October 2025

Why “Too Many Admins” Is a Silent Cyber Risk

This article is the fourth in Matrium Technologies’ Essential Eight Blog Series, where we unpack each of the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s (ACSC) eight key mitigation strategies. Our goal is to help business leaders understand what each control means, why it matters, and how to implement it in practical terms.

In this instalment, we explore Restricting Administrative Privileges - one of the most effective ways to limit the damage an attacker can do once inside your network.

What “Restrict Administrative Privileges” Really Means

Administrative accounts have powerful access: they can install software, change security settings, and access sensitive systems. This level of privilege is necessary for IT management - but it’s also one of the biggest security risks.

If a cyber attacker compromises an admin account, they effectively gain the keys to your kingdom. They can disable security tools, steal data, and move laterally across systems - often without triggering alarms.

Restricting administrative privileges means ensuring only the right people have access, only when they need it, and only to the systems required for their role.

Why It Matters for Your Business

• Admin rights amplify attacks – Once an attacker obtains admin privileges, they can control or destroy systems, create new accounts, and disable monitoring tools.

• Privilege sprawl is common – Over time, employees accumulate permissions they no longer need. This expands the attack surface unnecessarily.

• Phishing targets admins first – Cybercriminals know that compromising an admin account gives them instant power.

• Business continuity depends on it – Restricting admin access limits the impact of ransomware or insider threats.

For executives, this control is about limiting blast radius - ensuring that even if one account is breached, the damage is contained.

Practical Steps to Implement

Organisations can strengthen control over administrative privileges by following structured, practical steps:

1. Identify who has admin rights – Regularly audit all accounts with elevated access across systems, servers, and cloud platforms.

2. Enforce least privilege – Users should only have the access they need to perform their role - nothing more.

3. Separate admin and standard accounts – IT staff should use a normal user account for day-to-day work and only log in with admin credentials when necessary.

4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Protect all admin accounts with strong, phishing-resistant MFA.

5. Monitor and log admin activity – Use security monitoring tools to detect unusual or unauthorised use of elevated privileges.

6. Regularly review and revoke – Remove admin access immediately when roles change or staff leave.

The Maturity Journey

The Essential Eight Maturity Model defines clear stages for building robust privilege management:

• Maturity Level 1 (Basic Protection): Administrative privileges are restricted to a limited number of users, and accounts are approved and documented. Admin access is separated from standard user accounts.

• Maturity Level 2 (Improved Protection): Privileged accounts are only used when required, with MFA enforced for all administrative access. Logging and regular reviews are implemented to detect misuse.

• Maturity Level 3 (Strongest Protection): Privileged access is granted on a “just-in-time” basis using dedicated management tools. Admin actions are continuously monitored, and any anomalies trigger alerts or automated lockdowns.

Each level builds on the principle of least privilege, ensuring that admin rights are tightly controlled and monitored across every environment.

Final Word

Restricting administrative privileges isn’t just an IT housekeeping task - it’s a cornerstone of proactive cyber defence. Many of the most serious breaches could have been prevented or contained if admin access had been properly managed.

By limiting elevated access, monitoring its use, and enforcing MFA, businesses dramatically reduce their exposure to ransomware, insider threats, and unauthorised system changes.

This is the fourth article in Matrium’s Essential Eight Blog Series. Next, we’ll explore Application Control - how to manage what runs on your systems to prevent unauthorised or malicious software from taking hold.

Matrium Technologies helps organisations of all sizes achieve and maintain Essential Eight compliance, providing expert guidance and solutions to control administrative privileges and strengthen overall cyber resilience.