Active Directory Hacked – How Does It Work?

An Active Directory (AD) is one of the most important systems in a network. The directory system is used to centrally manage user accounts, computers, groups, and policies: whoever controls it possesses extensive control over the IT landscape.

Looking Over the Shoulders of Hackers

Hackers often target the Microsoft AD. To attack an Active Directory, several weaknesses in the IT infrastructure are exploited. aramido shows what such an attack looks like in a special broadcast on hacker attacks . Watch hackers over their shoulders as they take full control of a Windows domain.

In the special broadcast on hacker attacks, it is shown how an employee of a company is phished. Hackers succeed in gaining access to the corporate network, where they can take over a server through a dictionary attack. They listen in on the network and can take over the account of a local administrator through LLMNR poisoning. Through the incorrect use of a domain administrator user, their password can be intercepted. Insufficient network segmentation can no longer prevent the complete takeover of the Active Directory. It turns out that the special broadcast on hacker attacks is a demonstration of a Red Teaming Assessment that was carried out by aramido as a security audit on behalf of a company.

10-Point Plan for Securing Windows Domains

To keep important systems of an IT infrastructure safe from hackers, a good security concept , capable security experts and regular security audits are needed. In addition to individual measures that meet the requirements of a company, we recommend the following 10-point plan for securing an Active Directory (AD):

1. Implement strong authentication
   • Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) at least for all domain users and administrators.
   • Use smartcards, hardware tokens or biometric authentication methods.
2. Harden security settings
   • Configure Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce security policies.
   • Enable selective authentication for specific users and groups.
   • Implement Network Access Control (NAC) solutions to control device access.
3. Protect passwords
   • Use a password manager to create and store complex passwords.
   • Implement password policies that prescribe a minimum length, uniqueness, and high complexity.
4. Control user access
   • Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict user permissions based on their roles.
   • Use group policies to control user permissions and access rights.
5. Monitor network traffic
   • Use Network Security Monitoring (NSM) tools to detect suspicious activities.
   • Monitor for unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious software.
6. Audit events
   • Enable monitoring of important events such as login attempts, changes to user accounts, and security policy violations.
   • Regularly review audit logs to identify suspicious activities.
7. Apply updates
   • Keep operating systems, applications, and drivers up to date with security patches.
   • Implement a patch management process to ensure timely installation.
8. Deploy anti-malware programs
   • Install and maintain antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices connected to the domain.
   • Regularly scan for malware and viruses.
9. Train users
   • Inform users about security risks and best practices, such as the use of secure passwords and the avoidance of phishing scams .
   • Conduct regular security awareness training.
10. Perform security audits
    • Conduct regular security audits, for example through Red Teaming Assessments or penetration tests , to identify vulnerabilities and weak points.
    • Implement plans for remediating security issues so that they are eliminated as quickly as possible.