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Non-console administrative access means performing administrator tasks over a network interface rather than by using a direct physical connection to the machine’s console. This is remote or network-based management, such as logging in from another system through SSH, RDP, or a management network, instead of being physically at the device.

This distinction matters in PCI DSS because it sets the scope for how admin access is controlled, logged, and secured. Remote admin sessions must be properly authenticated, monitored, and restricted to reduce risk when admins manage systems from afar.

The other options don’t fit because: using only the physical console describes console-based, not non-console, access; restricting access to external networks is incorrect since non-console access can occur over any network path (internal or external); and limiting access to non-administrative users misunderstands the term, which refers to how the access is performed, not who is allowed.