With nothing more than a generic Windows 11/10 installation disc or USB flash drive, one can enable the built-in Administrator account with a little simple trick – and then use it to lock you out of your own system, or worse, access your private and sensitive files. In this post, they will walk you through the steps to delete the inbuilt Administrator Account in Windows 11/10.

By default, the built-in Windows administrator account is disabled. The built-in administrator account in Windows 11/10 does not even require a password. If you enable the built-in Windows administrator account by choice, you should always create a strong password to use with it.

Caution: It’s strongly recommended NOT to delete the inbuilt Administrator account.

To delete the inbuilt Administrator account in Windows 11/10, do the following:

Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM\SAM

• At the location, on the left pane, right-click the expanded SAM folder, and then click Permissions on the pop-up context menu.
• In the Permissions for SAM window, select the Administrators group. Then, enable the Full-Control and Read options under the Allow header.
• Click Apply > OK.

• Next, click View on the Registry Editor window menu bar, and then click Refresh.
• Now, expand the subfolders underneath the SAM folder until you get to the Names folder. The path is as follows:

SAM > Domains > Account > Users > Names

• Expand the Names folder to reveal the list of user accounts on the system.
• Right-click the Administrator folder, and then click Delete.

That’s it! You have successfully deleted the Windows built-in Administrator account.

You can use the same process to delete the Default Account and Guest Account in Windows as well.

To verify that the built-in admin account has indeed been deleted, you can open a command prompt by pressing the  Windows key + R, then type cmd and hit Enter. In the command prompt window, type net user and hit Enter. This command will list all accounts on the system – even if they have been disabled.

Once the command executes, Windows will display a list of all accounts on the system. Note that the Administrator account is no longer visible.

You can also verify that the built-in Windows admin account is gone by opening the Computer Management console in Windows 11/10.

To do this, invoke the Run dialog box, then type compmgmt.msc and hit Enter. Then, click Local Users and Groups and select the Users folder. Again, note that the Administrator account is not visible.

Hope this helps.

 Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Awareness is your best defense. Know what is happening around you. Be especially careful and alert if you are alone. Watch where you are going and what is going on around you. Look for potential problems and be prepared to react to them. Avoid going to secluded areas.

 Trust Your Instincts
If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Whether alone or in a group, if you think something is wrong, remove yourself from the situation. Don't be afraid to call for help.

 When Walking, Plan the Safest and Most Direct Route
Use well-lit, busy streets, sidewalks and pathways. Walk with friends or a group, especially at night. Always let someone you trust know where you will be going, how you will be getting there and when you plan to return. Avoid areas you are not familiar with, alleys, deserted streets, and secluded and wooded areas.

 Project Confidence
Walk as if you know where you are going. Stand tall. Walk in a confident manner, and hold your head up. Keep your eyes off your mobile device while you are walking.

 If You Are Being Followed or Feel Threatened, Be Proactive
Cross the street, change direction and go to a safe, busy and well-lit area where you can ask for help or call the police. If a car is following you, turn around and walk in the opposite direction if possible. Write down the license plate number and a description of the car and occupants.

 Report Suspicious Activity
Criminals do not want to be seen or heard. They rarely commit crime in front of police officers. They rely on the community to report suspicious activity. They would much rather respond to you and not be needed than not be called when a crime could have been prevented or stopped. Trust your instincts; if something does not feel right, it probably isn't.

 Program the UTSA Police Number into Your Phone
On UTSA campuses, their police department can respond to emergencies much faster than local law enforcement. Call (210) 458-4911 for emergencies and (210) 458-4242 for police assistance with non-emergencies.

Earning specialized certifications is a surefire way to advance your career in the IT field, regardless of industry or current career level. The right certification validates your skills and knowledge, which makes you more desirable to future employers who want to attract and retain the best employees. Below, we’ll explore the top IT certifications and share how to examine your goals to choose the right path forward. 

State and federal new employee forms are mandatory and should be completed as soon as possible. And you’ll need to file most of the completed forms with the relevant government agency.

Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)

Form I-9 is required by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It’s the government form with the most stringent compliance requirements—and the fines for noncompliance can be significant.

Your employee will need to complete and sign Section 1, Employee Information and Attestation, no later than their first day of employment (but not before they’ve accepted the job offer).

You must fill out and sign Section 2, Employer or Authorized Representative Review and Verification, within three business days of your new employee’s first day of employment.

You’re also required to physically examine the document or documents presented by your new hire to establish their identity and their employment authorization, which shows their eligibility to be employed in the U.S. This means you need to see original or certified documents, although certain receipts are acceptable.

Identity and Employment Authorization Documents

Employees must present either a document from List A in the Lists of Acceptable Documents, or a document from each of List B and List C. The Lists of Acceptable Documents are located on page three of Form I-9.

For example, a U.S. Passport or a U.S. Passport Card qualifies as a List A document, while a voter’s registration card and a state-issued birth certificate can be presented as a List B and a List C document, respectively.

Acceptable Receipts

In certain situations, the following receipts are acceptable in lieu of a document from the Lists of Acceptable Documents:

• A receipt showing your employee has applied to replace a lost, stolen or damaged document.
• The arrival portion of Form I-94 or I-94A showing both a temporary I-551 stamp and your employee’s photo.
• The departure portion of Form I-94 or I-94A showing a refugee admission stamp.

However, your employee must also present the actual documents for your examination within a specified time frame.

E-Verify

If you’re enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the USCIS, you can verify your new employee’s identity and employment authorization through the E-Verify system. While the system is voluntary, you should check with your state to see if it has mandated the use of the system.

Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement)

You will also need to fill out Form W-2 and file it with the SSA. To complete this form, you’ll need your new employee’s Social Security number. If your employee doesn’t have their Social Security card, you can use the SSA’s Social Security Number Verification Service.

Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Certificate)

The IRS requires employees to complete a Form W-4 when they start a new job. The form includes instructions for completion, and there is also an online tax withholding estimator they can use for increased accuracy.

The form contains information your payroll department will need to calculate how much to withhold from your new hire’s pay for income tax purposes. You do not, however, need to submit this form to the IRS. Employees should consider completing a new Form W-4 if their financial situation changes.

State Tax Withholding Forms

Your state might also require your employee to fill out a state tax withholding form. Contact your state’s revenue or taxation office if you’re unsure if it requires a separate tax withholding form for your employee.

State New Hire Reporting

Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), all employers are required to report new hires within 20 days of the date of hire, although individual states may set more stringent reporting requirements.

To see what your state’s requirements are for reporting new hires, the Office of Child Support Enforcement provides state-specific information about each state’s requirements and contact information. If you have employees in more than one state, you can register with the Child Support Portal to select one state where you can report all of your new hires.

Owner of Kalache LLC and a tech entrepreneur, consulting for tech startups on thought leadership and content strategy.

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has presented a serious challenge for many companies doing business with European users, and the rate of sanctions has been accelerating. In the third quarter of 2021, fines totaled over $1.14 billion — three times the total amount from 2020. Maximum fines can reach 4% of the company’s previous financial year’s worldwide annual revenue. As an entrepreneur working in the tech industry, I have had to carefully deal with data compliance, especially as I grew my business internationally.

GDPR And Small Businesses

For many small businesses and startups, the threat seems remote. GDPR fines are generally handed out to large companies. However, retroactivity on the sanctions can make non-compliance a liability for small businesses and startups experiencing significant growth. For example, France’s privacy watchdog investigated Clubhouse as it was experiencing hypergrowth. Regulators are taking compliance seriously, even fining non-digital businesses. For any successful startup, it may seem like it’s only a question of time before a GDPR regulator comes knocking on the door.

Non-compliance can prevent startups from doing business with companies dealing with European users, especially for the B2B space. GDPR holds companies responsible for verifying that third-party services comply with the law.  

More importantly, reports of infractions can be made public, which can seriously impact a company’s brand. While concern about data security initially came from regulation, consumers are becoming increasingly demanding. WhatsApp’s massive backlash to a new data-sharing policy earlier this year led tens of millions of users to flee to the competition. Apple understood the trend and started the App Tracking Transparency program, giving their users the choice of having their data tracked. The fact that 85% of Apple users have opted out of tracking clearly shows that consumers care about their privacy.

Getting Started

A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is a good starting point for businesses. This is a process designed to identify risks associated with the processing of personal data and to minimize the risks. The first step of a DPIA is to ensure that you actually need to complete one. If you have a DPO (data privacy officer), ask them about the assessment. You can also choose to request a screening for agencies that specialize in data privacy compliance. If you decide to do the assessment on your own, you will need to look into the regulations of the geographies you are operating your business in — when in doubt, it’s better to complete a DPIA.

There are countless data-related elements that a DPIA will cover. Some of these elements include: What type of data do you collect? How do you store and use the data? Do you share the data with any third party? What security do you have in place to protect the data? A rule of thumb is that the more data you have and the more sensitive it is, the more questions and processes you should put in place. To get started, I suggest to review DPIA guides from France and the U.K.

Get your team on board.

Data privacy is a right; business owners must explain to their teams why data privacy is important and that it is not just about being in compliance. This can be achieved in a couple ways, such as organizing a company-wide meeting where leadership covers the syllabu or by hiring a data-compliance agency to take care of the training. Getting your team’s buy-in is extremely important; otherwise, employees might see these efforts as pointless, and the work won’t be done.

Put tools in place.

While it is a nascent space, there are a number of tools to facilitate data compliance. Startups should track what data is collected, how it is used and which third-party services they are sharing personal data with. Tools like Bearer, SkyFlow and OneTrust can be a good starting place for organizations.

When picking tools, entrepreneurs should have a clear idea of their needs so they can pick the right tool for the right job. A retail company will not have the same needs as a healthcare business, in a similar way that a local company will have different needs than one operating internationally. Regulations depend a lot on the geography and type of data that is being processed. Be specific and avoid buying sophisticated and expensive tools if you have modest needs.

Entrepreneurs should look for tools that can be integrated into their current infrastructure or product development process. Whether you are working with a CRM, customer support platform or CI/CD pipeline, the right tools can integrate seamlessly into your existing processes. Data compliance can be a complicated and intimidating topic, and failing to comply can have serious consequences. Carefully identifying and understanding your needs to come up with the right strategy and tools is critical. 

Blend legal and engineering.

I’ve found that startups usually give the data-compliance responsibility to their engineering team. While they ultimately collect, store and manipulate users’ information, they also often lack the legal knowledge or bandwidth to deal with sophisticated legal platforms. Founders should keep this in mind and make sure to pick tools and processes that are developer-friendly to automate data compliance as much as possible.

Data privacy compliance is here to stay. With an estimated 66% of countries having some sort of data privacy and consumer rights legislation, being compliant may become an increasingly challenging task. Privacy by design is a paradigm that startups should adopt early. If this is well-automated and integrated into the company’s culture, it can be done painlessly and used as a selling argument toward businesses and consumers. As tax compliance is a must-do, I think it is time for businesses to follow a similar path for data privacy.

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