Free Active Directory Security Assessment

Users are the active directory security assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For users, the relevant evidence usually includes export user and role assignments, review inactive or guest accounts, compare MFA/Conditional Access coverage, and sample recent joiner-mover-leaver tickets. Review the related MFA enforcement, least privilege, RBAC, break-glass accounts, stale identities, SSO/SAML, sign-in logs, privileged access groups, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include Microsoft Entra admin center, Active Directory Users and Computers, sign-in logs, audit logs, access reviews, PowerShell exports.

Groups are the operating area where policy, configuration, monitoring, and support records need to agree with the actual environment. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For groups, the relevant evidence usually includes export user and role assignments, review inactive or guest accounts, compare MFA/Conditional Access coverage, and sample recent joiner-mover-leaver tickets. Review the related MFA enforcement, least privilege, RBAC, break-glass accounts, stale identities, SSO/SAML, sign-in logs, privileged access groups, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include Microsoft Entra admin center, Active Directory Users and Computers, sign-in logs, audit logs, access reviews, PowerShell exports.

GPOs are the technical and administrative control set used to prove this part of the environment is configured, maintained, and reviewed. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For gpos, the relevant evidence usually includes compare deployed policy against an approved baseline, inspect exception lists, confirm endpoint/server coverage, and review last successful update timestamps. Review the related security baseline, policy inheritance, CIS/Microsoft baselines, tamper protection, sensor health, vulnerability exposure, exception management, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include Group Policy Management Console, Intune, Microsoft Defender portal, vulnerability dashboards, patch reports, endpoint health exports.

Domain Controllers are the active directory security assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For domain controllers, the relevant evidence usually includes collect current-state screenshots or exports for domain controllers, plus ownership, exception, and change records. Review the related control objective, evidence trail, exception handling, review cadence, owner accountability, validation record, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include admin console, ticketing system, monitoring platform, configuration export, documentation repository.

Service Accounts are the operating area where policy, configuration, monitoring, and support records need to agree with the actual environment. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For service accounts, the relevant evidence usually includes export user and role assignments, review inactive or guest accounts, compare MFA/Conditional Access coverage, and sample recent joiner-mover-leaver tickets. Review the related MFA enforcement, least privilege, RBAC, break-glass accounts, stale identities, SSO/SAML, sign-in logs, privileged access groups, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include Microsoft Entra admin center, Active Directory Users and Computers, sign-in logs, audit logs, access reviews, PowerShell exports.

Documentation is the technical and administrative control set used to prove this part of the environment is configured, maintained, and reviewed. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For documentation, the relevant evidence usually includes sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners. Review the related SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include ticketing system, documentation portal, change calendar, asset inventory, monitoring alerts, configuration exports.

Monitoring is the active directory security assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For monitoring, the relevant evidence usually includes inspect zone changes, resolver paths, DHCP scope utilization, alert thresholds, log retention, NTP synchronization, and monitoring coverage gaps. Review the related forwarders, secure dynamic updates, DHCP failover, reservations, lease scope utilization, syslog, SNMP, NetFlow, SIEM correlation, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include DNS/DHCP consoles, SIEM, syslog server, network monitoring dashboards, packet captures, availability reports.

Ownership is the operating area where policy, configuration, monitoring, and support records need to agree with the actual environment. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For ownership, the relevant evidence usually includes sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners. Review the related SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include ticketing system, documentation portal, change calendar, asset inventory, monitoring alerts, configuration exports.