diff --git a/packages/back-end/src/app/controllers/easy-genomics/organization/create-organization.lambda.ts b/packages/back-end/src/app/controllers/easy-genomics/organization/create-organization.lambda.ts
index 6385eeb24..ab9605f01 100644
--- a/packages/back-end/src/app/controllers/easy-genomics/organization/create-organization.lambda.ts
+++ b/packages/back-end/src/app/controllers/easy-genomics/organization/create-organization.lambda.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,25 @@ import { buildResponse } from '@easy-genomics/shared-lib/src/app/utils/common';
 import { APIGatewayProxyResult, APIGatewayProxyWithCognitoAuthorizerEvent, Handler } from 'aws-lambda';
 import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
 import { OrganizationService } from '@BE/services/easy-genomics/organization-service';
+import { validateSystemAdminAccess } from '@BE/utils/auth-utils';
 
 const organizationService = new OrganizationService();
 
+/**
+ * This API is restricted to only the System Admin User who will oversee the
+ * creation of one or more Organizations in the Easy Genomics platform.
+ *
+ * @param event
+ */
 export const handler: Handler = async (
   event: APIGatewayProxyWithCognitoAuthorizerEvent,
 ): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResult> => {
   console.log('EVENT: \n' + JSON.stringify(event, null, 2));
   try {
     const userId = event.requestContext.authorizer.claims['cognito:username'];
+    if (!validateSystemAdminAccess(event)) {
+      throw new Error('Unauthorized access');
+    }
     // Post Request Body
     const request: Organization = event.isBase64Encoded ? JSON.parse(atob(event.body!)) : JSON.parse(event.body!);
     // Data validation safety check
diff --git a/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/auth-utils.ts b/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/auth-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..934538335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/auth-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import {
+  LaboratoryAccess,
+  LaboratoryAccessDetails,
+  OrganizationAccess,
+  OrganizationAccessDetails,
+} from '@easy-genomics/shared-lib/src/app/types/easy-genomics/user';
+import { APIGatewayProxyWithCognitoAuthorizerEvent } from 'aws-lambda';
+import { APIGatewayProxyEvent } from 'aws-lambda/trigger/api-gateway-proxy';
+
+/**
+ * Helper function to check if the current User's Cognito session belongs to
+ * System Admin user in order to allow access to restricted APIs.
+ * @param event
+ */
+export function validateSystemAdminAccess(event: APIGatewayProxyWithCognitoAuthorizerEvent): Boolean {
+  const cognitoGroup: string = event.requestContext.authorizer.claims['cognito:groups'];
+  return cognitoGroup === 'SystemAdmin';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Helper function to check if an authenticated User's JWT OrganizationAccess
+ * metadata allows access to the requested Organization / Laboratory.
+ * @param event
+ * @param organizationId
+ * @param laboratoryId
+ */
+export function validateOrganizationAccess(
+  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent,
+  organizationId: string,
+  laboratoryId?: string,
+): Boolean {
+  try {
+    const orgAccessMetadata: string | undefined = event.requestContext.authorizer?.claims.OrganizationAccess;
+    if (!orgAccessMetadata) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    const organizationAccess: OrganizationAccess = JSON.parse(orgAccessMetadata);
+    const organizationAccessDetails: OrganizationAccessDetails | undefined = organizationAccess[organizationId];
+    if (!organizationAccessDetails || (organizationAccessDetails && organizationAccessDetails.Status !== 'Active')) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    if (laboratoryId) {
+      const laboratoryAccess: LaboratoryAccess | undefined = organizationAccessDetails.LaboratoryAccess;
+      if (!laboratoryAccess) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
+      const laboratoryAccessDetails: LaboratoryAccessDetails | undefined = laboratoryAccess[laboratoryId];
+      if (!laboratoryAccessDetails || (laboratoryAccessDetails && laboratoryAccessDetails.Status !== 'Active')) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(error);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/rest-api-utils.ts b/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/rest-api-utils.ts
index bb0d6eb96..d70a93a34 100644
--- a/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/rest-api-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/back-end/src/app/utils/rest-api-utils.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-import {
-  LaboratoryAccess,
-  LaboratoryAccessDetails,
-  OrganizationAccess,
-  OrganizationAccessDetails,
-} from '@easy-genomics/shared-lib/src/app/types/easy-genomics/user';
 import { APIGatewayProxyEvent } from 'aws-lambda/trigger/api-gateway-proxy';
 
 export const enum REST_API_METHOD {
@@ -81,46 +75,3 @@ export function getApiParameters(event: APIGatewayProxyEvent): URLSearchParams {
 
   return parameters;
 }
-
-/**
- * Helper function to check if an authenticated User's JWT OrganizationAccess
- * metadata allows access to the requested Organization / Laboratory.
- * @param event
- * @param organizationId
- * @param laboratoryId
- */
-export function validateOrganizationAccess(
-  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent,
-  organizationId: string,
-  laboratoryId?: string,
-): Boolean {
-  try {
-    const orgAccessMetadata: string | undefined = event.requestContext.authorizer?.claims.OrganizationAccess;
-    if (!orgAccessMetadata) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    const organizationAccess: OrganizationAccess = JSON.parse(orgAccessMetadata);
-    const organizationAccessDetails: OrganizationAccessDetails | undefined = organizationAccess[organizationId];
-    if (!organizationAccessDetails || (organizationAccessDetails && organizationAccessDetails.Status !== 'Active')) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    if (laboratoryId) {
-      const laboratoryAccess: LaboratoryAccess | undefined = organizationAccessDetails.LaboratoryAccess;
-      if (!laboratoryAccess) {
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      const laboratoryAccessDetails: LaboratoryAccessDetails | undefined = laboratoryAccess[laboratoryId];
-      if (!laboratoryAccessDetails || (laboratoryAccessDetails && laboratoryAccessDetails.Status !== 'Active')) {
-        return false;
-      }
-    }
-
-    return true;
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error(error);
-    return false;
-  }
-}