Active Directory Security
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- AD Security 101 (17)
- Community Tools (19)
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- From the Front Lines (69)
- Hybrid Identity Protection (64)
- Identity Attack Catalog (24)
- Identity Threat Detection & Response (139)
- Our Mission: Be a Force for Good (14)
- Purple Knight (5)
- The CISO's Perspective (16)
- Threat Research (66)
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Active Directory Attacks: 5 Common AD Attack Methods
- Darren Mar-Elia | VP of Products
[Updated February 21, 2024; originally published December 14, 2017] Active Directory is the most critical identity system for most enterprises. The problem is that in the two-plus decades since Active Directory was released, the enterprise security landscape has changed drastically. This has left many organizations vulnerable to Active Directory attacks.…
Understanding the Risks of Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access Settings
- Guido Grillenmeier
[Updated February 14, 2024; originally published November 29, 2021] The number and scope of confusing and risky security settings in Active Directory are becoming better known with every new cyberattack. Many of these vulnerabilities can be attributed to risky configurations that have accumulated in legacy environments over time. But IT…
How to Defend Against an Overpass the Hash Attack
- Daniel Petri | Senior Training Manager
In the constantly evolving landscape of cyber threats, the Overpass the Hash attack is a potent vector. Leveraging the NTLM authentication protocol, this attack enables adversaries to bypass the need for plaintext passwords. Instead, an Overpass the Hash attack employs a user's hash to authenticate and potentially escalate privileges. As…
Active Directory Hardening Best Practices
- Sean Deuby | Principal Technologist
According to Microsoft's most recent Digital Defense Report, nearly half of all Microsoft Incident Response engagements encountered unsecure Active Directory configurations. This corroborates a similar report from Mandiant that 9 of 10 cyberattacks exploit an Active Directory server. These sobering statistics are a reminder that organizations hoping to build a…
MFA for Active Directory: An Overview
- Sean Deuby | Principal Technologist
Modern information security is built on a layered defense. Each layer supports the others and presents additional obstacles to threat actors. From patch management to perimeter firewalls, each layer makes it more difficult for attackers to compromise your network. Multifactor authentication (MFA) is one of these layers. MFA has many…
Identity Attack Watch: AD Security News, January 2024
- Semperis Research Team
As cyberattacks targeting Active Directory continue to rise, AD security, identity, and IT teams face mounting pressure to monitor the evolving AD-focused threat landscape. To assist IT professionals in comprehending and preventing attacks that involve AD, the Semperis Research Team publishes a monthly roundup of recent cyberattacks. In this month’s…
How to Defend Against an NTLM Relay Attack
- Daniel Petri | Senior Training Manager
The NTLM relay attack poses a significant threat to organizations that use Active Directory. This attack exploits the NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication protocol, a challenge-response mechanism used in Windows networks for user authentication. NTLM relay attacks are not just a relic of past security concerns but a present and…
NSA Top Ten Cybersecurity Misconfigurations: An Active Directory Perspective (Part 3)
- Daniel Petri | Senior Training Manager
Welcome to the final installment of this series discussing CISA and NSA top ten cybersecurity misconfigurations in the context of hybrid Active Directory environments. Active Directory is the identity system for most organizations: a critical part of your infrastructure, and a prime target for cyberattackers. This week, I’ll discuss the…
