About Active Directory and its Inevitability for a Competent Audit

About Active Directory and its Inevitability for a Competent Audit

What’s an Active Directory?

The Active Directory (AD) is an essential information repository and a proprietary directory service of Microsoft. The AD functions on the Windows server and facilitates IT admins implement access management to the computer systems, network and its associated devices.

The information stored in AD are in the form of objects, these are either a single user or group of users, applications / software, or a hardware device such as printer. Objects altogether are also known as resources that comprise of computers, devices, security policies and users. These objects are categorized by their names (username) and attributes (passwords or any access keys).

The key role of Active Directory is the Domain Service (AD DS), this stores information and also manages the communication within the user and domain. The AD DS also authenticates each user’s access when they attempt to log into a device or connect to a network or a server.

Performing such multitude functions, the Active Directory if not properly maintained, could result in a complete mishap within the entire information and cyber security posture of your organisation. To counter such instances a habitual audit is always essential.

What happens in an Active Directory Security audit?

During this process the entire information (objects) present on the Active Directory is collected and analysed for any anomalies, the audit contains certain key aspects to be centralized upon, moving forward let’s discuss a few of them. These prospects have been conceptualised keeping an information and cyber security perspective in mind, in order to proactively detect any potential sensitive information leak or cyber-attack.

Access privileges and security permissions :- Users who exploit their access privileges could lead to an information espionage, data leak (could either occur intentionally or accidentally). This could be prevented by ensuring limited access and privileges to users.

Object alterations or modifications :- Leaving the attributes of objects unattended to ceaseless changes increased the probability of sensitive information to be compromised. Any of such anomalies could be monitored using the Event Viewer application and also various other tools.

Privileged user activities : — The users who violate their privileges are complicated to detect as they have been given permission legitimately. To curb these instances all users must be treated equally during the audit process.

Password credential management : — The most important aspect for maintaining confidentiality of the entire information within the AD, if compromised could lead to an unimaginable debacle. Implementing a stringent password policy could address this issue effectively.

Object deletions : Any user who deletes objects from the AD (intentionally or accidentally), restoring them is a complicated task. IT admins must regularly keep a tab of objects that are missing in case found they must be recovered at the earliest.

System login and logoff event management :- One of the valuable attributes in the AD that caters admins to monitor the user login and logoff events and validate any instance of number of failed logins, repeated short time logins that could indicate red flags within the IT infrastructure of your organisation.

Inactive or undeleted accounts :- Leaving any inactive accounts unattended could be the most vulnerable loophole wherein a hacker could gain unauthorized access into the organisations network. Since these accounts are less monitored, they are most exploited. The concerned team should always keep an account of the inactive accounts and disable them periodically.

Account access lockout :- The concerned admin must always equip any account to lockout in case of instances like multiple login events, login from new IP address, login from new device and many more. Such events should be immediately rectified, and support should be issued to users who face actual trouble.

Ownership control and object audits :- One of the most important perspectives to be noted during the AD audit, proactive monitoring of each user’s access and other privileges on a security point of view could provide the admins a broader view about the usage of the network and other system related resources of the organisation.

Concurrent security based configurations:- The configuration and upgradation with appropriate information security measures are the most crucial aspects during the process of AD audit, this could largely prevent any unforeseen instances of cyber threats such as data theft or espionage.

An effective Active Directory audit could provide an accurate overview with regard to an entire organisations network and its associated resources and also aid in achieving the regulatory compliance standards assisting with gearing up the organisation’s IT infrastructure to higher and competitive standard.

Source: Internet

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