What Are System Administrator Privileges? (In Simple Terms)

A system administrator is someone who has full control over a computer, server, or network. But the term can also refer to a special permission level given to certain users.

If you have administrator privileges, it means you can make big changes to the system — like installing software, changing settings, or giving other people access.

These users are sometimes called:

• Administrator

• Superuser

• Root

For example, on a computer, the main user might be called "Administrator" or "Root", and they can do things other users cannot.

Instead of giving one person full access, a computer might have an "Administrators Group", and anyone added to this group also gets those full-access rights.

To make it harder for hackers to break in, the name of the Administrator account is often changed to something less obvious.