User and Group Accounts

Definition

A user account is the principal means of controlling access to a computer and network resource and assigning rights or privileges. In Windows, a user can be setup with a local account or a Microsoft Account.

Local Account

Exist only on the machine the user is utilizing

Microsoft Account

Managed in an online portal or active directory on a network

Security Groups

A security group is a collection of user accounts. Security groups are used when assigning permission dn rights, as it is more efficient to assign permissions to a group than to assign them individually to each user.

Standard Account - Standard user accounts can only configure their own profile and settings on the computer they are assigned to. If the need elevated privileges they must request them from the computer or network administrator. Administrator Account can do all the required management tasks of a machine.

net user commands

Create new user account and force them to create a new password

net user ACCOUNT_NAME SET_PASSWORD_HERE /add fullname:"FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME" /logonpasswordchg:yes

Disable an account

net user ACCOUNT_NAME /active:no

Show the user properties of the account

net user ACCOUNT_NAME

Adding an account to the administrators local group

```cmd net localgroup Administrators ACCOUNT_NAME /add ``