📖 Introduction
Definition
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft that provides centralized management and storage of information related to network resources, including users, computers, groups, and security policies within a Windows domain network.
Architecture and Functionality
Active Directory enables organizations to:
- Centralize authentication and authorization processes
- Manage user accounts and computer systems from a single administrative point
- Implement group-based policy management
- Control access to network resources through directory-based security
Core Capabilities
User Management: Centralized creation, modification, and deletion of user accounts across the entire network infrastructure.
Computer Management: Administration of computer accounts and their associated permissions throughout the domain.
Policy Enforcement: Implementation of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to standardize configurations and security settings across multiple systems.
Resource Access Control: Granular permission management for file shares, applications, and other network resources based on user or group membership.
Operational Benefits
Organizations utilizing Active Directory can efficiently execute administrative tasks such as:
- Simultaneous software deployment across multiple workstations
- Centralized password reset procedures
- Role-based access control implementation
- Automated policy compliance enforcement
Authentication Process
When a user attempts to authenticate to any system within the Active Directory domain, the local system queries the central directory service to verify account credentials and determine appropriate access permissions. This enables seamless single sign-on (SSO) capabilities across the enterprise environment.
Security Implications
Given its centralized nature, Active Directory represents a critical attack surface. Compromise of privileged administrative accounts can potentially provide attackers with broad access to directory objects, security policies, and authentication mechanisms across the entire domain infrastructure.