“When users don't have local administrator rights, they can't make changes that destabilize the system, or require extra support to correct the problems they accidentally create. Additionally, a locked-down system is less susceptible to malware,” said Dwain Kinghorn of SageCreek Partners in a recent SC Magazine article.

Dwain makes a valid argument that a “strong privilege management solution is needed to take individual and collective user needs into consideration.”  The risk of virus and malware attacks are greatly reduced with the removal of administrator rights.  To achieve the ideal least privilege environment without impeding on user productivity, it is important to select a reliable, strong privilege management solution that will properly manage user permissions and elevate privileges that users require to perform their daily work. If your company has not removed administrator rights and is planning to migrate to Windows 7, this would be an ideal time to remove admin rights and manage permissions for standard users with a privilege management solution.