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Administrative Access

What is Administrative Access?

Elevated system privileges that allow users to perform configuration changes, install software, and manage other user accounts on a system.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as administrative access. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on administrative access

Requirements naming administrative access across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

CIS Controls v82 controls

Require MFA for all administrative access accounts, where supported, on all enterprise assets, whether managed on-site or through a third-party provider.

CIS-6.5 · Require MFA for Administrative Access
PCI DSS 4.02 controls

MFA is implemented for all non-console access into the CDE for personnel with administrative access

8.4.1 · MFA is implemented for all non-console access into the CDE for personnel with administrative access

Operations and management interfaces to 5G NFs must be authenticated, encrypted, and logged. Administrative access requires strong authentication, role separation, and privileged access management.

33.501-OAM · Management Plane Security
MARS-E1 control

Implement NIST 800-53 AC Access Control family + IA Identification and Authentication family per MARS-E v2.0 catalog. NIST 800-63-3 Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) + Authenticator Assurance Level 2 (AAL2) + Federation Assurance Level 2 (FAL2) for Exchange co...

MARS-E-Access-Control-Identity-Authentication-NIST-800-63-Identity-Assurance-Levels-MFA-AC-IA-Families · MARS-E Access Control + Identity + Authentication + NIST 800-63 + MFA + AC + IA Families

Questions people ask about administrative access

What is Administrative Access?
Elevated system privileges that allow users to perform configuration changes, install software, and manage other user accounts on a system.
Why is Administrative Access important for compliance?
Administrative Access is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding administrative access helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Administrative Access?
Administrative Access appears in the requirement text of CIS Controls v8, PCI DSS 4.0, 3GPP 5G Security Architecture (TS 33.501), ISMAP (Japan), Kuwait Data Privacy Protection Regulation (KDPPR, 2021 - CMA Directive). Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Administrative Access?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how administrative access applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Administrative Access applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.