Use of built-in Admin account - What's the problem ?

I wanted to check if there was any good reason for not using the built in Admin account, as long as you do the following:

1) Set password for it
2) Rename it from "Administrator" to something else (ie. so attacker will have to guess username and password)
3) Enable it (obviously)

Then, just change your normal 1st user account (ie. the one created when you install Windows) from admin to to SUA (to be used for normal usage).

Is this any different (from a security hardening perspective) to using your 1st user account as your admin account, and creating a new 2nd SUA for day-to-day usage ?

 

Any account with Admin level privileges that is exposed to the Internet is vuilnerable to attack - just like any normal user account with less privileges.

If a normal user account with less privileges is compromised - the attacker still does not have control of your computer, only your usre account and user data.

If an account with Admin privileges is compromised - the attacker has control of your computer and it is then owned by the attacker.

Which case would you prefer?

The best rule of thumb for web surfing is to use a normal user account that has no way of elevating privileges to Admin status - and to use common sense on where you surf.

-- Tom

 

You've mis-understood me. My question was not about why you shouldn't use an admin account for day-to-day usage. It was about using the built-in Administrator account for admin purporses, as opposed to using a non-built-in Administrator account for admin purposes.

 

There is not usually a problem using a built-in Administrator account for admin purposes nor using a non-built-in Administrator account for admin purposes - as long as one does not use them for normal web surfing activites which exposes the Admin accounts to a real problem.

-- Tom

 

The built-in Administrator account by default has UAC turned off. Consider what may happen when UAC is off and you install a program that loads a webpage that has been hacked.

Further reading:
The myths about so-called hidden built-in administrator account in Windows Vista and Windows 7
How to handle the built-in administrator account
Why You Should Disable the Administrator Account

 

Using the apps in my siggy renders a full blown admin account completely safe with several gigs of malware samples tested and any and all websites visited without a single prob.

I'm gonna cop it now, huh.