’t wait, we can help you get started with Microsoft 365

Skyline IT Management can help your Oklahoma business with any questions about Microsoft 365 and user privileges.

Book a Call today to schedule a technology consultation.