What is the best way to manage access control and permissions in Active Directory?

1 Understand the basics

Before you start managing access control and permissions in AD, you need to understand the basic concepts and components involved. AD uses a hierarchical structure of objects, such as users, groups, computers, and organizational units (OUs), to represent your network. Each object has a set of attributes, such as name, email, and password, that define its properties. AD also uses security identifiers (SIDs) to uniquely identify each object and security principals to represent accounts that can be authenticated and authorized. Access control and permissions are based on the relationship between security principals and objects.

2 Use the principle of least privilege

The principle of least privilege is a key concept in access control and permissions in AD. This principle states that users or groups should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks, so as to reduce the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and human errors. To apply this principle, you must first identify the roles and responsibilities of each user or group in your network. Then, create and assign appropriate AD groups based on these roles. You should also delegate administrative tasks to specific users or groups using OUs and Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and use access control lists (ACLs) and access control entries (ACEs) to define the permissions for each object and group. Lastly, audit and review the access control and permissions regularly, making adjustments as needed.

3 Use inheritance and propagation

Another key feature of access control and permissions in AD is inheritance and propagation, which simplifies and streamlines the management of access control and permissions. Inheritance means that the permissions of a parent object are automatically applied to its child objects, unless they are explicitly overridden. Propagation, on the other hand, means that any changes made to the permissions of a parent object will be applied to its existing and future child objects, unless they are blocked. To take advantage of this feature, you should create a logical hierarchy of objects that reflects your organizational structure and needs. Additionally, you should set the permissions at the highest level possible and let them inherit down the hierarchy. You can also use advanced security settings to modify the inheritance and propagation options for specific objects or groups, but it's important to avoid excessive use of explicit permissions that can create conflicts and complexity.

4 Use PowerShell scripts

One of the most powerful and flexible tools for managing access control and permissions in AD is PowerShell. This scripting language allows you to automate tasks and perform complex operations on AD objects and groups. You can use cmdlets, such as Get-ADUser, Set-ADUser, Get-ADGroup, and Add-ADGroupMember, to query and modify AD objects and groups. Additionally, the ActiveDirectory module provides a set of cmdlets and providers for accessing and managing AD. Moreover, you can use the

tag to write and run PowerShell scripts that can perform bulk actions, such as creating, deleting, or modifying AD objects and groups, as well as applying or changing permissions. Finally, to test and confirm the results of your PowerShell scripts before running them, you can use the -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters.
###### Use third-party tools
Another option for managing access control and permissions in AD is to use third-party tools that can provide additional features and functionality. For example, Netwrix Auditor, Quest Active Administrator, ManageEngine ADManager Plus, Varonis DataPrivilege, Stealthbits StealthAUDIT, LepideAuditor, SolarWinds Access Rights Manager, Cayosoft Administrator, and Adaxes are all tools available in the market that can help generate reports and alerts on the status and changes of access control and permissions in AD. These tools can also enhance the security and compliance of access control and permissions in AD, as well as simplify and automate the management process.
######Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?