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If you were a hacker attempting a breach, what would be your first move? Guess random passwords? Try to brute-force your way into an account? Too much work. Instead, you’d go straight for the privileged accounts. Domain Admins, service accounts with high privileges, and old credentials are key to taking over Active Directory (AD).

The reality is that privileged accounts are the #1 target for cybercriminals. They don’t care how tight your firewall is or how often you patch your software, if they get an admin login, it’s game over.

That’s why IT teams need to take a Zero Trust approach to AD security. Lock down privileged accounts and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for every admin. ̽»¨´óÉñ’s security platform gives IT teams the tools to make privileged access bulletproof before an attacker finds the weakest link.

Identifying Privileged Access Risks in Active Directory

The problem with privileged accounts is that they multiply. Fast. What begins with a few trusted admin accounts can quickly turn into chaos. You could end up with too many overprivileged service accounts. Forgotten passwords and access rights may pile up too. No one may even remember giving them. Every extra privilege is another entry point for an attacker. One mismanaged account could mean full control over your entire Active Directory.

The Most Common Privileged Account Risks

IT teams often assume their privileged accounts are locked down. But in reality, AD environments are full of hidden security gaps that attackers love to exploit:

• Too many Domain Admins: The more users with domain-wide privileges, the easier it is for an attacker to hijack an account and move laterally.
• Overprivileged service accounts: These accounts often have broad access but no password rotation or MFA.
• Privilege creep: Employees get elevated access for one-off tasks, but their permissions never get revoked.

When these risks go unchecked, privileged escalation attacks become inevitable.

How Attackers Exploit Privileged Accounts

Cybercriminals don’t break in anymore. That’s old news. Now they log in. Once inside, they exploit weak access controls. This helps them escalate privileges, disable security tools, and take control of Active Directory. Here’s how they do it:

• Pass-the-Hash & Pass-the-Ticket attacks: Attackers steal credential hashes and reuse them to authenticate without needing the actual password.
• Kerberoasting: Hackers extract hashed credentials from poorly secured service accounts, crack them offline, and gain admin-level access.
• DCSync attacks: The ultimate AD nightmare—attackers trick domain controllers into dumping every password hash to get full reign over the network.

Securing privileged accounts is essential for keeping AD safe. Solutions like ̽»¨´óÉñ’s access management tools help IT teams enforce least privilege, restrict domain admin sprawl, and eliminate security blind spots before attackers can exploit them.

Step 1: Reduce & Manage Privileged Accounts

If your AD setup hands out admin access like free samples at Costco, you’re in trouble. Privileged accounts should be earned, not assumed—because every extra admin account is another opportunity for an attacker to slip through the cracks. The goal is to tighten the reins on privileged access before it becomes a security nightmare.

Implement the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)

Think of admin access like a backstage pass. You wouldn’t give one to just anyone—so why let unnecessary accounts roam free in Active Directory?

• Limit Domain Admins to the absolute essentials. If someone doesn’t need full control over AD every day, they shouldn’t have it.
• Use separate admin accounts for privileged tasks. No one should be logging into email, browsing the web, or downloading software on an account with domain-level access. That’s like letting someone drive a sports car with no brakes.

When fewer people have always-on admin privileges, the attack surface shrinks. And that’s a win.

Rotate & Secure Service Account Credentials

Service accounts are the forgotten stepchildren of AD security—they get set up once and then left to collect dust, usually with high-level privileges and zero oversight. Attackers know this, which is why they target them relentlessly.

• Use Managed Service Accounts (MSA) or Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA). These automate password rotation and reduce the risk of stolen or cracked credentials.
• Regularly audit and rotate service account passwords. If an account has had the same password for years, it’s a sitting duck for Kerberoasting attacks.

Locking down privileged accounts is about keeping attackers out of the driver’s seat. Modern IAM solutions like ̽»¨´óÉñ’s centralized security platform help enforce strict privileged access rules without making things a nightmare to manage.

Step 2: Enforce Strong Authentication & Access Controls

If your AD security still relies on just usernames and passwords, you might as well be locking your doors with a shoelace. Attackers thrive on weak authentication, and once they get their hands on a privileged account, they’re running the show. Strong access controls are your first line of defense against privilege abuse.

Require Multi-Factor Authentication for All Admin Accounts

Think of MFA like adding a deadbolt to your front door. A password alone? That’s just the doorknob lock—it slows down amateurs, but not professionals. If an attacker gets admin credentials, MFA stops them cold unless they also have access to a second form of verification.

• MFA should be nonnegotiable for all privileged accounts. Whether it’s push notifications, hardware tokens, or biometrics, there should always be a second layer of defense.
• Block NTLM authentication and enforce Kerberos-only policies. NTLM is the rusty old lock on your door. It’s so outdated, and weak, and attackers know exactly how to pick it. Kerberos offers stronger authentication with encrypted ticketing to reduce password exposure instead.

