An Active Directory provides access and control to company data and grants permissions with just a single click! Pretty cool, right? In fact, it is just one of the countless opportunities that digitalization offers. But as relieving as working with an active directory is, it also has dangers.

If you work on a Windows-based infrastructure in your company and you care about security, you are aware of Active Directory. Active Directory, which is used by most companies with its facilitating features, provides a very efficient service to companies by allowing various controls and accesses with a single click. So, despite its features, is it safe to use Active Directory in the digital age where cyber attacks have increased steadily?

Active Directory is a centralized management service running on Microsoft Windows Server. This service provides administrators with the ability to manage permissions within the server and control access to network resources. It can also grant access to relevant resources in cloud or hybrid environments, access any document on the network, OneDrive or the internet, and even offer the necessary permissions when receiving emails. In this context, it seems as if the services offered by Active Directory and MDM (Mobile Device Management) are almost the same, since the main task of an MDM is to provide a platform where all mobile company devices can be easily managed. MDM works by providing the management of company devices such as computers, laptops and mobile phones as well as granting them various permissions and accesses. But that is not all. Although both services work towards the same purpose, they provide services in different environments. An Active Directory provides a service operating through computers in a company and the users of these computers while an MDM is compatible with hybrid working conditions. The integration of an MDM and an Active Directory is important because working from home, which has increased with digitalization and the pandemic, makes it difficult to secure company devices. The integration of an MDM and an Active Directory provides a more effective and enhanced experience of all these services offered. For instance, when an MDM is integrated with Active Directory;

• It can enforce compliance with organizational policies, add or remove apps, and more.
• It can report compatibility of a device in Azure Active Directory.
• Azure Active Directory can allow access to organizational resources or applications that are secured by Azure Active Directory, to policy-compliant devices.

Quite an important service, isn't it? Since Active Directory contains a lot of information such as the identity information of its users and company data, the data provided by it becomes the clear target of hackers. This being the case, it is extremely important to secure Active Directory in order to prevent various breaches and attacks from occurring.

Although the service offers a lot of ease, especially for companies in the information technology sector, it is not that easy to ensure the security of Active Directory. To ensure its security, you can constantly monitor changes in Active Directory and control unauthorized transactions. You can also harden the credentials required to access permissions with two or multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA). Also, one can consider implementing a strong password policy or setting up a dedicated administration-only server. In addition to all these, the most effective way to ensure the security of Active Directory is to integrate with a mobile device management system that can detect security vulnerabilities, control permissions and accesses, and detect violations beforehand.
For a more detailed look into this topic, we recommend reading the article featured here.