Are your admin accounts the weak link in your cyber security? Every six minutes, another Australian business reports a cybercrime incident. Moreover, compromised accounts or credentials were the most common type of cyber incident reported by organisations in 2024-25. Therefore, understanding how to restrict administrative privileges is no longer optional—it’s essential for survival.
This comprehensive guide explains everything Australian business owners need to know about implementing this critical Essential Eight strategy effectively.
Why Administrative Privileges Matter in 2026
Administrative accounts are digital master keys to your entire business. Consequently, they can install software, change security settings, and access every system. However, when cybercriminals compromise these accounts, they gain complete control.
The Real Cost of Poor Privilege Management
Recent Australian cyber incidents paint a sobering picture. Specifically, the average self-reported cost of cybercrime per report for small business rose by 14 per cent to $56,600 in 2024-25. Furthermore, ransomware continues to be the most disruptive cybercrime threat, with attackers specifically targeting admin accounts.
Additionally, regulatory bodies are taking notice. In fact, APRA expects multi-factor authentication or equivalent protections to be in place for high-risk activities and privileged access in the superannuation sector. Similarly, other industries face increasing scrutiny.
Understanding Restrict Administrative Privileges in the Essential Eight
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) leads the Australian Government’s efforts to improve cyber security. Notably, restricting administrative privileges forms one of eight essential mitigation strategies.
What This Strategy Actually Means
Simply put, restricting administrative privileges makes it more difficult for malicious actors to elevate privileges, spread to other hosts, and hide their existence. Essentially, it limits who can make significant system changes.
For more context on how this fits within the broader framework, see our ‘Essential Eight Explained‘ article.
The Four Core Pillars
According to Microsoft’s Essential Eight guidance, effective privilege restriction requires four categories of controls:
- Identity governance – Validating and removing unnecessary access regularly
- Least privilege – Limiting access to only what’s needed
- Administrative devices – Using secure environments for admin tasks
- Logging and monitoring – Tracking all privileged activities
The Three Essential Eight Maturity Levels Explained
The Essential Eight maturity model supports implementation with four levels (Zero through Three). Each level addresses increasingly sophisticated threats. Therefore, organisations should progress systematically.
Maturity Level 1: Building Your Foundation
At this foundational level, organisations must implement several critical controls. Firstly, requests for privileged access to systems, applications and data repositories are validated when first requested.
Additionally, organisations need to:
- Create dedicated privileged user accounts separate from standard accounts
- Ensure privileged users use separate operating environments
- Prevent unprivileged accounts from accessing privileged environments
- Block privileged accounts from accessing unprivileged systems
Maturity Level 2: Strengthening Your Defences
Level Two organisations expand their strategy significantly. Specifically, they establish administrative processes to revalidate issued privileges at least annually. Moreover, they monitor for inactive administrative accounts.
Key requirements include:
- Reviewing administrative accounts inactive for 45+ days
- Hosting administrative environments in privileged locations only
- Using distinct usernames for all administrative accounts
- Implementing unique, randomly generated strong passwords
- Establishing comprehensive logging policies
Maturity Level 3: Achieving Full Compliance
The highest maturity level demands rigorous controls. Importantly, organisations regularly audit and ensure all issued administrative privileges are not ‘over-scoped’. Furthermore, they implement just-in-time administration.
Advanced requirements encompass:
- Just-in-time privilege checkout systems
- Preventing privileged accounts from accessing internet and email
- Blocking privileged accounts from web services
- Windows Defender Credential Guard deployment
- SIEM implementation for all privileged activity
What Doesn’t Work: Common Mistakes to Avoid
The ACSC identifies approaches that do not meet the intent of this mitigation strategy. Consequently, businesses must avoid these ineffective methods:
- Simply minimising total privileged accounts (without proper controls)
- Implementing shared, non-attributable privileged accounts
- Temporarily allocating administrative privileges to user accounts
- Placing standard accounts in administrative user groups
These approaches may seem convenient, but they leave dangerous security gaps.