By requiring MFA and eliminating outdated authentication methods, IT teams can make stolen credentials far less valuable to attackers. If they can’t log in, they can’t escalate privileges.

Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) & Just-In-Time Access

Giving someone permanent admin access is like handing them the keys to the kingdom and hoping they don’t lose them. Privileged accounts should be treated like a high-security vault, not an open-door policy.

• Use privileged access management (PAM) solutions to grant on-demand admin access only when absolutely necessary.
• Require just-in-time (JIT) access requests instead of allowing persistent admin privileges. JIT means access is granted only for a specific task and time frame, reducing the risk of long-term exposure.

No one should have standing admin access just because it’s convenient. With a Zero Trust approach and modern security platforms, IT teams can tighten security without making daily operations painful.

Step 3: Monitor & Detect Privileged Access Abuse

Even the strongest locks won’t stop a break-in if no one’s watching the security cameras. That’s exactly what happens when IT teams don’t monitor privileged access. Attackers know that once they sneak in, they can roam freely unless someone is tracking their movements. That’s why real-time monitoring and intelligent threat detection are nonnegotiable in securing Active Directory.

Enable Advanced Logging & SIEM Integration

You can’t stop what you don’t see. That’s why turning on Active Directory auditing and logging should be step one in detecting suspicious activity.

• Enable AD event logging for privileged account actions, including logins, modifications, and failed access attempts.
• Integrate AD logs with a security information and event management (SIEM) tool to centralize monitoring and detect anomalies in real time.

A SIEM platform collects, analyzes, and correlates logs, flagging anything that looks out of place. If an attacker is escalating privileges, hopping between accounts, or trying to cover their tracks, SIEM picks up on the patterns. And in today’s hybrid environments, organizations using cloud-based SIEM solutions like ̽»¨´óÉñ’s security monitoring can track both on-prem and cloud activity in one place.

Detect & Respond to Suspicious Privileged Activity

Logging is only half the battle—you need to act fast when something suspicious pops up.

• Set up real-time alerts for privilege escalation attempts. If a regular user suddenly requests admin rights or a dormant account logs in, IT needs to know immediately.
• Use behavior analytics to detect anomalies. Unusual login times, logins from foreign IP addresses, or bulk permission changes? These are red flags.

By combining continuous monitoring, automation, and security analytics, IT teams can catch privilege abuse before it spirals into a full-scale breach.

Step 4: Implement a Zero Trust Approach to AD Security

Trust is earned, not given—especially in cybersecurity. Zero Trust flips the script on old-school security models, where users and devices were automatically trusted once they got inside the network. Instead, every request is verified, every time. No exceptions. When applied to Active Directory, Zero Trust ensures that even privileged accounts have to prove themselves constantly before getting access.

Remove Standing Privileges & Enforce Zero Trust Policies

Too many organizations still hand out admin privileges like candy and then forget to take them back. That’s a hacker’s dream. Zero Trust eliminates this risk by enforcing strict, need-based access policies.

• Continuous access evaluation (CAE) keeps privilege use in check. Instead of granting broad, long-term access, users get temporary permissions that expire once they’re done with a task. If something looks off—like an admin logging in from an unusual location—CAE can automatically revoke access.
• Role-based access control (RBAC) ensures that no one gets more access than they need. Admins should only have access to the systems and data directly relevant to their job. No more one-size-fits-all admin rights.

Secure Domain Controllers & AD Infrastructure

If Active Directory is the brain of your IT environment, the Domain Controllers (DCs) are the heart that keeps it beating. Locking them down should be priority number one.

• Restrict Domain Controller access to a select few. Only IT personnel with a legitimate need should be able to touch them. Everyone else? Hard pass.
• Use Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools to monitor lateral movement. Attackers love to sneak in through a low-level machine and work their way up to privileged systems. EDR spots these movements in real time and can shut down threats before they reach critical assets.

By taking a Zero Trust approach, IT teams can stop treating AD security as an afterthought and start actively preventing privilege abuse before it happens.

How ̽»¨´óÉñ Helps Secure Privileged Access in AD

Let’s be honest—managing privileged access in AD is like herding a pack of over-caffeinated squirrels. One moment, everything looks fine. The next, someone’s granted excessive admin rights, a service account has the keys to the kingdom, and a security gap is wide open. IT teams spend more time patching up access mistakes than actually securing systems.

That’s where ̽»¨´óÉñ changes the game. Instead of playing security whack-a-mole, IT teams get a centralized way to enforce least privilege, lock down admin accounts, and keep a real-time pulse on privileged access. 

No more chasing down old service accounts or scrambling to revoke permissions after an employee leaves. With built-in MFA enforcement, automated privilege controls, and real-time monitoring, security stays tight without adding extra headaches.

Privileged access in AD doesn’t have to be a never-ending mess. It’s time to get ahead of the risks before attackers do. Take ̽»¨´óÉñ for a spin with a guided simulation or contact sales to see how easy security can be.