Augmenting Active Directory Security with dOISP

by Mykhailo Magal, PhD PhD Head of Research and Development at Iothic Ltd.

Active Directory (AD) infrastructures are a cornerstone for role-based access to network resources. However, they face persistent threats such as credential theft, privilege escalation, and malware-driven attacks. Deploying decentralized Open Interoperable Security Protocol (dOISP) within an AD topology can significantly enhance its security by addressing vulnerabilities at the network layer without interfering with the application layer operations.

1. Transparent Network Security for Active Directory

dOISP operates exclusively at the network layer, encrypting communications and safeguarding data in transit. This seamless integration ensures that Active Directory implementations can function as normal without awareness of dOISP's underlying security mechanisms. By securing the network independently of application protocols, dOISP provides a robust defense layer that complements AD.

2. Enhanced Protection Against Credential Exploitation

Active Directory environments are vulnerable to advanced attacks, such as replay or relay attacks and credential forgery. For instance:

• Replay Attacks: Captured credentials, such as Kerberos tickets, are reused by attackers to gain unauthorized access.
• Forged Credentials: Golden Ticket attacks exploit stolen ticket-granting tickets (TGT) to escalate privileges.

dOISP mitigates these risks through its unique session-specific key generation. Even if credentials are compromised, their limited session scope prevents reuse, ensuring ongoing security.

3. Mitigation of Remote Adversarial Attacks

Imagine a scenario where an adversary compromises an AD infrastructure, stealing valid credentials. Under traditional security models, this would allow unfettered access to network resources. However, with dOISP in place:

• Only dOISP-provisioned devices can authenticate within the network.
• Remote attacks initiated with stolen credentials are rendered ineffective, as dOISP requires the source device itself to be provisioned and authenticated.

4. Defense Against Malware-Driven AD Compromise

Consider an enterprise compromised by malware that creates new administrator credentials within the AD environment. This would typically allow persistent, unauthorized access. With a full dOISP deployment:

• Access to network resources would still be restricted to authenticated dOISP devices.
• Even newly created admin credentials would be ineffective without device-level provisioning, nullifying the attack vector.

5. Synergizing dOISP with Active Directory

By integrating dOISP, enterprises can achieve a Zero Trust architecture that enforces network segmentation and continuous authentication. Every session is secured with ephemeral keys, reducing the risk of lateral movement, even within a compromised AD environment.

In essence

Deploying dOISP within Active Directory environments transforms their security posture. Even if AD credentials or structures are compromised, dOISP ensures that unauthorized access is effectively blocked. This synergy not only protects existing AD implementations but also future-proofs enterprises against emerging threats, including quantum computing.