RE: Microsoft Active Directory security concerns

["Ramsdell, Scott" <sramsdell () stinsonmoheck com>]

Dave,

I'm not advocating one way or the other, as I've seen the business
owners of web systems go both ways.  However, here are some advantages
to using AD accounts over local accounts since you asked:

- the accounts must conform to your password policies
- the accounts can be restricted to login to only the DMZ web server
- the accounts can have a login/logoff hours policy applied to them
- you can apply GPOs to the accounts for whatever purpose you need
- you can set expiration dates for the accounts


Best Regards,
Scott Ramsdell


-----Original Message-----
From: DHegenbarth () wrberkley com [mailto:DHegenbarth () wrberkley com] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:06 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Microsoft Active Directory security concerns

All,

I have spent most of my time in network security and IDS/IPS technology
so I'm fairly new to security pertaining to MS Active Directory.  We are
being asked to evaluate web portal authentication/authorization for
users, most of whom are not employees of our company.  Our NT group
wants to add / maintain users in an "external OU", in an existing
domain, under our existing AD forest.  I think this is a bad idea but I
am not versed enough in AD to argue the point.  Are there glaring issues
with this strategy? My concern is that if someone were to gain access to
AD they might not only effect external applications but internal
production as well.

Are "external OU's" that secure?  Are there more secure authentication
schemes?


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.



Dave
 
 
This communication is from a law firm and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If it has been sent 
to you in error, please contact the sender for instructions concerning return or destruction, and do not use or 
disclose the contents to others.