Administrators should have two accounts for enhanced security and separation of duties. Here's why:
1. Principle of least privilege: The principle of least privilege dictates that users should only be granted the minimum privileges necessary to perform their tasks. By having two accounts, an administrator can have one account with elevated privileges for performing administrative tasks and another account with regular user privileges for day-to-day activities. This mitigates the risk of accidentally performing administrative tasks while working in a regular user context.
2. Segregation of duties: Separating administrative tasks from regular user activities helps enforce segregation of duties. This means that no single person has complete control over all aspects of a system. Two accounts allow for dividing responsibilities and creating an additional layer of oversight, reducing the potential for misuse or unauthorized actions.
3. Auditability: By having separate accounts for administrative tasks, it becomes easier to track actions performed by administrators. System logs and audit trails can clearly distinguish between administrative actions and regular user activities. This improves accountability and simplifies troubleshooting or investigation if any issues arise.
4. Protection against credential compromise: Having two distinct accounts helps reduce the impact of credential compromises. Even if a regular user account gets compromised, the attacker may not gain administrative access. It adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access and minimizes the potential damage caused by malicious actors.
5. Compliance requirements: Some industry regulations and compliance frameworks, such as HIPAA and PCI DSS, mandate the use of separate administrative accounts. Adhering to these requirements helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to security and compliance standards.
To summarize, administrators having two accounts is essential for adhering to security best practices, enforcing separation of duties, improving accountability, mitigating the impact of credential compromises, and meeting compliance requirements.