What is Active Directory security?
Active Directory is a directory service offered by Microsoft Windows that helps administrators configure permissions and network access. Microsoft Windows Active Directory has several components, including Active Directory Domain Services, Active Directory Certificate Services and Active Directory Federation Services.
Information technology (IT) administrators rely on these Microsoft Active Directory services to perform a variety of daily processes, including domain controller workflows. For example, when a user logs on to a domain joined device, the domain controllers authenticate the user name and password. If the user is a system administrator, domain controllers can grant additional permissions.
Microsoft Active Directory security is important for businesses because the service holds the keys to the kingdom — providing access to systems, applications and resources. Businesses must be aware of vulnerabilities and take steps to strengthen their Active Directory security, like using security tools or following best practices, to keep their networks safe from cyberattacks.
Vulnerabilities in Active Directory
The best way to monitor for compromises in your Active Directory is to use an event log monitoring system. According to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations report, 84% of organizations that had a breach had evidence of the breach in their event logs. By monitoring the activity in these logs, organizations can catch any compromises before more damage occurs.
When monitoring your event logs, look for signs of suspicious activity, including the following events:
You can use security tools to protect Active Directory security and perform Active Directory monitoring of the health of your system. The main benefits of using Active Directory security tools are convenience, automation and enhanced security. Many Active Directory tools provide a more usable interface for performing administrative tasks, can automate tasks like cleaning up abandoned accounts and help strengthen security through monitoring and alerts.
Active Directory is a large service with many applications, so Active Directory tools vary in purpose and scope. The tools available range from free programs that monitor for basic signs of a breach to robust services that provide comprehensive threat detection and prevention. To compare the benefits of the available Active Directory tools, you should first decide your budget and then consider the features that are more important to your organization. Consider the most time consuming or most risky processes at your organization and look for a tool that addresses those needs.
When choosing an Active Directory security tool that is right for your organization, consider looking for a tool that has some of the following features:
- Automation for creating user accounts and security groups
- Analysis of user permissions
- Analysis of vulnerabilities, such as abandoned accounts
- Active Directory auditing for changes to parameters
- Free trials to test how the tool works for your organization
Active Directory security best practices
Many malicious users breach your system using compromised credentials. As a result, it’s important to follow Active Directory best practices to avoid unnecessary security risks. The best ways of hardening your Active Directory are to implement the following security measures: