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2.3.1.3 Configure 'Accounts: Rename administrator account'

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Information

This policy setting enables the ability to rename the built-in local administrator account. This account is a well-known account that is known to be targeted by threat actors.

It is recommended to choose another name for this account, and to avoid names that denote administrative or elevated access accounts. Be sure to also change the default description for the local administrator (through the Computer Management console).

The built-in Administrator account exists on all systems that run the Windows 2000 or newer operating systems. If this account is renamed, it is slightly more difficult for threat actors to guess this privileged username and password combination.

The built-in Administrator account cannot be locked out, regardless of how many times a threat actor might use a bad password. This capability makes the Administrator account a popular target for brute force attacks that attempt to guess passwords. The value of this countermeasure is lessened because this account has a well-known SID, and there are third-party tools that allow authentication by using the SID rather than the account name. Therefore, even if the Administrator account is renamed, a threat actor could launch a brute force attack by using the SID to log on.

Note: As of October 11, 2022 (see MS KB5020282 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5020282-account-lockout-available-for-built-in-local-administrators-bce45c4d-f28d-43ad-b6fe-70156cb2dc00), a new policy was introduced (Allow Administrator account), which allows the built-in administrator account to be locked out if applied. This setting only applies to OSes that are patched with MS KB5020282)

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, configure the following UI path:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Rename administrator account

Impact:

Users who are authorized to use this account will need to be aware of the new account name. (The guidance for this setting assumes that the Administrator account was not disabled, which was recommended earlier in this chapter.)

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/25708

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: 085cb35ff52dfde1ef4f6d0d4387c594225d2ff052d4eb4a9b580dfe4f6576b8