10 Considerations to think about while Modernization of AD (Active Directory) Security Policies

AD (Active Directory) security policies modernization involves updating and enhancing the security measures and policies within your Active Directory environment to address current threats and challenges. Here are some examples of AD security policy modernization with real-world scenarios:

1. Password Policies:

Modernization: Enforce stronger password policies, including minimum length, complexity requirements, and regular password changes.

Example: An organization updates its password policy to require a minimum of 12 characters, including a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Password changes are required every 60 days.

2. Account Lockout Policies:

Modernization: Adjust account lockout thresholds and durations to balance security and usability.

Example: The account lockout threshold is increased to five failed login attempts, and the lockout duration is shortened to 15 minutes. This reduces the risk of brute force attacks while minimizing inconvenience for users.

3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

Modernization: Implement MFA for remote access, privileged accounts, and critical systems.

Example: A company enforces MFA for all remote access to its VPN and requires MFA for administrative access to Active Directory and other sensitive systems.

4. Group Policy Restructuring:

Modernization: Review and restructure Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to ensure effective security controls and reduced complexity.

Example: An organization consolidates and rationalizes its GPOs, removing redundant or conflicting settings and ensuring consistent security configurations across the domain.

5. Kerberos Ticket Lifetime Settings:

Modernization: Reduce the default Kerberos ticket lifetime to limit the exposure of compromised tickets.

Example: The Kerberos ticket lifetime is reduced from the default 10 hours to 8 hours, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers to abuse stolen tickets.

6. Use of Protected Users Group:

Modernization: Leverage the Protected Users security group for high-security accounts to prevent credential theft and replay attacks.

Example: Key personnel with administrative privileges are added to the Protected Users group, which enforces stricter Kerberos ticket policies and requires interactive logon for privileged accounts.

7. Credential Guard and Remote Credential Guard:

Modernization: Implement Credential Guard and Remote Credential Guard to protect credentials from being stolen by malware or attackers.

Example: A financial institution deploys Credential Guard and Remote Credential Guard on its Windows 10 workstations to ensure that credentials are securely isolated and cannot be harvested by attackers.

8. Fine-Grained Password Policies:

Modernization: Utilize fine-grained password policies to apply different password policies to different user groups.

Example: An organization applies stricter password requirements to privileged accounts and applies a more lenient policy to regular user accounts.

9. Group Membership Auditing:

Modernization: Enable auditing of group membership changes to monitor and detect unauthorized changes.

Example: Group membership changes within sensitive security groups, such as Domain Admins, are audited, and alerts are generated for any unauthorized modifications.

10. Legacy Protocol Disabling:

Modernization: Disable or restrict the use of legacy authentication protocols (e.g., NTLM, LAN Manager) to improve security against credential-based attacks.

Example: An organization disables the use of NTLM and LAN Manager authentication on its AD domain controllers to mitigate vulnerabilities associated with these protocols.

These examples demonstrate various aspects of AD security policy modernization, illustrating how organizations can adapt their security practices to address current threats and enhance the overall security posture of their Active Directory environment. It's important to tailor these modernizations to your organization's specific needs and regularly review and update security policies to stay ahead of evolving threats.