How to Implement Administrative Privilege Restrictions Properly
Step 1: Identify Administrative Tasks
Begin by documenting every task requiring administrative privileges. Subsequently, determine who legitimately needs these permissions. Importantly, organisations should validate which staff members are required and authorised to carry out those tasks.
Step 2: Create Dedicated Admin Accounts
Next, establish separate accounts for privileged activities. Specifically, create separate attributable accounts for staff members with administrative privileges. Additionally, ensure these accounts follow the least privilege principle.
Step 3: Separate Work Environments
Furthermore, privileged users must use separate privileged and unprivileged operating environments. Therefore, IT staff should use normal accounts for daily work. Subsequently, they only switch to admin accounts when necessary.
Step 4: Implement Strong Credentials
Password security becomes critical for admin accounts. Particularly, credentials for Break Glass Accounts, local administrator accounts and service accounts are required to be a minimum of 30 characters at higher maturity levels.
Step 5: Enable Comprehensive Monitoring
Finally, track all administrative activities. Essentially, logging and monitoring of privileged activities enables detection of signs of compromise. Consequently, suspicious behaviour gets detected quickly.
Practical Implementation Tips for Small Businesses
Start Small, Scale Strategically
Don’t try implementing everything simultaneously. Instead, prioritise quick wins first. For example, enable MFA on admin accounts immediately. Then, gradually implement more advanced controls.
Use Available Tools Effectively
Modern technology simplifies privilege management significantly. Specifically, cloud platforms like Microsoft Entra ID provide built-in controls. Similarly, password managers handle complex credentials securely.
Document Everything Thoroughly
Maintain clear records of all privileged accounts. Additionally, document approval processes meticulously. Furthermore, track revalidation activities systematically. This documentation proves invaluable during audits.
Train Your Team Consistently
Even perfect technical controls fail with untrained users. Therefore, educate IT staff about privilege risks regularly. Moreover, ensure everyone understands proper admin account usage.
The Business Benefits Beyond Security
An environment where administrative privileges are restricted is more stable, predictable, and easier to administer. Consequently, organisations experience multiple advantages:
Improved System Stability Fewer users can make significant changes accidentally. Therefore, system disruptions decrease substantially.
Reduced Support Costs Standardised configurations minimise troubleshooting time. Subsequently, IT teams work more efficiently.
Better Compliance Posture Documented privilege controls satisfy regulatory requirements. Additionally, cyber insurance providers look favourably on proper implementation.
Enhanced Business Reputation Demonstrating strong security attracts customers and partners. Furthermore, it differentiates your business competitively.
Meeting Australian Regulatory Requirements
Government Mandates
Essential Eight (Maturity Level 2) is a mandatory requirement for all Australian non-corporate Commonwealth entities under the PSPF. However, many private organisations also adopt these standards voluntarily.
Industry-Specific Obligations
Financial services face particularly stringent requirements. Specifically, APRA requires robust identity-based security, including the removal of admin privileges on workstations. Therefore, staying current with sector requirements remains essential.
Data Breach Notification
Poor privilege management often leads to reportable breaches. Consequently, over 1,113 data breaches were reported to the OAIC in 2024, many involving compromised credentials. Thus, prevention is far cheaper than remediation.
Common Implementation Challenges and Solutions
Challenge 1: User Resistance
IT staff often resist using separate admin accounts. However, explaining the business risks typically helps. Additionally, streamlined processes reduce friction significantly.
Challenge 2: Legacy Systems
Older systems may lack modern privilege controls. Nevertheless, compensating controls can mitigate risks. For instance, isolating legacy systems limits potential damage.
Challenge 3: Cost Concerns
Initial implementation requires investment undoubtedly. However, the average cost of cybercrime for small business is $56,600. Comparatively, prevention costs far less.
