As cyber threats continue to be more sophisticated, the need for active directory security becomes paramount. Most Windows-based environments are heavily reliant on the AD configuration hence it’s a common target for intruders. This article outlines essential practices for AD hardening to protect your organization’s assets.

If your organization runs on Microsoft Active Directory, you rely on one or more domain controllers to keep AD operations going. On the surface, Active Directory seems to run on a peer-to-peer models in which every domain controller (DC) has the authority to create, modify, and delete AD objects. That is because every domain controller holds a writable copy of its domain’s partition, the only exception being read-only DCs.

90% of businesses around the world use Active Directory as their primary Directory Service. It plays an essential role in the identity and access management of large enterprises. In the past few years, attacks on Active Directory have soared. This is because it is a central platform where all the identities and accesses of employees are hosted, making it the keys to your enterprise.

As 98% of businesses are using some form of cloud computing, keeping track of who has access to what has become a major challenge, especially as cloud environments often span multiple platforms and locations.

One of the most common ways for attackers to slip into a corporate network is by compromising the username and password of a legitimate user account. Usernames are typically trivial to guess because they follow an established standard in a given organization, such as FirstnameLastname@domain.com. Unfortunately, compromising basic passwords is also surprisingly easy for threat actors today. For example, they can run a program that tries out various potential passwords for a particular user account.

Microsoft’s Active Directory (AD) runs your Windows network and keeps mission-critical legacy apps and workflows running at some organizations. Replacing can be a big commitment and migration planning is an essential step to undertake before kicking off your project. Big commitments are made for very good reasons. Consider that AD has become a top target for cyber attackers and doesn’t meet modern IT requirements.

Microsoft Active Directory (AD) is the primary authentication service used by a majority of organizations worldwide (roughly 90 percent). It stores critical business information on domain controllers (DCs) like user accounts, their permissions, the number of computers in your organization’s network, etc. In other words, it’s critical infrastructure. However, many businesses still don’t understand just how important it is to back up Active Directory.

Microsoft SQL Server is a popular relational database management system (RDBMS). However, determining the effective access rights of users is difficult because in Active Directory (AD) environments, effective access is determined based on not only the user’s direct permissions but also their membership in SQL Server roles, AD groups and Local Windows groups.

Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM) annually recognizes the pioneers who are shaping the future of cybersecurity with its prestigious Global InfoSec Awards. Recently, at the RSA Conference 2024 held in San Francisco, CDM announced the winners of its 12th annual awards, honoring the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the industry.