When (and when not) to run as administrator
Using an account with administrative privileges puts your computer at greater risk from malware, viruses and ransomware. Because of this, the Minimum Security Standards* that we are all expected to follow state:
A user's primary account should not have administrative privileges. Accounts with administrative privileges should not be used for non-administrative purposes.
COFA recognizes that on occasion there is a need for a faculty or staff member to use an administrator account for required tasks. For that purpose we can create a secondary account (usually named adminonly, or your EID suffixed with -admin) to be used only when needed.
In almost no case is it necessary or recommended that you log out of your standard account and log into your computer with the admin account. Instead, simply stay logged into your standard account and if you are doing something pre-approved that requires admin access you should receive a prompt like the following:
 On macOS | On Windows
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Examples of appropriate uses of an admin account:
Installing pre-approved software or drivers
Changing wi-fi settings
Things that should not be done with an admin account:
Adding additional accounts to your computer
Disabling firewalls or anti-virus software
For more information see How to Not Login as Administrator (and still get your job done)
*Minimum Security Standards for Systems