In the fast-paced world we live in, where organizations face increasing threats to their security and protecting sensitive information, implementing robust security measures is paramount. Static passwords have proven inadequate in safeguarding data from unauthorized access and data breaches. However, there is a solution that addresses these vulnerabilities: time-based one-time passwords (TOTP).

Privileged accounts are the prime target of cybercriminals hoping to access an organization’s assets. Without a way to keep track of, secure, record and analyze privileged users and the privileged sessions they perform, it’s only a matter of time before a hacker finds their way into your more critical assets. That’s where setting Privileged Access Management standards comes in.

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a crucial aspect of any organization's cybersecurity strategy, especially in industries that handle sensitive data, such as health care, finance and government. PAM involves implementing policies, procedures and tools to manage and monitor access to privileged accounts and limit the risk of unauthorized access or misuse. This ensures that only authorized personnel can access critical systems and data, reducing the chances of a security breach.

In the past five years, Enterprise Attack Surfaces (EAS) have evolved significantly. EAS refer to the various entry points that cybercriminals can exploit to gain unauthorized access to an organization's digital assets. With the increasing use of cloud-based services, the proliferation of connected devices and the growing reliance on third-party vendors, attack surfaces have become broader, more numerous and more complex.

When it comes to securing Active Directory, the first place to start is usually getting a handle on what currently exists - getting a ‘lay of the land,’ so to speak. In Active Directory, the admincount attribute can play a role in identifying privileged accounts. It’s not without its faults, however. In this blog, we will explore the admincount attribute in more detail and potential uses it may have for determining which accounts may have or had privileged access.