The Real Reason Hackers Target Active Directory First
Active Directory controls access to nearly every application, file, and system in your network. That's exactly why it's the first thing attackers go after. Get privileged access to AD, and an attacker doesn't need to break into ten different systems. They just need one path in, and from there they can move freely, escalate privileges, and sit undetected for weeks. AI is making this worse. Faster reconnaissance, sharper phishing, quicker lateral movement, all pointed straight at identity infrastructure.