Reefa Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Almost all malware problems are solved with a simple access change. A new report from the security firm Avecto said the vast majority of critical flaws affecting Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer could be stopped and prevented from spreading just by removing Administrator's rights from the PC's user. The default setting for Windows users on a single-user system is Administrator, which simplifies things for all involved. But just as Administrator rights make it easy to install new software, it also makes it easy for critical vulnerabilities and malware to spread. The report found: 86% of Critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows could be mitigated by removing admin rights. 99.5% of all vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer could be mitigated by removing admin rights. 82% of vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Office could be mitigated by removing admin rights. 85% of Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities could be mitigated by removing admin rights. 82% of Critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows 10 could be mitigated by removing admin rights. 63% of all Microsoft vulnerabilities reported in 2015 could be mitigated by removing admin rights. The good news for business users is that your IT department has likely set your machine with a lower level of access that limits what can be done, including the installation of software with or without your permission. The bad news is your home PCs are likely all set to Administrator unless you’ve changed them. Remote Code Execution exploits are the most common form of malware, so the 85% figure is tempting. But you also have to balance that with the fact that lower-level right might mean more headaches when installing software. Avetco said that, while the percentage of vulnerabilities mitigated by removing admin rights has dropped, the overall number of vulnerabilities has increased significantly. So the threat to enterprise users remains high, and restricted access remains the best solution. http://www.networkworld.com/article/3030226/microsoft-subnet/want-to-secure-a-windows-pc-turn-off-administrator-rights.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven36 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Maybe be OK for some businesses but Admin rights are required to do many things . Even some programs require them, it would be a pain in the butt If you're this worried about this switch to Linux were it requires a password to do anything root . Microsoft designed windows in such a way that Admin rights or needed a lot if you make many changes . Most Antivirus require Admin rights even that's why i dont run one in Linux when i tested it it said it needed to be allowed root privileges witch itself is dangerous in Linux to give something root all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefa Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 18 minutes ago, steven36 said: Maybe be OK for some businesses but Admin rights are required to do many things . Even some programs require them, it would be a pain in the butt Agreed i mean for instance my VPN will not work correctly without Admin rights plus i use mainly portables witch again most require Admin rights..But the post maybe useful for some.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesDDI Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 1 hour ago, F3dupsk1Nup said: Agreed i mean for instance my VPN will not work correctly without Admin rights plus i use mainly portables witch again most require Admin rights..But the post maybe useful for some.. 1 hour ago, steven36 said: Maybe be OK for some businesses but Admin rights are required to do many things . Even some programs require them, it would be a pain in the butt If you're this worried about this switch to Linux were it requires a password to do anything root . Microsoft designed windows in such a way that Admin rights or needed a lot if you make many changes . Most Antivirus require Admin rights even that's why i dont run one in Linux when i tested it it said it needed to be allowed root privileges witch itself is dangerous in Linux to give something root all the time. Perfectly agree with both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmes Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 You can make yourself a power user and use uac to grant you administrative rights when they are needed. Not making yourself a administrator is not going to help as much as you think as some malware and malware in the future is going to be coded to not need admin rights to run. I can go onto a customers computer with guest account and run a script that can give me administrator rights turning off administrator rights is not a panacea for malware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recruit Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Need to secure Windows ? Just throw your pc on " window " ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted February 7, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 7, 2016 I remember how a user required administrative rights to just switch the internet on or off on previous versions of Windows. Not sure now though. I do like the Linux model, but then it starts getting annoying when it asks for password for so many things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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