Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

I’ve seen this question bouncing about in different forums for quite some time now. I haven’t seen any definitive answers because it always depends on the organization’s use of AD. Recently, I noticed something called AWS Managed Microsoft Active Directory. I must admit, six months ago I was not aware of AWS Managed Microsoft Active Directory, but when I started looking into this cloud-based AD solution, some connections started coming together.

Virtual private network (VPN) is extremely valuable technology, especially for organizations with a remote or hybrid workforce. VPN provides users with a secure and encrypted connection so they can access the corporate network over the internet — while keeping your confidential data and sensitive systems safe from prying eyes. VPN can also hide your IP address so that you can visit websites that are not normally accessible from your location.

Today, the process of digitization has become synonymous with progress and innovation. As organizations embrace digital transformation post-pandemic, the importance of securing your digital assets cannot be overstated. It is crucial to keep up with the cyber risks and protect your organization. The core of your operations lies within your Active Directory (AD), as it manages user identities, permissions, and access controls. At ManageEngine, we understand the importance of securing your AD environment.

Effective Active Directory (AD) monitoring is a cornerstone for security and compliance. It empowers administrators to spot suspicious activity, including improper changes to AD objects like user accounts and Group Policy objects (GPOs), in time to avoid data breaches or minimize their impact.

Organizations are increasingly adopting cloud technologies, mainly to secure their sensitive data. But are these cloud infrastructures so secure? We all know that companies worldwide are challenged by the ongoing volume of evolving security threats and by retaining qualified professionals to respond to these threats. On average, large organizations get approximately 17,000 security alerts a week, and it takes 99 days to discover security breaches.

Using Active Directory (AD) security groups and distribution groups is a best practice for simplifying IT administration, enhancing security and enabling effective communication. However, in many organizations, the membership of these groups is defined by an explicit list of specific users, computers and other entities.

Active Directory is most organizations’ primary identity storage, and is integral to an organization’s operating system. It is used to manage security principals, including user accounts, computers, servers, and other devices in the network. Since its launch 20 years ago, it has been integrated with numerous applications and systems and became one of the main foundations in the organization’s IT infrastructure.

IT pros need local admin rights on corporate devices to install software, modify configuration settings, perform troubleshooting and so on. But all too often, business users are also routinely granted local admin rights on their computers.

The biggest problem with granting too many permissions is that you may be delegating the right to grant permissions. In the realm of cybersecurity, few areas are as critical as managing privileged access. Privileged accounts, often referred to as the "keys to the kingdom," have the power to unlock and control vast portions of an organization's IT infrastructure.

Many enterprises have a variety of aspects that make up their networks, like Windows Defender Firewall, GPOs, and an AD infrastructure. Vulnerabilities in any part of the network can have a domino effect; once the first domino falls, the entire trail will go down with it, which can cause irrevocable damage to your network.