Challenge 4: Technical Complexity
Privilege management seems daunting initially. Fortunately, managed service providers offer expert assistance. Therefore, outsourcing can accelerate implementation significantly.
Integration with Other Essential Eight Strategies
Administrative privilege restriction works synergistically with other strategies. Specifically, it complements:
- Multi-factor authentication – Adds an extra security layer to privileged accounts
- Application control – Prevents unauthorized software from running under admin privileges
- Regular backups – Ensures recovery if privileged accounts get compromised
- Patch management – Reduces vulnerabilities that attackers exploit for privilege escalation
Getting Started: Your Action Plan
Immediate Actions (This Week)
- Audit current administrative accounts – Identify who has privileged access now
- Enable MFA on all admin accounts – Implement this quick win immediately
- Document your admin procedures – Start creating formal processes
Short-Term Goals (1-3 Months)
- Create dedicated admin accounts – Separate privileged from standard accounts
- Implement basic logging – Track administrative activities systematically
- Conduct security awareness training – Educate your team thoroughly
Long-Term Objectives (3-12 Months)
- Deploy just-in-time administration – Implement advanced privilege management
- Establish annual revalidation – Create systematic review processes
- Integrate SIEM monitoring – Deploy comprehensive security monitoring
Working with IT Security Professionals
When to Seek Expert Help
While small improvements are manageable internally, achieving higher maturity levels often requires expertise. Specifically, Brisbane and Gold Coast businesses benefit from local IT support providers.
What to Look For
Choose providers with:
- Demonstrated Essential Eight experience and relevant certifications
- Deep understanding of Australian compliance requirements specifically
- Proven track record with similar-sized businesses
- Ongoing support and monitoring capabilities
Netcomp Solutions: Your Local Essential Eight Partner
As a Brisbane and Gold Coast based IT support provider, Netcomp Solutions specialises in helping small businesses implement Essential Eight strategies effectively. Moreover, we understand the unique challenges Australian SMBs face.
Our services include:
- Comprehensive Essential Eight maturity assessments
- Customised implementation roadmaps for your business
- Managed administrative privilege controls and monitoring
- Ongoing compliance support and guidance
Contact us today for a free Essential Eight assessment.
Measuring Success and Continuous Improvement
Key Performance Indicators
Track these metrics to measure your progress:
- Number of privileged accounts (should decrease over time)
- Percentage of admin accounts with MFA enabled
- Time to detect unauthorized privilege use
- Compliance with revalidation schedules
- Successful audit outcomes
Regular Reviews
The ACSC recommends organisations progressively implement each maturity level. Therefore, conduct quarterly reviews of your privilege management program. Subsequently, adjust your approach based on findings.
Staying Current
Cyber threats evolve constantly and continuously. Similarly, Essential Eight guidance gets updated regularly. Consequently, subscribe to ACSC updates at https://www.cyber.gov.au. Additionally, engage with local IT security communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does it take to implement privilege restrictions? Implementation timelines vary based on organizational size and complexity. However, basic controls can be deployed within weeks. Meanwhile, achieving Level 3 typically requires several months.
Q: Can we implement this without disrupting business operations? Absolutely, phased implementation minimizes disruption significantly. Therefore, start with non-critical systems first. Subsequently, expand to production environments gradually.
Q: What if we don’t have dedicated IT staff? Managed service providers can handle implementation and ongoing management. Consequently, even very small businesses can achieve compliance effectively.
Q: How does this affect our cyber insurance? Insurers increasingly require Essential Eight implementation. Therefore, proper privilege management often reduces premiums. Additionally, it improves claim approval chances.
Q: Do we need to implement all eight strategies? While individual strategies provide value, the mitigation strategies have been designed to complement each other. Consequently, organisations should implement all eight for optimal protection.
Additional Resources
Official ACSC Guidance:
Contact Netcomp Solutions:
- Phone: 1300 363 127
- Email: info@netcomp.com.au
- Website: www.netcomp.com.au
- Our Locations: Brisbane and Gold Coast
