Active Directory and Related Aspects of Security

Running head: Active Directory and its Security 1
ACTIVE DIRECTORY AND ITS SECURITY
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Active Directory and its Security 2
Introduction
Active directory is a directory service developed by Microsoft corporation for windows domain
network services (Edger Jr, 2015). It was invented by Microsoft and presently operates on
Microsoft Windows server platform and Microsoft Azure which is the Microsoft cloud platform.
It though can be used flawlessly to assimilate various versions of windows operating system, this
is based on the fact that, Microsoft structured and designed it on open standards (Hassan,
2017). Active directory is therefore essential for ensuring windows security and improving
performance on several other related operating systems upon incorporation. Windows server can
be steadily hosted both in the clouds and on premises; this is made possible by the new features
employed by the Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) (Li, C. (2015)).
Active directory security is in terms of Administrative security, Account password and group
security and Domain controller security.
Active directory has brought about dependable new features that have impressively made
Microsoft cloud platform to be right-hand (Babin, R., & Halilovic, B. (2017)). The features such
as Privileged Access Management (PAM) help in extenuating security disquiets for Active
Security environments, especially the spear phishing theft techniques and bouts. It is through
PAM that the solicitation of administrative policies and configuration was put into practice using
Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM). Another feature is the Azure active directory join; this
feature encompasses identity proficiency for enterprise or commercial customer experiences to
customize personal devices (Hassan, N. A. (2017)).
Active directory also fetched on course the Microsoft passport feature for key based
authentication methodology organization for users, this feature goes beyond passwords. It mostly

Active Directory and its Security 3
relies on theft and phish-resistant badges. File Replication Services (FRS) has been saved from
depreciating and total dis-functioning, windows server 2003 operating system is nowadays not
functional, active directory helped in raising the non- braced windows server to windows server
2008 hence preventing domain controller from being added to the environment. Distributed File
Service replication is used to replicate System Volume (SYSVOL) innards amongst domain
controllers. This has brought creditable improvements on the ease to upgrade domain controllers
of various versions of windows operating system.
Window 10 securities is standard, but cyber-attacks cannot be ruled out, with the current
advancements in the hacking and penetration field, Microsoft has not taken chance to expose any
loophole for attacks (Hassan, N. A. (2017)). Attacks can be viruses, spyware, worms and adware.
A Windows 10 security feature involves installation of the latest version of Microsoft defender
anti-virus software that keeps malicious software off wherever an attack is eminent. Microsoft
defender protects windows from an attack by prevention and also by detecting the virus then
removing it.
Lab activity
When conducting a lab activity on windows security basing arguments on the role of active
directory services, we first need a copy of windows server which can be downloaded. The
second thing we need it some visualization software, preferably virtual box. After getting all the
above; we will then open the visualization software, click on ‘network’ in the Virtual Box
preferences.