Checklist of Best Practices for Securing Active Directory (AD)

Secure Active Directory

Table of Contents

• What is Active Directory?
• Why is Active Directory important?
• Checklist:
  • Regular Security Audits
  • Secure Administrative Accounts
  • Group Policy Security
  • Privileged Access Management (PAM)
  • Password Policy Enforcement
  • Account Lockout Policies
  • Secure Domain Controllers
  • Monitoring and Logging
  • Security Training and Awareness
  • Secure DNS Configuration
  • Secure Replication
  • Backup and Recovery
• Quote

What is Active Directory?

Active Directory manages identities and relationships of network resources. It stores and secures information about applications, files, printers, and users, providing a unified framework for access and management. Serving as the central authority, it enables seamless collaboration among distributed resources.

Why is Active Directory important?

Active Directory serves as a critical component of IT infrastructure, providing essential services for user management, security, and resource administration in Windows-based environments.

Checklist:

Regular Security Audits

Conduct regular audits to identify security gaps and vulnerabilities within the AD environment.

Secure Administrative Accounts

Implement strict controls for administrative accounts, including the use of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and limiting administrative privileges.

Group Policy Security

Review and secure Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to prevent unauthorized changes to security settings.

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Utilize PAM solutions to manage and monitor privileged access to AD resources.

Password Policy Enforcement

Enforce strong password policies, including password complexity requirements and regular password changes.

Account Lockout Policies

Implement account lockout policies to protect against brute-force attacks.

Secure Domain Controllers

Harden domain controllers by applying security updates, configuring firewall rules, and limiting physical and network access.

Monitoring and Logging

Implement robust monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time.

Security Training and Awareness

Provide regular security training to employees and raise awareness about common threats and best practices.

Secure DNS Configuration

Configure DNS servers securely to prevent DNS-related attacks and ensure reliable AD functionality.

Secure Replication

Implement secure replication between domain controllers to protect against data tampering and unauthorized access.

Backup and Recovery

Establish regular backup and recovery procedures to mitigate the impact of data breaches or system failures.

Quote:

"A domain represents a database. That database holds records about network services-things like computers, users, groups and other things that use, support, or exist on a network. The domain database is, in effect, Active Directory." - Robert R. King