What Happens When You Remove Local Admin on a Mac?

Summary: The video discusses the implications of removing local admin privileges in organizations, particularly in the context of traditional active directory setups. While there are valid reasons to restrict these privileges, the belief that doing so entirely prevents unauthorized code execution is misleading.

Keypoints:

Many organizations seek to remove local admin privileges to enhance security.

Service accounts with powerful credentials on laptops pose security risks.

Removing local admin privileges does not fully prevent users from running unauthorized code.

On macOS, users can circumvent admin restrictions by placing apps in their home directory’s applications folder.

MDM (Mobile Device Management) can impose restrictions but still allows local app installations.

The conversation highlights a common challenge for developers using Macs under these conditions.