Active Directory Security Assessment

"Nobody believes anything bad can happen to them, until it does"

Active Directory (AD) is a critical component of an organization's IT infrastructure, serving as the central hub for user authentication and authorization and storing information about network resources such as computers, printers, applications, and servers. As such, it is an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to gain unauthorized access to an organization's resources. Active Directory Security Testing is a process of evaluating the security of an organization's AD environment to identify vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to secure it against internal and external threats.

Why is Adversary Simulation Exercise Important?

AD is a critical component of the IT infrastructure of many organizations, and a breach of AD can lead to severe consequences such as data breaches, unauthorized remote access to important systems and applications, and other forms of cyberattacks. In addition, it is significantly more challenging to entirely mitigate threats from a compromised AD infrastructure than from a server or system intrusion. In fact, Active Directory infrastructure cannot be returned to a completely trustworthy state in the majority of cases of breaches. Furthermore, the attack surface of an organization's IT infrastructure can change over time due to various factors, such as technological advancements, network configurations, and user behavior. While Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment of applications are essential security measures, they do not cover all aspects of an organization's IT infrastructure, including the AD environment. Thus, periodic AD security assessments should be performed to account for any changes to the attack surface and guarantee that the AD environment remains secure.

How Active Directory Security Testing Benefits Your Organization

Active Directory Security Testing offers several benefits to organizations, including:

Increased security posture:

By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in the AD environment, organizations can enhance their security posture and reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

Compliance:

Many regulations and standards require organizations to secure their AD environment. AD security testing helps organizations comply with these requirements.

Cost savings:

By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before an attack occurs, organizations can avoid the costs associated with data breaches and cyberattacks.

Business continuity:

AD security testing helps to ensure the availability of critical systems and applications, minimizing the risk of disruption to business operations.

Increased trust and confidence in customers:

Regular Active Directory security assessments show an organization's dedication to data protection and build consumer trust and confidence in the organization's ability to protect their information.

How may Norse Shield assist?

Norse Shield specializes in offensive security services, including Active Directory security assessments. We specialize in providing Active Directory Security Assessment services to assist organizations in protecting their AD environments from cyberattacks. Our team of expert cybersecurity professionals with extensive experience caters to the unique AD security concerns of each client. By actively monitoring updates and techniques in the Active Directory threat landscape and continuously enhancing our arsenal of tools, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify vulnerabilities and provide pragmatic recommendations. Engagements are carried out in accordance with international and EU security standards and frameworks, such as OSSTMM, PTES, and NIST SP 800-115, to ensure the most comprehensive and effective AD security testing.

Case Study

In recent years, cybercrime has increased annually by multiple orders of magnitude. The world has witnessed numerous high-profile cyber-attacks that have caused massive damage to organizations. Listed below are a few notable mentions.

In 2017, Maersk, a worldwide shipping company, suffered a major ransomware attack. The attack was made possible by the NotPetya malware, which swept throughout the organization's network, ultimately causing an estimated $300 million in damages. The attack halted Maersk's operations for weeks, resulting in severe financial losses and reputational damage.

In 2019, a ransomware attack targeted a Norway based global aluminium producer Norsk Hydro. The severity of the attack forced the company to halt production at multiple locations, resulting in significant financial losses. The attackers exploited a weakness in the company's Active Directory (AD) environment to gain access to vital systems and data.

If Maersk and Norsk Hydro had conducted Active Directory Security Testing, system vulnerabilities may have been identified and remediated before to the attack, minimizing the impact of the attack.