CSCS Admin Rights Policy

Owned by Raf Czlonka
Last updated: Dec 16, 2021 by Dave Clarke
1 min read

Introduction - why do you need administrative rights on a computer?

Admin Rights are usually desirable for installing software. Unfortunately however, having Admin Rights on a computer also greatly increases the chance of a malware infection, so like many workplaces we try and only assign them where they are needed.

Can I install software without admin rights?

Yes you can - We keep common software packages in our Software Library, which do not require admin rights - see the page Installing Software for further instructions. Our Service Desk will also install software for you if either you or we have the installer.

Situations that require Admin Rights

  • If you have a computer that is used off-site, then we will grant you admin rights by default (since you may need to install software while off-site and away from our Service Desk)
  • If you install or update software frequently, i.e. are a Developer
  • Instrument-connected computers sometimes require admin

How do I request Admin Rights?

We need access to your computer to either install software or grant admin rights, so the best way is to have your computer on-site or connected via the VPN, switched on, and then give our Service Desk a call on 36261 or fill out a request on our self service portal and let us know when the computer will be available. If we grant Admin Rights then you will need to log off and log back on for the changes to take effect.