Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

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.

Active Directory (AD), a Microsoft Windows directory service, helps maintain a robust security perimeter within enterprise environments. It helps your business enforce security policies, assign permissions and mitigate security risks within the network. Let’s say your business’s IT infrastructure is a fortress, wherein AD acts as the gatekeeper controlling who enters and what they have access to.

Picture this: a high-security vault containing your company’s sensitive data. Unfortunately, the door is wide open, allowing anyone to enter unnoticed. This is the scary truth for firms that fail to audit Active Directory (AD). Why is an unmonitored AD such a concern? Well, your Active Directory is the central hub for user access and authentication. It stores the keys to your kingdom, such as passwords, group memberships, and sensitive accounts.

One of your organization’s most essential components is Active Directory (AD). Here we’ll look at some basic yet best practices for securing Active Directory infrastructure, backed up by statistics. As, in today’s digital landscape, cyber threats lurk around every corner, protecting your organization’s Active Directory infrastructure is more than a priority—it’s a requirement. Let’s not delay any longer – straight into the list we go!