“Giving every user admin rights…

…is like giving every passenger access to the cockpit: it feels empowering—right up until someone starts flipping switches they don’t understand.”

Admin rights aren’t evil. They’re powerful.

And power doesn’t just speed things up — it amplifies consequences.

Security research shows that over 50% of critical system vulnerabilities can’t be fully exploited without admin rights.

While ransomware can often start without elevation, admin access is what allows it to spread, disable protections, and turn one click into a company-wide outage.

That’s why the real risk isn’t bad people.
It’s good people having too much power all the time.

If admin access is unavoidable, wisdom shifts the question:

Not:
“Who do we trust?”

But:
“How much damage can one mistake do?”

The healthiest systems assume humans will slip — and build guardrails that limit the fall.

Final Thought

“You don't carry a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. Wisdom is matching the tool to the task. By providing access only when and where it's needed, you aren't slowing your team down—you're ensuring the power they do have is used with precision, not by accident.”

One small choice — least privilege, just-in-time access, or better controls — can quietly prevent a very loud problem later.

Wisdom Bytes are short reflections designed to bring clarity, encouragement, and perspective — one small truth at a time.