Every few years, someone asks a familiar question: do we really still need to disable the sa account in SQL Server? After all, it’s 2026. SQL Server has better encryption, better auditing, better defaults, and more security features than ever before. Surely this old guidance belongs in the past?
Well, no. It doesn’t.
Disabling (or at least renaming and tightly restricting) the sa login still matters – not because SQL Server is insecure, but because attackers haven’t changed their habits, and neither have many operational risks.
This post explains why the sa account is still relevant, what risks remain, and what modern best practice looks like today.
What is the SQL