Active Directory (AD) monitoring is an extremely vital monitoring tool for a company’s security infrastructure. It functions as a primary repository center for monitoring and tracking user accounts, authentications, permissions, and web resources used in a Windows-based infrastructure. It is also referred to as a key point for enterprise network components.

This comprehensive monitoring encompasses various aspects such as performance monitoring, server monitoring, website monitoring, user monitoring, and monitoring AD. Together, these ensure a holistic approach to safeguarding the organization’s digital assets and maintaining the integrity of the network.

Understanding Active Directory in a Nutshell

Active Directory monitoring tool is a network identity failsafe management component designed by Microsoft. It is primarily utilized in all Windows-based environments, consolidating and supervising network resources that can include a variety of factors such as interconnected devices (printers and servers), other computers and devices, users, and permissions.

Active directory monitoring can thus play a pivotal role in making sure that you only provide access to important network resources to authorized users, monitoring and controlling their permissions.

Powerful Reasons Why You Need an Active Directory

More than 90% of Fortune 1,000 businesses have implemented the use of Active Directory management solutions to control and track their network assets and endpoints.

However, a lot of businesses that utilize active directories lack a transparent view of their network environments. When user accounts are produced, they are typically not tracked and are forgotten. This, in turn, leads to the creation of vulnerabilities and failures that could have been tackled or prevented by easily tracking and managing the active directory infrastructure frequently.

According to a statistical study called Global Threat Report, posted by CrowdStrike in 2023 , 80% of malware, viruses, and other cyberattacks that occurred exploited identity-based vulnerability by exposing authenticated user credentials while simultaneously avoiding detection. The research also talks about how cybercriminals are propelling their use of these techniques, focusing on stealing real user monitoring credentials. Worryingly, the report cites a whopping 112% increase in advertisements where criminal enterprises or groups require the services of an access broker.

How AD Monitoring Can Help

Microsoft Active Directory and Microsoft Azure can play a fundamental role in preventing identity-based cybercrime. They offer primary directory monitoring software that many small and medium-sized businesses use to monitor and secure their log management, directory domain, user permissions, performance issues, and directory replication issues. Users can thus limit access and control to their networks and generally secure their infrastructure monitoring.

In the event that the AD is corrupted or not effectively managed, cybercriminals can exploit security vulnerabilities to hack into those network resources, infiltrating precious data.

There are a slew of excellent benefits associated with AD. Some of the important ones include:

Establishing a Streamlined Repository for Your Data

Active directory monitor secures all manner of your applicational information, including your user permissions, data, and other resources in a safeguarded database.

This AD database compiles data as a set of objects and can consolidate more than one billion objects. To gain access to their objects, your users will need to resource the identity data you issue them, allowing them to access critical resources throughout your network while being monitored and tracked.

Troubleshoot and Identify Potential Vulnerabilities

You can also use active directory monitoring to audit your overall network infrastructure, determining new security vulnerabilities or possible threats. AD enables businesses to inspect and audit events in their Microsoft environment, such as updating their directory service and/or identity systems, or preventing any form of access violation.

Access Network Resources or Applications Using a Single Sign-On

As a business, you may be using a slew of network applications. Every application comes with a unique authorization mechanism. What an active directory does is make accessing those resources more seamless for your users.

While the users will need different IDs and passwords to access network applications, they will not need to use their IDs to sign in every time they need to access anything. Your administrators can authenticate different users and permissions, making them a part of the active directory credentials.

User Off-Boarding Becomes Simpler

There is nothing more important for businesses wishing to optimize their data security, than implementing quality measures to protect against cybercrime.

One aspect of this is ensuring that your Wi-Fi passwords remain secure. To do this, you’ll need to change passwords frequently. Unfortunately, not all companies do this, which means they’re constantly on the verge of a security breach, especially if an employee decides to quit or is let go, and has access to your Wi-Fi.

With an active directory, you make this process easier and, more importantly, safer. The system only requires a single input to restrain access and decline permissions for the employee who is being let go. This process is, in turn, enacted throughout the entirety of the network.