Tag: Group Policy

Active Directory (AD) is a directory service that manages the identities and access rights of users and devices in a network. AD security settings are the policies and configurations that define how AD objects, such as users, groups, computers, and organizational units, are protected from unauthorized access or modification.

AD security settings are essential for any organization that uses AD as their directory service. They help protect the network from internal and external threats, comply with various regulations and standards, and optimize the network performance and management. However, not all AD security settings are equally important. Some settings have a greater impact on the security posture and compliance status of the network than others.

In this post, I will discuss the importance of the top 5 security settings in AD, namely:

• Password policy
• Account lockout policy
• Group policy
• Permissions and auditing
• Kerberos policy

Password Policy

Password policy is the set of rules that govern how passwords are created, changed, and stored in AD. Password policy affects the security of user accounts and the authentication process. A strong password policy should enforce the following requirements:

• Minimum password length
• Password complexity
• Password history
• Password expiration
• Password encryption

A strong password policy helps prevent password cracking, guessing, or phishing attacks by making passwords harder to break or steal. It also reduces the risk of password reuse or sharing by requiring users to change their passwords regularly and use different passwords for different accounts. You should look at minimum password length of 10-12 characters with complexity requirements enabled, remembering at least the last 5 passwords, etc.

Account Lockout Policy

Account lockout policy is the set of rules that govern how AD responds to failed logon attempts. Account lockout policy affects the security of user accounts and the authentication process. A reasonable account lockout policy should enforce the following requirements:

• Account lockout threshold
• Account lockout duration
• Account lockout reset

A reasonable account lockout policy helps prevent brute force attacks by locking out accounts after a certain number of failed logon attempts. It also reduces the risk of denial-of-service attacks by unlocking accounts after a certain period of time or by allowing administrators to manually reset them. You should look at disabling a user account if they guess their password incorrectly 10 times in 30 minutes, and automatically enabling their account after it has been locked for 30 minutes.

Group Policy

Group policy is the set of rules that govern how AD objects are configured and managed. Group policy affects the security of users, devices, and data. A comprehensive group policy should enforce the following requirements:

• Security settings
• Software settings
• Administrative templates
• Preferences

A comprehensive group policy helps enforce consistent and secure configurations across the network by applying security settings to users, devices, and data. It also helps automate and simplify the deployment and management of software, policies, and preferences across the network.

You should minimize any GPOs linked at the root domain level as these policies will apply to all users and computers in the domain. You should also avoid blocking policy inheritance and policy enforcement.

Permissions and Auditing

Permissions and auditing are the set of rules that govern how AD objects are accessed and monitored. Permissions and auditing affect the security of users, devices, and data. A granular permissions and auditing policy should enforce the following requirements:

• Least privilege principle
• Role-based access control
• Object ownership
• Inheritance and propagation
• Audit policy

A granular permissions and auditing policy helps ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of AD objects by granting only the necessary access rights to authorized users or groups based on their roles and responsibilities. It also helps detect and deter unauthorized access or modification by recording and reporting any changes or activities on AD objects.

Kerberos Policy

Kerberos policy is the set of rules that govern how AD uses Kerberos as its primary authentication protocol. Kerberos policy affects the security of user accounts and the authentication process. A secure Kerberos policy should enforce the following requirements:

• Ticket lifetime
• Ticket renewal
• Maximum tolerance for computer clock synchronization

A secure Kerberos policy helps prevent replay attacks by limiting the validity and renewability of Kerberos tickets. It also helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by requiring a close synchronization of computer clocks within the network. It’s advisable to set Maximum lifetime for service ticket to 600 minutes and Maximum lifetime for user ticket renewal to 7 days.

In conclusion, AD security settings are vital for any organization that uses AD as their directory service. Among them, password policy, account lockout policy, group policy, permissions and auditing, and Kerberos policy are the most important ones. They help protect the network from internal and external threats, comply with various regulations and standards, and optimize the network performance and management.